It all started in Malaysia last year, where I presented Morph on Joomla!Day. In the audience was Parth Lawate from Techjoomla, who after the presentation shared his excitement about Morph and our choice of licensing (GPL).

We had many more conversations, but it didn’t take us long to realize that the skills of our teams compliment each other. We quickly came to the conclusion that a collaboration would be both fun and mutually beneficial.

Fast forward a few months, and Techjoomla is now officially our 1st Morph Development Partner.

About Techjoomla

In 2006, Parth Lawate fell in love with Mambo and Open Source technology. He founded the company Tekdi Web Solutions to provide development services in the Open Source industry.

Since then, Tekdi has grown tremendously. The company now develops and supports several extensions for Joomla, as well as services for Drupal, WordPress, Magento and Smartphone applications.

In January 2009, the Tekdi team decided it was time to open a separate business with a focus only on Joomla. Techjoomla was launched, and you can now get both Joomla extensions and training from them.

Keep up to date with the Techjoomla team on Twitter: @techjoomla

The Techjoomla and Morph team

The Techjoomla team members involved in the Morph development are:

Parth Lawate

Co-founder and director of Techjoomla and Tekdi Web Solutions.

Parth has been working with Joomla since the days when it was called as Mambo, and was a Google Summer of Code mentor for the Joomla Project in 2009.

Beside Parth’s passion for exploring new technologies, he is also an active problem-solver on the Joomla community forums. Follow and talk to Parth on Twitter: @parthlawate

Away from the computer, you will find Parth on his bike or hiking in the mountains…when he’s not reading a book, or cooking up a storm in the kitchen.

Ashwin Date

Co-founder of Techjoomla and Tekdi Web Solutions.

Ashwin has been involved in Open Source since the Mambo days, and actively participates in the development of Joomla by submitting patches and helping point people in the right direction on the Joomla community forums.

Project management, software architecture and user experience are some of Ashwin’s specialities. Beside being full of ideas for new products, he loves focusing on creating shorter turnaround times for projects while still maintaining high quality.

Ashwin is mad about biking! When he’s not outdoors, you’ll find him stirring the pots and making delicious food. Say hello to Ashwin on Twitter: @coolbung

Manoj Londhe

Developer at Techjoomla and Tekdi Web Solutions.

Manoj is a coder and developer at heart. He’s loves writing lines of code, and breathes Open Source. His motto “Let there be peace and free code pieces” is a sign of his mission to achieve excellence in open source development.

In his spare time Manoj keeps on writing, but not code. Instead, it’s paragraphs of stories…which he combines this with his love for coffee and piano music.

Talking about writing, Manoj is a complete Twitaholic and you can follow him on Twitter: @think_green99

Vivek Ghorad

Developer at Techjoomla and Tekdi Web Solutions.

Vivek has a passion for technology, and his professional mission is to create applications that can be used by anybody. He’s relatively new to Joomla, but his motto “favorite work never makes you tired” will take him far in the industry.

Away from the computer, Vivek loves to play chess and listen to music. He’s active on Twitter, so follow and say hello to him at: @majorvvs

What about the status of Morph and the Prothemer site?

We have a few blog post lined up for you this week about Morph and the Prothemer website, so stay tuned.

To get notified about new blog posts, subscribe to our RSS feed!

Minima is a themelet that boasts lovey textures and varying dark and lite backgrounds with varying module styles and layouts making it easy to change the look of your content areas.

About the demo

Taking a look at the Minima demo you will notice that even though the design is rather simple, there is a fair amount of functionality, most notably on the home page.

You will see a header article slider, multiple articles slider, testimonials slider. These modules are all instances of our new Morph news module that is used throughout the Minima demo.

Notable features

As with every themelet, there are some things that are different. How we implement various features of Morph varies. Here are some of the things Minima offers.

Demo Quick Start

Use the demo quick start to build your website. Once installed, you will have an exact replica of the demo. Once you have this, all you need to do is add your own content to setup a portfolio showcase.

The demo is also setup to help you easily publish any articles on your site on the home page in the form of a header slider, articles slider and testimonials slider.

Quicksand Portfolio

The portfolio page on the demo is using the filterable layout option of the Morph news module. This uses the super slick jquery quicksand plugin to filter the Joomla articles.

Date badges

Minima makes use of a feature we added to Morph a few versions back but never really put to use ourselves. This is the flexible date feature in Morph.

You will notice the date badges on the articles pages and home page. The date format we needed is added using Morph’s shorthand date tags which are set in Configurator.

[dayofmonth1] [month1]

The badges markup is then modified using the themelet html overrides which allow for changing any Joomla html overrides without actually touching Morphs core code.

Typography

Minima certainly boasts the most comprehensive typography of any themelet we have released to date. This will make it very easy to keep your content looking professional no matter the type of html.

Block styles

Minima has an all new and extremely refined block and module styles that can be applied to Morphs building blocks.

What is a block style? It is a style that can be applied to any morph building block to change its base color. Notice on the minima demo how some of the blocks have a dark background (footer) and some a lite background.

Module Styles

Module styles are now tightly integrated with block styles to help change the coloring of the blocks contents which are always added using Joomla modules. If you change a block to use a dark style, then you can change the modules to adapt to it by applying the relevant block style.

Module styles can also be applied to the tabs and accordions. Applying a dark module style to tabs, will make the tabs content area dark with lite text.

Module Output

Minima has 2 module output modes. Minimal and Detailed. The minimal style is very simple and contains no borders or backgrounds. The detailed style adds a border and background to the modules.

Throughout the demo you will see these 2 variations. The sidebar on the right for example uses the detailed style for the testimonials. The modules in the bottomshelf (above the footer) use the minimal style.

Being able to switch between these outputs combined with change their styles, makes it very easy to have a variety of different looking modules.

How do you get Minima

Minima is available to all Club members now. You need to be a member in order to download Minima.

Enjoy!

Style guide

To help you best utilize Morph’s built-in typography features, we’ve created a Typography guide with code samples.

The style guide will assist you in keeping your content structure and layout consistent, by using the appropriate xhtml markup. Included in the style guide is:

• Typography
• Buttons
• Lists
• Grids
• Tables
• Messages
• Code
• Quotes
• Icon link styles

Download this theme

Even though the Morph framework is GPL and free, Minima is a commercial themelet. This means it’s only available for download by our members (view plans and pricing).

If you’re already a Joomlajunkie member, you can download minima now.

Showcase your websites

We hope you have fun building your sites with Morph and Minima. When you’re live, make sure you submit your finished sites to:

1. Our showcase forum board (where your site might be chosen for the GetMorph.org showcase)
2. The official Joomla.org showcase (where your site might be chosen as “the site of the month”)

Quick Installer updated to v2.4.0 (Joomla 1.5.23)

The Quick Installer is a distribution of the latest version of Joomla 1.5, aimed at reducing your setup time for new projects. It’s bundled with many useful utilities plus custom sample data specifically catered for Morph.

If you used the Quick Installer to setup your site, you should also take a look at the extensions mentioned below, as you might have to upgrade them individually on your site. Read about the Quick Installer (with links to the included Joomla extensions).

• Updated NoNumber Extension Manager to 2.5.1
• Updated Add to Menu to v1.7.0
• Updated AdminBar Docker to v1.5.0
• Updated Advanced Module Manager to v2.1.1
• Updated CacheCleaner to v1.10.1
• Updated Akeeba Backup to v3.3.4
• Updated AdminTools to v2.1.6
• Updated JCE to 2.0.14
• Updated Morph News Module to 1.5.0

Morph template updated to v2.1.4

The template controls the html output of your site. It should never be modified, as it would prevent you from upgrading later. Rather use the built in code editor for your customizations.

• Removed the default block class from blocks -> prep to add dynamically
• Dynamically add block class if blockstyle is added to a block
• Added dynamic block class to modules when “modstyle” is used
• Added menu class to menu main ul to make it more consistent with the default and superfish menu.
• Fix for logo secondary when using text based logo.
• Added maven pro to google fonts.
• Added getPageClass() method to morph and isDateBadge() to support date badge feature.

Kickstart package 1 – Basic

If you want to do the development yourself, but get initial advice from Morph’s core developers, then this package is yours.

You get personal one-on-one advice from our team of developers about:

• How best to implement the design you have in mind
• How to take advantage of as much as possible of Morph’s built in functionality (based on your project specs and design)
• How to extend where required and optimize where possible

This includes half an hour initial call (via Skype) for clarifications after we’ve received your design and specs. (Please note that our office hours are 8-17, GMT+2 timezone)

Pricing: $250 (once-off)

Requirements

• Final design and project specs.

Kickstart Package 2 – Hands On

Don’t want to do it yourself, but rather leave your Joomla website installation in the experienced hands of Morph specialized developers? Then this is the option for you.

This package is similar to the Basic Project Kickstart package, but here WE do the work instead of providing you advice on how to do it.

This means:

• We install the Morph toolset on your server
• We setup the building blocks of your site, based on your design mockup/wireframe.
• We create the base of your themelet, with the xml and base settings.

When you take over, the base is built and all you have to do is “coloring in” the blocks.

Pricing: $250 to $1000 (depending on your project specs and design, and how much you want us to do)

Requirements

• Final design and project specs.

Looking for something else?

Contact us and we’ll have a chat about your needs and possible solutions.

Quick Installer updated to v2.3.0

• Updated Akeeba Backup to v3.3.3.
• Updated AdminTools to v2.1.5.
• Updated NoNumber Extension Manager to 2.4.8.
• Updated Advanced Module Manager to v2.0.2.
• Updated CacheCleaner to v1.9.4.
• Updated Add to Menu to v1.6.1.
• Updated JCE to 2.0.12.
• Updated SimpleTicker to v1.0.4.
• Added Subscribe Module (v1.0.0).
• Added SuperTweet Module (v1.0.0).
• Applied a small fix to the SmartResizer plugin.

More info

• About the QuickInstaller (with links to the Joomla extensions)

Configurator component updated to v2.1.2

• Re-ordered the Universal Installer install types, based on the order in which they are installed.
• Removed the SimpleTicker reference in the morph cache plugin, as its no longer needed.
• Updated the license & copyright info.
• Updated the footer links in Configurator to point to the new Getmorph.org site.
• Updated the help link to point to online documentation.
• Fixed the spacing & broken layout when the shelf is set to display on the bottom.

More info

• Configurator documentation

Morph template updated to v2.1.3

• Removed the jQuery Innerfade plugin, as its no longer needed (ticker plugin is now added to Morph from the module).
• Removed all instances of the SimpleTicker (using Morphs module helper instead).
• Fixed the call-to-action link issue when used with superfish menu.
• Added inner wrap to split menu module chrome.
• Updated the default themelet from light-base to vanilla.
• Fixed getCfg() issue calling a non object.

Introducing Minima, a minimal, retro style themelet. If you are someone who loves the use of subtle grungy textures, then Minima is for you.

About minima

Minima is more simplistic than the more recent themelets – both in the design as well as the themelet demo, which you can use as a base for your site if you want.

Although minimal, there is still a feature-rich user experience. For example, it’s the first themelet that uses the Morph news module.

On the home page, you see 2 instances of the Morph news module – the header slider and the article slider below it.

Home page full preview

If you have used any of Morph’s themelets before, the first thing you will notice with Minima is that the various page elements have been styled very differently from all other themelets. Things like the main menu, tabs, accordions, article layouts and much more has a fresh look.

First of all, I need to stress that the new Getmorph.org site is far from complete. The perfectionist in me shrills at the idea of launching anything half-baked, but after much consideration we figured it was better to get something up and continue to refine the design and content over time, rather than hold off until it was (in our eyes) perfect.

Planned Updates:

Over the next couple of months, we will be rolling out incremental updates to the following areas:

The Morph Tour

This one was the hardest to leave “as-is” for the initial launch, as the design and content are a bit “bleh” – far from what I originally had in mind.

Keep an eye on this section, as it’ll be the first section to get a facelift. We’ll also be adding some feature videos, lots of screenshots and a full list of Morph’s features.

The Morph Blog

I originally built the blog using Zoo, with the intent of moving to WordPress later (it’s no secret that we love WordPress and believe it’s by far the best blogging platform available), but after some digging I realized it would be harder to migrate the blog’s comments later.

With this in mind, I decided to redo the blog in the last minute, using the awesome WordPress for Joomla extension from our friends over at CorePHP. Due to the limited time I had available to work on this, the blogs implementation is pretty basic and far from what I initially had in mind. Keep an eye on the blog for refinements.

Documentation

The documentation is obviously an important part of the site. While it’s definitely an improvement over its predecessor, there’s a lot more work to be done.

To ensure the content is relevant to current version of Morph, we’ll be updating the guides and tutorials over the next couple of weeks, as well as adding new information as we find the time.

Themelets Directory

The themelets directly is the central place to find themelets for Morph. Our hope is that other template clubs will adopt Morph for their future designs, and as more themelets are released by different vendors we’ll be adding them to the directory. You will later be able to filter all the themelets in different ways, which makes it easier to find the themelet that suits your needs.

Community Showcase

The current implementation is pretty basic and only includes a few examples of Morph in action. Over the next couple of months, we’ll be adding more sites to the showcase and as the number of sites grows,  we will also here add some filters to make it easier for you to browse.

The Next Major Milestone: Incubator Projects

Once we have completed the refinements outlined above, we’ll be starting on the next major milestone – Incubator Projects.

We have borrowed the Incubator concept from the Nooku Community, where it works really well.

The idea behind the Incubator projects is to highlight specific areas of Morph that can be improved and setup sub-teams – each focusing on improving a specific area of Morph.

The Groups will be open to the community and we’re encouraging you to get involved with any of the areas you are able to contribute to.

At this stage we’re still unsure exactly how well this model will work, but the new direction of Morph is all about getting the Community involved, so we figured it was worth trying out. This is all still pretty new for us, so I’m sure there will be a lot of trial and error moving forward.

Some of the Incubator projects will include:

• Morph 3.0, bring Joomla 1.7-2.5+ support
• Configurator Redesign
• Frontend Editing Panel
• Improving Morphs Performance
• Extending Morph’s Mobile support
• Improving Morphs RTL support
• Configuration Profiles
• Beta Testing New Features

Each incubator project will have its own group and discussions and will be open to anyone wanting to get involved.

Each Incubator project have its own branch off the main codebase and the code will only be merged back into the main repository as new features are complete and have been tried and tested, at which point a beta version will be released for testing.

It’s still too early to know what the focus will be after the Incubator projects, but we will definitely reach out to the Community before deciding the next step.

That’s all for now. Keep an eye on the blog and twitter for more updates. In the mean time, be sure to let us know what you think of the new site

This blog post will talk briefly about what the GPL is, what it means for you, and why the Morph framework for Joomla is now licensed under the GPL.

What is GPL?

When you think of GPL, what comes to mind?

For many of you it’s the word free, and you’re right…in a way. (No, Brian Teeman, it unfortunately doesn’t mean you get a “free gift with every purchase”).

The GPL license refers to free as “freedom, not price”. Think of it as free speech. Not free beer.

The Foundations of the GPL

The license document describing the ins and outs of the GPL is a looong one. It contains all the terms and conditions for copying, distributing and modifying the GPL licensed software.

In short, the foundation of the GPL is that “Nobody should be restricted by the software they use“. This means, every user should have the freedom to…

• Use the software for any purpose
• Change the software to suit your needs
• Share the software with your friends and neighbors
• Share the changes you make.

This means you can customize Morph beyond recognition, for commercial or non-commercial projects, and share your changes and product with whomever you like.

However:

To protect your rights, we need to prevent others from denying you these rights or asking you to surrender the rights. Therefore, you have certain responsibilities if you distribute copies of the software, or if you modify it: responsibilities to respect the freedom of others.

For example, if you distribute copies of such a program, whether gratis or for a fee, you must pass on to the recipients the same freedoms that you received. You must make sure that they, too, receive or can get the source code. And you must show them these terms so they know their rights.

Read the GPL FAQs

One part of GPL is the option to contribute your changes, bug fixes and improvements back to the original project – something that is always appreciated and helps the product move forward. If you modify Morph, and would like to contribute your code to the project, you’ll make our hard-working developers very happy. For more information, go to “Contribute” here on getmorph.org.

Why is Morph GPL?

Since the very beginning of Morph (2008), going Open Source was one of our many goals. The idea is to make Morph useful for as many Joomla website developers as possible, and at the same time we wanted to make sure our vision of Morph was implemented before releasing the framework into the wild.

The Morph framework is now developed as far as we wanted to do on our own; it’s time to open up the development and access to the world.

This creates the opportunity for you, as a user of Morph, to submit improvements, changes, bug fixes, documentation and more. (or as the Cable Guy would put it; “There’s no end to the possibilities!“)

Which parts of Morph are GPL?

• The Morph template
• The Configurator component
• The Vanilla themelet

You can download all of the above on getmorph.org

What about the themelets?

Beside Vanilla (the base theme), themelets are not GPL and not free. Nothing has changed here; the themelets are still only available in the Joomlajunkie template club, and you must be a member to download them.

How does this impact Joomlajunkie members?

In short, going GPL will mean the following to our members:

• You can now use Morph on as many sites as you want (with Vanilla, not the commercial themelets).
• Morph will become used by a wider audience with more community involvement, which is good for everyone.
• Support and commercial themelets is still only available for Joomlajunkie members.

How can you get involved?

“A crucial aspect of free software is that users are free to cooperate. It is absolutely essential to permit users who wish to help each other to share their bug fixes and improvements with other users.” Source

On getmorph.org we’ll soon publish incubator projects with more specific information.

If you are not a developer, or have time to do big things, here’s a list of small and easy things you can do:

• Say thanks once in a while, for example on the support forum, Twitter, Facebook or in the comments of these blog posts.
• Submit feature requests.
• Give feedback and opinions.
• Report bugs, or even submit patches.
• Spread the word about the Morph framework, for example on Twitter, Facebook or your blog.
• Help in the support forum whenever you can.

(Thanks Dan Cole for the inspiration)