Templates define the lay-out of your Joomla Web site. You can assign different templates to various pages of your Web site. Templates can be created for the Frontend of your site called Site Template as well as the Backend called Administrator Templates.
A template is a pre-defined page that can be used as a prototype when creating pages. Templates are useful for giving pages a common style or format.
style sheets containing such information as font, style, spacing, formatting information and possibly text that might always be used such as headings and titles. Such templates may be useful in defining the layout of a commercial web page. (p. 90)
A format programmed to accept information from someone simply by typing or pasting the text. It enables a less (or non) skilled Web site owner or newsletter operator to do regular updates without having to do any programming and without the danger of messing up the site's code.
A standard file that can be used when you want pages to use the same style and setup
Web pages that contain the basic layout for similar pages in the site.
Taylor-made documents that help the user achieve a certain look of their standard correspondence. All text formatting, graphics and the general layout is handled by the template, leaving only the contents for the user to take care of.
(1) Regular templates define header/footer layout of pages; topic text is not affected. (2) Template topics set the default content for new topics. Details...
Defining the layout of your Joomla! web site, templates can be created for the Site (Front-end) of your site (called Site Templates), as well as for the Administrator (Back-end) called Administrator Templates. You can assign different templates to various pages of your web site. See also Administrator Templates and Site Templates.
A ready-prepared document layout. Many word-processors have simple pre-formed letterheads, fax headers, memos, and invoices. To customise them for your own needs, you simply change the sample text.