Template frameworks has pros and cons. If I had to choose a framework, I would go for T3. Not because we are affiliated with them but what they did in their framework makes perfect sense.

Though, in all honesty, I think the fastest framework that I have seen is No Framework. Why? All these frameworks has something in common and it actually utilizes lots of "compiling" from less files to css files. We have been using our own less compiler that compiles less files to css and boy, it really is extremely slow. Now, I know that most frameworks are already caching these compiled less files to css files, it's heavy in the sense where it needs to check against the "cached" content to actually know if it needs to rebuild the less files again or not.

Sweet, thanks for your input. Now if my server is running an SSD, does it still cause a slowdown?

Hi there, Joomlashine corsa is compatible with the three stackideas exts i found, the design is nice,
i like yootheme and their style, Avenue is my favourite but i am not sure if its compatible with easysocial ..

http://46.16.75.22/demo/themes/joomla/2014/avenue/

Any body tested the yootheme framework ?

EasySocial is compatible with all Frameworks, when they advertise that it is EasySocial compatible, often they are referring to having either done overrides to EasySocial to style it differently... or they have designed the template and modules in a way that looks good with EasySocial. Don't be afraid of buying a template that does not advertise EasySocial support. If by some odd or rare occasion there is any incompatibility I am sure that Mark and the Stackideas team will provide swift support to solve the problem.

I have definitely tested YooThemes Warp framework, and it is one of my favorite. Out of the ones I have tested (JoomlArt, RocketTheme, YooTheme, GavickPro, JSN and JoomlaBamboo) I can comfortably say that it is not just one of the easiest to install and setup, but one of the fastest loading. I am strongly considering using a YooTheme template for my next site, just waiting to see what the community here thinks of the different alternatives first.


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Below is a slightly more elaborate version of the reply I did in your thread earlier, ketab. Not much added, just thought it would be relevant to the discussion.

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Here is how I would compare them based on my experience so far, but note I haven't done any stress testing, and coding is not my strong suit, so I can only speak on how it felt, which is why I am seeking advice from more experienced people in this community:

JoomlArt (T3): By far one of the most respected, they are continuously trying to implement the latest web technologies. This is great, but it can sometimes result in templates being challenging to configure. If you choose a template with very unique features or animations, make sure you use the Quickstart and read the documentation, as they really have used out of the box thinking to make their themes do wonderful things, but often at the cost of simplicity.

RocketTheme (Gantry): By far the most feature rich and easy to configure templates, but some would argue that they can be a bit bloated... and I am not a fan of their latest designs.

YooTheme (Warp): Arguably some of the nicest designs out there for Joomla and easier to configure than Joomlart, but a bit more complicated than RocketTheme. In many ways one of my favorites. Feels lighter and faster when compared to Gantry and T3.

GavickPro (Gavern): GavickPro has very well planned out templates and they are also a joy to configure. Better 3rd party component integrations than the rest, they put more effort into it I feel. Seems like a good balance between light and flexible, feels faster than Gantry, probably between Warp and T3 speed wise, but again haven't tested this theory.

JoomlaBamboo (Zen): Their templates are stylistically absolutely stunning, but they are less universal than the others.

JSN: I find them inconsistent... that said, they do focus a lot on third party integrations which I really really appreciate... for example they have the only nice looking Ohana supporting template on the market, and they were one of the first to attempt to make a template which revolved around EasySocial. I love their business model however, as they provide limited versions of their templates for free, so you can test before you buy.

If you are feeling adventurous, goto Themeforest.net then go the the Joomla section under CMS. There you will find very unique designs from smaller design firms or even individuals... consider it more of a marketplace than a template provider. There is always amazing stuff there!

In terms of Framework free templates the only good option I have found so far is: http://www.joostrap.com

Does anyone have any other suggestions?

Joostrap is nice and simple too, it doesn't have all these bloated features and functionality.

I am a big Rocket theme fan so my framework would have to be Gantry

Hi Janik

Here is my feedback. First off I am anything but a power user. I kind of fumble my way through all of this kind of stuff.

The way I am thinking at the moment is that I would like a template with a secondary navigation module position.

Please see my post here:

http://stackideas.com/forums/more-es-eb-ed-integration-and-menu

Also because of my beginners status I definitely need something that is simple. I simply do not have the time or resources to get my head around every thing. My end goal is a LMS. Not to mention the content for the LMS which I will initially probably have to create myself. Need to stay focused. Cue Dr Strangelove:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaTR46iU1Do

That is one of the reasons why at the moment I am thinking along these lines here:

http://pressmag.joostrap.com/features/module-positions

I think the design is pretty lame but if it is idiot proof in the back end and I can have a secondary Nav bar that might just swing it for me.

For me to date the single biggest head ache has been support from template providers and I reckon the less support i need the better :-)

I started a thread here:

http://stackideas.com/forums/template-which-are-“easy”-compatible-the-big-picture

And whilst the premise is probably incorrect, I will attempt to update it on a regular basis for any one who is interested in going down the I need dedicated support for my Easy Template route!!!

What did you decide in the end or is it still open?

FYI I had a horrible experience at Joomlashine. Maybe it was just me...

best

Paul

I actually ended up going for YooTheme in the end for my current project.... You can see the work in progress at statusselect.com, it is a heavily modified version of Yoo Nite. As I mentioned in my comparison, I find that YooTheme Themes are fast, easy to setup and very beautiful. For beginners I recommend it over most of the competitors, the customizer feature makes the process of changing colors, fonts etc. foolproof for people who aren't comfortable with CSS. Additionally, the experience is consistent across all their templates, if you start with one and want to switch to another, their module positions stay the same, and the settings available are universal. My only complaint is their support is not the best.

In terms of compatibility with Stackideas products, it goes without saying that they are compatible... but I do have to admit that I had to add a couple of tweaks to the css to get everything to look right. Basically I had to convert "box-sizing: border-box;" to "box-sizing: border-box !important;" a few places.... if not input boxes would not always be in the right place

Hi Janik

Thanks for your feed back. I give myself until the end of the month and then I will make a decision. Ease of use sounds good. Dodgy support makes my blood boil. i guess there is no magic answer

Good luck with your Site

best

Paul

Not one.

For Joomla 2.5 they do make sense, but since Jomla 3 loads everything from JUI, i cant see a single valid reason why would i want to install "same" framework on top of the existing one.

I say "same" because most if not all of them are based on Bootstrap.
Soooo... if Joomla already loads Bootstrap for me... why would i want another bootstrap-based framework on top of it.

It does require a bit more time to build your own template from scratch using JUI assets, but once you do it, it is really worth it. The CSS of my template now is 24KB in non-compressed size, it's completely responsive, have all module positions that i need, and i can add more when i want to... and most importantly, its blazing fast.

If i have to pick up new framework, i would go for Foundation 5 or 16 column Titan

On top of that, i personally think that Joomla made a mistake for choosing LESS based framework.
As Mark said, its so slow for a start, but thats not all. For example, Bootstrap is not adoptive (can not recognize device, only screen size)
In a world that we live today, Susy, SASS, SCSS is the way to go.

One potential benefit of a framework with regard to Bootstrap is where the framework utilizes Bootstrap 3 instead of the Boostrap 2 that Joomla uses but I generally agree with Mark and Darko and I've used just about every J! framework. Joomla! has always been top heavy on calls and adding any type of overhead is a step in the wrong direction.

I think the way things are, frameworks only benefit the template developer. It locks you into their product especially if you utilize any of their text overrides for example. If down the road you want to switch and have a lot of articles using proprietary overrides or suffixes, then you've created a ton of work for yourself. Of course I'm a hypocrite because I have to get things implemented quickly and use what the template club provides. But philosophically at least, I'd like to get out from under that. I'd like to see template providers alternatively to a framework, just have a package of css overrides per template and instructions to customer on how to utilize them.

I specifically remember Kyle Ledbetter saying when J!3 was first being discussed, that J!3 would make frameworks unnecessary and I was happy to hear that. It also ***** when you get invested in a framework and they don't properly support it such as letting bugs persist. One club that I have a lifetime membership with, has let a known bug that causes error logging on every page load. I reported this over a year ago and it was confirmed by both their staff and another member and to date it still has not been fixed. I had one of their templates on a busy site and my error log got into the GB+ very quickly. I specifically chose that framework ironically, because of its claims to be light weight.

What Joomla! needs is a Seinfeld framework. A framework about nothing...

Paul writes:

What Joomla! needs is a Seinfeld framework. A framework about nothing...

@Paul, then you'd absolutely love this extension that does and is about, nothing...

Just wanted to say this is possibly the most interesting thread that I have followed here to date. In case anyone misses it the video speaks volumes!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tENZDoj5MTg

on topic recent presentation by Philip Locke re Bootstrap / framework:

i am a long time wrap-6 framework user from yootheme, and very happy with it.

i recomment to have a look @
http://www.reviewsforjoomla.com/ireview-joomla-template
& the new master theme from yootheme
http://www.yootheme.com/blog/2014/01/20/warp-7-master-theme

this also looks very interesting for seeing how websites look on different devices. Most of you guys probably already know about it or have better tools. But am sharing just in case

Thanks for sharing this Paul

Good thread.

Personally, I like to build my own templates but use Bootstrap for my framework. Less bloat, and I only include what I need. I also call my jquery, bootstrap and font awesome files via CDN.

For clients and quick sites, you cant go past the T3 framework. Its fantastic and feature rich. Simple to manage, and really well developed.
Topping this off, I hear it will be in Joomla! 3.5 core.

haha, yeah I heard that they will be integrating T3 into the 3.5 core, I can't say that I am super excited about that. I personally love the fact that T3 can accommodate One Page designs, and is super flexible... but of the various platforms I have worked with, I find it is the easiest to break, because it offers very out of the box design options, options that Joomla wasn't designed for... and as such, achieving certain effects is done through very specific, non logical ways. Seriously, try replicating some of JoomlArts designs without a Quickstart, it can be near impossible at times.

That said, for basic design ideas, it is great.