This is a detailed how to for editing your current front page to show a article list for recently published articles, which will give your joomla website a Blog feel. However it is not limited with this if you want to add more thing on it.
It is more focusing on how to edit Joomla Position module area than the title itself.
There are severl things related,
1. site template
I am using a free site template downloaded from Joomla, which should have similar style like yours. However there is no position available to insert the module to the posistion I need, so we need customize it later.
2. Site Module
I am using inbuilt Module Article - News Flash to show a list of 5 recent articles. Then add to the cusomized module.
3. Home page
I am using Kazzm to generate menu automatically, also I have to use Kazzm to select the home page everytime I change categories.
Lets begin.
1. go to Extensions-> Template Manager -> Templates then select your current template to open the package folder.
2. Open templateDetails.xml and find area of
<positions> <position>menuload</position> <position>position-0</position> ... </positions>
add a new position in between. In my case, I added in position-1 between position 0 and 4, since there was no position 1-3. Keep the format identical with the others. Save and close templateDetails.xml
3.Open Index.php
Find
<div class="cont">
area, just below
<jdoc:include type="component" />
(which will add your page content to it)
add following code:
<?php if( $this->countModules('position-1') ) : ?>
<jdoc:include type="modules" name="position-1" style="rounded"/>
<?php endif; ?>
This means if there are content in position-1, it will add the module right below the main content.
Save index.php and close it. The customization is finished.
4. Now go to Module manager, add a new module - Articicle - Newsflash and then assign postion 1 to it. Also go to Menu Assignment -> Module Assignment ->Only the pages selected -> tick your home page only
Save and close.
5. Refresh your home page you will see 5 recently added article will be listed on your home page. You can further modify your home page to make it look more nature. Cheers.