The Bonus Framework is a free joomla plugin designed to offer an unprecedented level of control on select BonusThemes Joomla templates. With the Bonus Framework you can manipulate the most important aspects of your template's appearance and functionality, from a single location. On this guide we will show, in full detail, how you can use the Bonus Framework to shape your compatible Joomla template exactly as you want to.
Compatible templates
The Bonus Framework plugin requires one of the following BonusThemes templates:
For this guide we will be using the Master Joomla template, which you can download for free.
Bonus Framework Access
To gain access to the advanced settings for the Bonus Framework plugin, first log into your website's back end as an administrator.
Click on “Extensions” on the top menu and select “Template Manager”.
You will be presented with the list of Joomla templates installed on your website. Click on your Bonus Framework enabled template (in the example bt_master).
On the template's properties screen, click on the “Advanced” tab.
Complete Bonus Framework Functionality
In this section we will go through all the possible options provided by the Bonus Framework, and describe the ways they will affect your website.
For any changes to be saved and applied to the live website, you need to click on “Save”.
Version Check
The Bonus Framework Plugin checks with the BonusThemes server to make sure your template is up to date.
If the installed version of the template isn't the latest, you will be informed and you will be given the option to go to the Download Area and download the latest version.
Clean Cache
Bonus Framework enabled templates include a caching functionality, to speed up your website.
If however you made manual changes to the Template's files or CSS files, you can use the Clean Cache section to erase the cached versions and replace them with the up to date files.
You just need to click on the “Clean Template's Cache and delete the Cached CSS files” link, and in a few seconds the cache will have been purged.
Style Options
This section controls the visual style of the template, without affecting the functionality.
Enable Style Switcher
The Style Switcher gives every website visitor the option to modify the website's appearance to their own personal taste.
By clicking on the Style Switcher, the visitors can choose different website layouts, color schemes and background patterns for a personalized view of your website. The customized settings are saved on their web browser in the form of a cookie.
The default setting for the Style Switcher is to be “Yes”. If you don't wish for this functionality on your website, and want to set a default appearance for all visitors, you can change it to “No”.
This will completely remove the Style Switcher functionality on the website, and enable the rest of the Styling Options.
Background layout Type
Style Switcher must be set to “No” for this setting to affect the website.
This setting chooses between the default Wide layout type, which will stretch the website for the whole width of the browser ...
... or the Boxed layout type, that keeps the website centered on the screen.
The default Background Layout Type is “Wide”.
Color Skin
Style Switcher must be set to “No” for this setting to work.
Depending on the template, you can choose between a variety of different skin colors.
Changing the color scheme will drastically change the appearance of your website.
The default Color Skin is skin1
Background Pattern
Style Switcher must be set to “No” and the Background Layout Type set to “Boxed” for this setting to work.
When the Background Layout Type is set as “Boxed”, instead of a plain white background beyond the borders of the website, you can choose between 10 different patterns.
These patterns range from simple vertical stripes ...
... to a woodwork background ...
... to a tiled dark background.
The default setting is “No Pattern”.
Background Image
Style Switcher must be set to “No” and the Background Layout Type set to “Boxed” for this setting to work.
Instead of a repeating pattern, you can also use a specific background image beyond the borders of your website on “boxed” layout.
You can select between light colored pictures ...
... or more colorful selections.
It is not possible at this time to upload your own pictures to use as background pictures through the Bonus Framework plugin. You must choose one of the available pictures.
Template Features
This section includes functional options for the template.
Mainbody on frontpage
By default, the mainbody posts aren't displayed on the front page of the website.
By changing this option to “Yes”, now the front page includes a number of the mainbody posts.
Compress CSS / Compress JS
By default, the CSS and JavaScript code on the Bonus Framework templates is compressed, removing unnecessary spaces and line braks, for a faster website and less bandwidth consumption.
However, this compression makes the code hard to read, should you want to make any manual changes. So, disabling the compression gives you a more readable code.
Language Type
The default setting is for pages written in a language read from left to right, as are most Western languages.
If however your website is written in a language that is read from right to left, you can change this option, and all the templates design will shift to accommodate best the direction of the language.
Sticky Menu
By default, when a visitor scrolls down the page, the top menu remains constantly visible.
With this option disabled, the top menu will only be visible on the top of the page, and it will be hidden when scrolling down.
Sticky Position
Except the top menu, which is on the “Header” part of the Bonus Framework template, with the Sticky Position options we can make “sticky” a number of other parts of the template, so they are constantly visible to the visitors.
For example, selecting “Top” will make the top part of the page visible at all times while scrolling.
Favicon
The Favicon is the tiny icon that shows on the browser tabs.
From this setting, you can upload from your computer a Favicon specially made for your website.
For best results, select a 16x16 icon, in .ico or .png format.
Google Features
Google Fonts
By default, the Bonus Framework templates use Google Open Sans font.
If we want to use another of the hundreds of Google fonts, we can select it from the drop-down list.
The Secondary font will only be used for users that their browser can't display the Primary font properly. So, you should choose a different Google font.
Finally, if you have bought a different font that you want to use on your website, you can disable Google fonts altogether.
Google Analytics
Google Analytics is one of the best tools on the internet to keep track of your website traffic and your visitors' behavior.
After you have signed up at http://www.google.com/analytics/ instead of copying and pasting the full code, it's enough to just copy the unique UA- code …
… and paste it in the Google Analytics field.
Now your website is fully connected with Google Analytics.
Layouts
The Bonus Framework compatible templates can be shaped to match exactly your creative vision regarding your website.
Every part of the Bonus Framework template – Header, Main, News, Bottom etc – is based on a twelve-part grid system.
Through the Bonus Framework settings, we can arrange the modules and the content of the website, choosing the number of columns ...
... and how much space each column will occupy, on the twelve-part grid system.
For example, the Features part of the Template ...
... is arranged in 4 columns, equal in size – although only 3 modules are set by default.
If you changed the Layout to a 2 column layout, with a 6 | 6 grid system,
... it would show only two modules and hide the third.
You could also make one column significantly larger than the other, using the grid system ...
... and it would affect the content view accordingly.
Likewise, the default layout for the FooterUp ...
is four columns, equal to each other.
If you wish, for example, for the two central columns to be bigger, you can choose an appropriate grid system, such as 2 | 4 | 4 | 2
and it will have the desired result.
By choosing the number of columns and the relative column sizes, you can shape any different part of the template to your wishes.
Custom Code
If specific plugins or web services request that you manually add code to your website, you don't have to mess with FTP and manually changing files.
Just paste the appropriate code on the proper field, and it will instantly be included within the header or the mainbody of your website.
Just make sure the code you will be adding comes from a legitimate source.
Template Tools
Footer Layout
The default footer layout includes a copyright Icon, a Copyright Message and a “Go Top” icon which scrolls the page to the top.
From the Footer Layout options, you can choose different combination of those elements ...
... and also change their relative size, from the default 2 | 8 | 2
Copyright Icon
Here you can choose whether the copyright icon is displayed or not, regardless of the chosen Footer Layout.
You can also upload a custom Copyright icon from your computer, and you can also fill in a URL to load once the copyright icon is clicked.
Scroll to TOP
This setting can disable the Scroll to Top icon.
You can also choose whether the Scroll to Top appears automatically on scrolling ...
... or if it only shows on a fixed position within the footer.
Copyright Message
From this field you can disable the copyright message, or change it to a message appropriate for your website.
For the message formatting, standard HTML rules apply.
