Modules are the blocks of content in your site and are distinctively separate from your main content area. For example, a module may appear to the left,right,above, or below your main article content. The Module Manager allows you to customize each module to your preference.

To access the Module Manager in Joomla! 1.0: Navigate to Modules - > Site Modules
To access the Module Manager in Joomla! 1.5: Navigate to Extensions - > Module Manager

Each module in Joomla! has some persistent features. Below are the fields you will see in every module. Modules have more individual parameters but these are the most important ones to understand first.

Note: Some of the terminology is different across Joomla! 1.0 & Joomla! 1.5 but they both have the same functionality.

• Title
• Show Title
• Enabled (1.5) / Published (1.0)
• Position
• Module Class Suffix
• Pages/Items (1.0) / Menu Assignment (1.5)
• Ordering

Title:

The title of the module is displayed above the module on the frontend. It is also called a "Module Heading". After a module is saved, the module's title is also shown in the Joomla! backend administration.

Show Title:

This setting allows you to specify whether or not the module's title should be visible on the frontend.

Enabled (1.5) / Published (1.0):

Allows you to enable (or publish) the select module. To enable a module only on specific pages see below *Pages/Items (1.0) / Menu Assignment (1.5)

Position:

A module position may be labeled as left, right, bottom, top, etc.
Module positions are defined by the template. If a module is published in a position that is not supported by the template, it will not show up. It is important to be aware of your template's supported module positions. In Joomla! 1.5, only the module positions of the default template are available in the module manager.

Module Class Suffix:

A module class suffix allows you to specify a preset style which is defined by the template. You'll need to consult your individual template documentation to see what module styles/suffixes are available.
(See also: How to apply a Module Class Suffix)

Pages/Items (1.0) / Menu Assignment (1.5):

When a module is enabled/published it can be assigned to all pages or pages specified in the Pages/Items (1.0) / Menu Assignment (1.5) dialog. Modules can only assigned to pages that have menu items.

Ordering:

You can set the order of a module to appear in the ordering dialog as well as the module manager main page by clicking the up/down arrows.