Introducing the frontend and backend – the Joomla! interface

Okay, so how do you get to build the website you want using Joomla's set of building blocks? How do you get the main content area to show content the way you want to? How do you work with modules? To answer these questions, we'll first have a look at the Joomla interface, which is the workspace that contains all the tools and controls you'll need for any web building magic.

The following screenshot shows the two faces of the example Joomla site you installed in the previous chapter—the frontend and the backend:

Your workspace – the backend

Joomla is a web application. It's a software tool that's installed on a web server and is accessed through a browser. Creating and managing a site with Joomla is an online activity. Wherever you are, if you have Internet access, you can log in to the Joomla administration interface to manage your site.

This means every Joomla site has a staff entrance that your site visitors will never get to see...