Template Performance Best Practices

Hello, I had the idea of starting a thread like this because I notice that my site browsing have become very slow, especially after today. I uploaded a lot of item pictures.

The average size of my jpg is about 45k.
But once in K2 they become 90k-225k which is a lot.

I was wondering if there was better practices to spare resources with regards to the following (keep in mind that I use the John's template):

-Picture size
-number of item per category pages
-Components and applications best practices
-Cache and compression
-General maintenance (database etc)
-General Architecture of K2

EDIT: What type of share hosting would you recommend for joomla 3.x. Is there a better alternative in north america than hostgator?

Thank you
Regards

Hi

There is a lot of ways to speed the site up, but most important is to keep as few css and javascript files as possible. Compression to one file is a good solution. I also like to use jotCache, which I believe is the best joomla cache system.

Of course if You will put a big amount of content or images on the site than even the best solutions will no help

OK Thank you I will have a look at that component jotCache.

So in other words, for now as it is in the QuickStart install from Gavick, all the css files aren't compressed, but on a production site, usually which file would you combine? Does this implies a lot of file readdressing and such?

Would you have any hosting or server specs known to accelerate joomla cms functionnality or anything similar that could help for performances?

Regards.

Hi

There is a lot of ways to speed the site up, but most important is to keep as few css and javascript files as possible. Compression to one file is a good solution. I also like to use jotCache, which I believe is the best joomla cache system.

Of course if You will put a big amount of content or images on the site than even the best solutions will no help

Hi

A set of css to compress can be different with every installation. If You are using our quickstart than no file exclusion is needed, but even one different extention may change the situation. The only way to figure it out is to test.

I cannot advice about hosting. I always check if requirements for joomla are meet and trust that it will be maintain properly.

Hi Teitbite, jotCache would you use it with the cache options in the GK template? GK cache and CSS cache?

Regards,
Thanks

Hi

Just CSS and JS compression, but You need to use it carefuly, not all files can be compressed together. Any other cache is not needed.

.
Just CSS and JS compression

I assume these are from Gavick Template manager settings?

Do I turn off Joomla native controls about cache and Gzip compressions?

Thank you,
Regards

I found these article, but the CSS compression, is there any more for it, because it doesn't work out of the box. It will break my site layout.

https://www.gavick.com/documentation/jo ... d-settings

This is for joomla 3.0 too?
https://www.gavick.com/documentation/jo ... hce-plugin

Hi

Yes it works with joomla 3 as well, but if You are gonna use jotCache than disable our and joomla cache and Gzip comression.

For JS and CSS compression You can use our functions, but You will find a field for excluded files. Not all files can be compressed.
I always do this like that. I start from excluding all files and than remove the file name after filename from exclusion checking if site works properly. If not than I put it back into exclusion field and move to next file.

Wow Teitbite, thank you so much for sharing your methodology with me with regards to compression.

Could I ask you which script are safe in your opinion to remove from the list first without fear of having the layout or functionality being reduced?

This would save me a lot of troubleshooting!

Here is my list:

Code: Select all

mootools-more.js
jquery.min.js
bootstrap.min.js
modal.js
gk.scripts.js
modernizr.js
engine.jquery.js
jquery-migrate.min.js
k2.js
scrollreveal.js
script.jquery.js
core.js
gk.menu.js
jquery-noconflict.js

k2.css
modal.css
normalize.css
layout.css
joomla.css
system.css
template.css
menu.css
font-awesome.css
gk.stuff.css
style1.css
typography.style1.css
override.css
http://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Ubuntu:400,500,700
small.desktop.css
tablet.css
small.tablet.css
mobile.css




Thank you,
Regards

Hi

For CSS I would exclude:

Code: Select all

override.css
http://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Ubuntu:400,500,700
small.desktop.css
tablet.css
small.tablet.css
mobile.css


For JS:

Code: Select all

jquery-noconflict.js
core.js
jquery-migrate.min.js
mootools-more.js
jquery.min.js
bootstrap.min.js