An introduction to Snappa
60% Faster with CSS Compression and file Include
With modern websites, load times are going up respectively as the size, complexity and number of javascript and css files loaded into a page increase.
With Snappa we have implemented a method built into the template to do 2 very important things in order to help reduce the load speeds.
Compress (gzip) CSS and Javascript
We include a php script that first checks the server accepts this method, then it uses one of the php compression methods to reduce the size of the file for loading as well as revalidate the cache header.
Using php includes to minimize "http" requests to the server
The main focus here is to merge (on the fly) the css and javascript into single files in order to reduce the http requests. So instead of loading 6 css files, only one is loaded.
These 2 methods have shown us and increase of nearly 60% and we think it makes this an exceptionally fast loading template. This feature is built into the template and requires no setup, directly after install your visitors will enjoy enhanced browse speeds.
New super logo configuration - add your own text and font in no time!
After a few requests about making it easy to change the logo on Snappa we have in this release included a great feature that allows you to easily change the standard Snappa logo. You can actually replace the logo with any text of your choice as well as any font of your choice and of course in whatever colour you choose.
Your site name will, by default, be automatically pulled in from the Joomla configuration, but with Snappa you can set this to use any text you like in the templates configuration. As with all our templates, we try our best to keep things configurable for our users, which means less digging in the code for you.
Have a look at the image below to see a summary of the options for the logo:
Template options
Replace css based text with an image on the fly
To achieve the image replacement with the logo we are using a script called facelift by Cory Mawhorter. Facelift is a very clever little script that replaces the normal css based text with an image that is generated on the fly using a font of your choice.
New accordion menu
You will notice a new addition to the Snappa demo: we have included a nifty accordion menu. This is not a module or a mambot and nothing needs to be installed. To implement it, we are using jQuery to apply the hooks we need and the effects to the standard Joomla menu. This is only available for Joomla 1.5 due to the improvements in the menu output in 1.5 which we are using as the base of this feature.
Retro meets grunge in Snappa
The full source files used to create the header are available in our template club for free download to all club members. If you are feeling a little creative then play a with the source files to modify the effect or make your own.
Superfish menus
We installed our newest Superfish menu into Snappa.
Superfish is great because it degrades gracefully when Javascript is switched off, allowing users who have older system to still be able to navigate your site. It also has a cool time-delay on mouse-out which means your users won’t lose the menu because they weren't quick enough or accurate enough in pointing.
Module versatility at your fingertips
Intelli Modules Built in
This template comes with Intelli-modules which calculate how much space they can take up depending on how many of them you publish. It can handle a maximum of 2 rows of three modules. With this template there are over 10 module positions for you and 6 of those are Intelli. Talk about options!
Module FX - Mix and match module styles!
One thing we have learn over the years is that our users want control and the means to easily customize the template to their needs. That is why we have come up with this clever system allowing you mix and match your different module styles.
Express yourself through layout versatility
Snappa brings a new dimension to layout flexibility using its flexible layout configurations that are available on a per component basis. This allows you to set a 1, 2 column layout for any component, not only that, you can even specify the ordering of the columns!
This allows you to change your sites layout, depending on the content that your users are viewing. For example, if you wanted your site to have a forum, but did not want the sidebar to be loaded when viewing the forum, you would simple set the configuration to com_fireboard = content. It really is that simple!
RSS Feed Module
Ever wanted to display a rss module, but did not know how to customize the default joomla syndicate module? Well, we have taken the concept and run with it. With our Simple Feed module, you can now add your own "pre text", customize the link text, customize whether to pull the rss feed from Joomla! or MyBlog and if choosing Joomla! you can specify what type of feed you would like to syndicate. All this without digging in a single line of code!
Company contact Module
A simple yet effective module that allows your company to have a contact blurb. Save space and use this module for easy and quick contact info.
Socilaizer Module
If you are like us you have a signed up for a bunch of different social websites like MySpace and Facebook and Flickr. Use this module to show users what you use and a link to your profile.
Newsticker Module
A very tiny yet effective news ticker module. This allows you to have one line of news like a teaser on your site, that links back to the main content. You can configure how fast it fades in and out, as well as what it links to. Check it out on the very top of the Snappa demo on the left.
Features Summary:
* Out of box install
* SuperFish menu system
* Compressed CSS
* 10 Normal and 6 Intelli Module Positions.
* Fully XHTML and CSS Validated and Compliant.
* Multiple layout options
* Detailed style guide
* Semantic markup / separation of presentation and content
* Comprehensive setup guide
* Fireworks source included
* Fully collapsible module positions
* Mini menu in top bar
* Fully compatible IE6, IE7, Safari 2, Firefox 1.5+ (mac +win), Opera
Demo:
http://www.joomlajunkie.com/demo/commercial/snappa/
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