JOOMLA and CMS

Abstract

Joomla is a free and open source content management system (CMS) for publishing content on the World Wide Web and intranets and a Web application framework that can also be used independently.

Joomla is written in PHP, uses object-oriented programming (OOP) techniques and software design patterns, stores data in a MySQL database, and includes features such as page caching, RSS feeds, printable versions of pages, news flashes, blogs, polls, search, and support for language internationalization.

A content management system (CMS) is a system providing a collection of procedures used to manage work flow in a collaborative environment. These procedures can be manual or computer-based. In a CMS, data can be defined as nearly anything: documents, movies, text, pictures, phone numbers, scientific data, and so forth. CMSs are frequently used for storing, controlling, revising, semantically enriching, and publishing documentation. Serving as a central repository, the CMS increases the version level of new updates to an already existing file. Version control is one of the primary advantages of a CMS.

A decade ago, having a webpage was cool. Today, not having a webpage is almost primitive. Through a blog or a wiki or a webpage, everyone these days is present on the web, one way or the other. There are websites on gossip, websites on politics and websites on sports and so on. Why, there are websites on websites as well! Does that mean everyone who wants to be on the web has to be a geek? No. All you need is a Content Management System. Wait, did I mention CMS? Well, not any CMS would do. What you need is Joomla!. It’s a revolutionary open-source system that is just as cool to work with as it sounds.

If you have a webpage that needs some working on all the time, Joomla! is your best friend. Download it and forget about coding, programming, designing. Sit back and let Joomla! do all the hard work. Be it updating your design template or setting up a forum on your website, you can do it all through a browser-based interface. Joomla! is easy to set up and operate. It also provides demo for various extensions helping you understand software better. In this book, I have tried to pack in as much information as I could about Joomla! and the wonders it can work for you. Read on and explore more.

Extensions

The dynamic developer team of the Joomla! constantly strives to give you a satisfying customer-experience. This includes giving you a wide range of extensions and subextensions. Let’s take a look at the kind of extensions on offer. Joomla! has released 18 extension categories, each containing sub-categories. These categories correspond to the different requirements of a web content management project. These categories are broadly listed as – Admin Tools – include add-ons for backup, reporting, file management, statistics,etc

Banner Ads & Affiliates – include advertising banners and classified ads. Calendars – provide for your needs related to events (birthdays, event calendar etc.) and reservations (primarily useful for hotels or guest houses etc) Communication – provides for chat, comments, forums, polls, guestbook, newsletter, mailing list etc on your website. Content & News – this category of extension helps you include blog, clock, weather, quiz, news, RSS, e-cards, ratings and reviews, tips and notes etc in the website.

Core Enhancements – group access, categories/sections, cache, credits, security etc. are the categories you may find here Documentation/Document Management – this extension provides for FAQs, glossary and dictionary, bibliography, Wiki and downloads.

e-Commerce – the extensions under these category are those pertaining to shopping cart, auction, payment systems, donation, electronic data interchange and Amazon Extension Specific Plugin – These plugins can be used only when certain extensions are already installed as the plugins are for specific extensions. E.g. if you want to install Banners Manager Plugins, then you need to install Banners Manager extension first.

Other such plugins include Ads Manager Plugins, Community Builder plugins, dcsFlashGames plugins, VirtueMart Plugins, DOCMan Plugins etc.

Forms – this extension helps you create various kinds of forms (e.g. forms for surveys, guestbook, polls etc) Gallery & Multimedia – the extension category includes sub-categories like gallery, pod-casting and streaming Media. These primarily help in adding pictures/images, audio and videos, providing radio and video streams etc.

Intranet & Groupware – CRM, Contacts, LDAP, Project and task Management are the areas addressed by this extension category. It contains address book, blogs, calendar, organizers, etc.

Languages – Languages extension is designed to help you with translation and also provides the option of multi-lingual content. Miscellaneous – help desk, religion, quotes, recipes, portfolio, sports/games, etc are the sub-categories included in this extension category.

Search & Indexing – it comprises of Search, Site Map, Google and Directory.

Vertical Markets – Vertical markets extension contains categories such as education, real estate, auto and vehicles, boat and yachting etc. WYSIWYG Editors – it helps manage editor profiles for the users, manage content, images, links, etc.

Benefits

Community Support Joomla!’s resounding success is well-reflected in its thriving online community. If you have any doubts with using Joomla!, the Joomla! Community is your best bet to find answers. These communities consist of domain experts like designers, developers etc. You may share your CMS problems/questions on board (forum). With thousands of members in the Community, you can be assured of a reply in the least possible time. All this without spending a dollar! Continual Development

The online world is changing rapidly and so are your CMS needs. Joomla! has now marked the tradition of releasing upgraded versions to meet your varying needs and expectations. In not more than two years of time, Joomla! has brought in numerous helpful versions. The core development team works in tandem with the community members to upgrade Joomla! and release newer versions. As a result you get advanced knowledge and systems to stay ahead in the online marketplace.

Components and Module As discussed in the previous section, there are numerous Joomla! components or add-ons and modules that you can get as per the requirements. Often these modules and components are developed by the community members or third party entities. You can download it for free or by paying a small amount. Some of them may be bound by License regulations. These components, when added to your website and CMS, can enhance the functionality of your website.