How to modify the layout in Joomla articles? - php

Question

On a Joomla 3.4 site, articles display a "details" section like this by default :
Details
Written by John Doe
Published: 26 October 2015
What file to change, (and if possible how) to get the following result ?
By John Doe, on November 4, 2015
Edit after #itoctopus answer :
you will need to change the override file. You can do that by changing the
file /templates/your-template/html/com_content/article/default.php
Below is the content of the default.php.
What should be changed to achieve the result above ? I see nothing in this file related to the "details" section.
<?php
/**
* #package Joomla.Site
* #subpackage com_content
*
* #copyright Copyright (C) 2005 - 2015 Open Source Matters, Inc. All rights reserved.
* #license GNU General Public License version 2 or later; see LICENSE.txt
*/
defined('_JEXEC') or die;
JHtml::addIncludePath(JPATH_COMPONENT . '/helpers');
// Create shortcuts to some parameters.
$params = $this->item->params;
$images = json_decode($this->item->images);
$urls = json_decode($this->item->urls);
$canEdit = $params->get('access-edit');
$user = JFactory::getUser();
$info = $params->get('info_block_position', 0);
JHtml::_('behavior.caption');
?>
<div class="item-page<?php echo $this->pageclass_sfx; ?>" itemscope itemtype="http://schema.org/Article">
<meta itemprop="inLanguage" content="<?php echo ($this->item->language === '*') ? JFactory::getConfig()->get('language') : $this->item->language; ?>" />
<?php if ($this->params->get('show_page_heading')) : ?>
<div class="page-header">
<h1> <?php echo $this->escape($this->params->get('page_heading')); ?> </h1>
</div>
<?php endif;
if (!empty($this->item->pagination) && $this->item->pagination && !$this->item->paginationposition && $this->item->paginationrelative)
{
echo $this->item->pagination;
}
?>
<?php // Todo Not that elegant would be nice to group the params ?>
<?php $useDefList = ($params->get('show_modify_date') || $params->get('show_publish_date') || $params->get('show_create_date')
|| $params->get('show_hits') || $params->get('show_category') || $params->get('show_parent_category') || $params->get('show_author') ); ?>
<?php if (!$useDefList && $this->print) : ?>
<div id="pop-print" class="btn hidden-print">
<?php echo JHtml::_('icon.print_screen', $this->item, $params); ?>
</div>
<div class="clearfix"> </div>
<?php endif; ?>
<?php if ($params->get('show_title') || $params->get('show_author')) : ?>
<div class="page-header">
<h2 itemprop="name">
<?php if ($params->get('show_title')) : ?>
<?php echo $this->escape($this->item->title); ?>
<?php endif; ?>
</h2>
<?php if ($this->item->state == 0) : ?>
<span class="label label-warning"><?php echo JText::_('JUNPUBLISHED'); ?></span>
<?php endif; ?>
<?php if (strtotime($this->item->publish_up) > strtotime(JFactory::getDate())) : ?>
<span class="label label-warning"><?php echo JText::_('JNOTPUBLISHEDYET'); ?></span>
<?php endif; ?>
<?php if ((strtotime($this->item->publish_down) < strtotime(JFactory::getDate())) && $this->item->publish_down != JFactory::getDbo()->getNullDate()) : ?>
<span class="label label-warning"><?php echo JText::_('JEXPIRED'); ?></span>
<?php endif; ?>
</div>
<?php endif; ?>
<?php if (!$this->print) : ?>
<?php if ($canEdit || $params->get('show_print_icon') || $params->get('show_email_icon')) : ?>
<?php echo JLayoutHelper::render('joomla.content.icons', array('params' => $params, 'item' => $this->item, 'print' => false)); ?>
<?php endif; ?>
<?php else : ?>
<?php if ($useDefList) : ?>
<div id="pop-print" class="btn hidden-print">
<?php echo JHtml::_('icon.print_screen', $this->item, $params); ?>
</div>
<?php endif; ?>
<?php endif; ?>
<?php if ($useDefList && ($info == 0 || $info == 2)) : ?>
<?php echo JLayoutHelper::render('joomla.content.info_block.block', array('item' => $this->item, 'params' => $params, 'position' => 'above')); ?>
<?php endif; ?>
<?php if ($info == 0 && $params->get('show_tags', 1) && !empty($this->item->tags->itemTags)) : ?>
<?php $this->item->tagLayout = new JLayoutFile('joomla.content.tags'); ?>
<?php echo $this->item->tagLayout->render($this->item->tags->itemTags); ?>
<?php endif; ?>
<?php if (!$params->get('show_intro')) : echo $this->item->event->afterDisplayTitle; endif; ?>
<?php echo $this->item->event->beforeDisplayContent; ?>
<?php if (isset($urls) && ((!empty($urls->urls_position) && ($urls->urls_position == '0')) || ($params->get('urls_position') == '0' && empty($urls->urls_position)))
|| (empty($urls->urls_position) && (!$params->get('urls_position')))) : ?>
<?php echo $this->loadTemplate('links'); ?>
<?php endif; ?>
<?php if ($params->get('access-view')):?>
<?php if (isset($images->image_fulltext) && !empty($images->image_fulltext)) : ?>
<?php $imgfloat = (empty($images->float_fulltext)) ? $params->get('float_fulltext') : $images->float_fulltext; ?>
<div class="pull-<?php echo htmlspecialchars($imgfloat); ?> item-image"> <img
<?php if ($images->image_fulltext_caption):
echo 'class="caption"' . ' title="' . htmlspecialchars($images->image_fulltext_caption) . '"';
endif; ?>
src="<?php echo htmlspecialchars($images->image_fulltext); ?>" alt="<?php echo htmlspecialchars($images->image_fulltext_alt); ?>" itemprop="image"/> </div>
<?php endif; ?>
<?php
if (!empty($this->item->pagination) && $this->item->pagination && !$this->item->paginationposition && !$this->item->paginationrelative):
echo $this->item->pagination;
endif;
?>
<?php if (isset ($this->item->toc)) :
echo $this->item->toc;
endif; ?>
<div itemprop="articleBody">
<?php echo $this->item->text; ?>
</div>
<?php if ($useDefList && ($info == 1 || $info == 2)) : ?>
<?php echo JLayoutHelper::render('joomla.content.info_block.block', array('item' => $this->item, 'params' => $params, 'position' => 'below')); ?>
<?php if ($params->get('show_tags', 1) && !empty($this->item->tags->itemTags)) : ?>
<?php $this->item->tagLayout = new JLayoutFile('joomla.content.tags'); ?>
<?php echo $this->item->tagLayout->render($this->item->tags->itemTags); ?>
<?php endif; ?>
<?php endif; ?>
<?php
if (!empty($this->item->pagination) && $this->item->pagination && $this->item->paginationposition && !$this->item->paginationrelative):
echo $this->item->pagination;
?>
<?php endif; ?>
<?php if (isset($urls) && ((!empty($urls->urls_position) && ($urls->urls_position == '1')) || ($params->get('urls_position') == '1'))) : ?>
<?php echo $this->loadTemplate('links'); ?>
<?php endif; ?>
<?php // Optional teaser intro text for guests ?>
<?php elseif ($params->get('show_noauth') == true && $user->get('guest')) : ?>
<?php echo $this->item->introtext; ?>
<?php // Optional link to let them register to see the whole article. ?>
<?php if ($params->get('show_readmore') && $this->item->fulltext != null) : ?>
<?php $menu = JFactory::getApplication()->getMenu(); ?>
<?php $active = $menu->getActive(); ?>
<?php $itemId = $active->id; ?>
<?php $link = new JUri(JRoute::_('index.php?option=com_users&view=login&Itemid=' . $itemId, false)); ?>
<?php $link->setVar('return', base64_encode(JRoute::_(ContentHelperRoute::getArticleRoute($this->item->slug, $this->item->catid, $this->item->language), false))); ?>
<p class="readmore">
<a href="<?php echo $link; ?>" class="register">
<?php $attribs = json_decode($this->item->attribs); ?>
<?php
if ($attribs->alternative_readmore == null) :
echo JText::_('COM_CONTENT_REGISTER_TO_READ_MORE');
elseif ($readmore = $this->item->alternative_readmore) :
echo $readmore;
if ($params->get('show_readmore_title', 0) != 0) :
echo JHtml::_('string.truncate', ($this->item->title), $params->get('readmore_limit'));
endif;
elseif ($params->get('show_readmore_title', 0) == 0) :
echo JText::sprintf('COM_CONTENT_READ_MORE_TITLE');
else :
echo JText::_('COM_CONTENT_READ_MORE');
echo JHtml::_('string.truncate', ($this->item->title), $params->get('readmore_limit'));
endif; ?>
</a>
</p>
<?php endif; ?>
<?php endif; ?>
<?php
if (!empty($this->item->pagination) && $this->item->pagination && $this->item->paginationposition && $this->item->paginationrelative) :
echo $this->item->pagination;
?>
<?php endif; ?>
<?php echo $this->item->event->afterDisplayContent; ?>
</div>

Answer 1

You can do the above by CSS - but sometimes it's a bit tricky, so you will need to change the override file. You can do that by changing the file /templates/your-template/html/com_content/article/default.php
If you can't find that file (or that directory structure), then you will need to copy the this file components/com_content/views/article/tmpl/default.php to /templates/your-template/html/com_content/article/default.php (if there is a directory that doesn't exist then you will need to create it. for example, if you can only find the /templates/your-template/html under your templates folder the you will need to create the com_content folder under the html folder and then the article folder under the com_content folder).
You can then modify the default.php file to change the layout. Make sure you clear your Joomla cache to see your changes.

Answer 2

Using CSS and Language overrides worked out.
CSS : display:none to get rid of unwanted stuff and display:inline-block to put everything in a single line.
Changing Words in Joomla 3.4 backend :
from the control panel, click on Languages in the sidebar menu
Click 'overrides'
Choose the language in 'filter'
Click 'new'
in the form field next to 'search' button, type in the text you want to change
select the right string variable
Type in the wanted text
Save
done.