By A Web Design

User Groups In Joomla 1.7

Joomla 1.7 has introduced a new feature for adding user defined groups.
For creating and deleting user groups in Joomla 1.7, you have to first login through the administrative panel of joomla by simply entering the url_of_your_website/administrator in your browser.
Enter the username, password and leave the Language to Default, click on Login as shown in Diagram 1.

Diagram 1

After logging in to the backend, a control panel page opens as shown in Diagram 2.

The Control Panel provides access to many default Joomla! functions and features. From the Control Panel, you can create and manage articles and categories. Other features available in the Control Panel are the media, menu, language, and user managers.

Diagram 2

In the top menu, locate the link - Users. Click on Users, from the drop down menu that appears click - Groups as shown in Diagram 3.

Diagram 3

A list of user groups is displayed as shown in Diagram 4. From here you can manage all user groups – Add new, edit and delete groups.

Diagram 4

Add New User Group:

To add a new user group, click on New at the top right hand corner as shown in Diagram 5.

Diagram 5

In User Group Details, enter the name of the Group in the Group Title and then select the parent group under which you want this group to appear.

Click on Save and Close as shown in Diagram 6, in order to save the group and close the edit screen.
You can either click on Save, in order to save the group and stay on the editable screen.

NOTE: Choosing the right parent is important as the permissions inherit down the user group tree.

Diagram 6

“Group successfully saved” message is displayed as shown in Diagram 7. Ensure that the group is created.

Diagram 7

Change Access Level Control:

The access level of the newly created user group can be edited through Global Configuration settings.

Do this by navigating to Site -> Global Configuration as shown in Diagram 8.

Diagram 8

There are four tabs: Site, System, Server and Permissions.
From the above given tabs click on Permissions as shown in Diagram 9.

Diagram 9

From here you can manage the permission settings for the each of the user groups. Click on the user group created as shown in Diagram 10.

Diagram 10

On clicking the user group, settings related to that user group expands and is displayed as shown in Diagram 11.

Diagram 11

Change the settings required. Click on Save as shown in Diagram 12, in order to save the settings and stay on the editable screen.

You can either click on Save and Close, in order to save the settings and close the edit screen.

Diagram 12

“Configuration successfully saved” message is displayed as shown in Diagram 13. You can view the status of the calculated settings.

Diagram 13

Edit User Group:

To edit any user group navigate to Users -> Groups. Select the checkbox next to the user group and click on Edit at the top right hand corner as shown in Diagram 14.

Diagram 14

Change the settings as required.

Click on Save and Close as shown in Diagram 15, in order to save the group and close the edit screen.
You can either click on Save, in order to save the group and stay on the editable screen.

Diagram 15

“Group successfully saved” message is displayed as shown in Diagram 16

Diagram 16

Delete User Group:

To delete any user group navigate to Users -> Groups. Select the checkbox next to the user group and click on Delete at the top right hand corner as shown in Diagram 17.

Diagram 17