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Question

Where can I find a guide on tracing code to its file source?

Feb 20, 2013 5:52PM PST

I've had a website built through joomla. I'm very familiar with Joomla but now want to start editing code in the files for layout, graphics, functions etc. things that aren't in the joomla extension options.

The fastest way for me to learn would be a way to know how to locate which files the source code is located in, follow the path, look up the code in a book to understand it and change to my desired outcome.

I just need a step by step guide on how to do this? or someone to show me over skype who I can pay per minute?

Discussion is locked

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Answer
Re: source code.
Feb 20, 2013 6:00PM PST

In the link that calls the page you can see the name of the page. Start with the start page (index.html or something like that) and work down till you found the page you want to edit.
But you can't edit directly from the browser. You need to edit the file in your local copy and then ftp the changed file.

Kees

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Still trouble locating
Feb 20, 2013 6:16PM PST
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With php it might be different.
Feb 20, 2013 6:38PM PST

Why not ask the developer for help? I assume you have a service or maintenance contract with him.

Kees

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Contracts finished
Feb 20, 2013 6:46PM PST

The contract hasa finished, we don't want to pay anymore money hence me learning it all myself.

There must be a guide to locating/tracing webpages or joomla extension/oftware I can get to do it for me?

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Re: sources
Feb 20, 2013 7:25PM PST

All sources should be somewhere in the right folder structure where you can edit and upload them. Could be .php or .html, .htm, or depending on what you want to change .js or .css.

A good trick to find it is this. First thing in the morning, before doing anything else, edit the page in joomla. Then use your favorite filemanager to search for files changed or created today. One of them is the page you're looking for. Having found the first, it won't be difficult to locate the others.

But we really don't recommend editing pages made in joomla manually. It defeats the purpose of the program and might even make it useless, because it doesn't understand your coding or handles it wrong.

Kees

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Useful trick!
Feb 20, 2013 7:57PM PST

"A good trick to find it is this. First thing in the morning, before doing anything else, edit the page in joomla. Then use your favorite filemanager to search for files changed or created today. One of them is the page you're looking for. Having found the first, it won't be difficult to locate the others."


This is a useful trick and will work for a lot of my pages however will not work for the registration page as Its not editable through joomla.

I'll keep looking, but there must be a bit of software that shows me a coding map as it loads or something like that.

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Answer
If you see something on the page
Feb 21, 2013 12:54AM PST

that's not stored in the database, in other words, somewhere within the content management system, it must be stored in a file. The easiest way to locate such things is to find something unique to that page, download all of the files, then search for that string. There's going to be at least one search result and once you have it, like Kees said, the others can't be far.

As a side note, always ask for documentation. If somebody develops something custom, there should be some documentation detailing what, where and how.

~Sovereign