Learning Joomla! 1.5 Extension Development Creating Modules, Com...

Joomla! is an award-winning content management system with a powerful extension <br>system. This makes it easy for third-party developers to build code extending <br>Joomla\'s core functionality without hacking or modifying the core code.<br>Once an extension is developed, it can be packaged into a ZIP fle for site <br>administrators to upload and use. The people who manage Joomla!-based websites <br>and want to use extensions need not know any programming at all. Once the ZIP fle <br>is uploaded, the extension is installed.<br>The name Joomla! comes from the Swahili word \'jumla\', meaning \"all together\" or \"as <br>a whole\". When you install an extension in Joomla!, it blends in with the rest of the <br>site; all the extensions truly appear \"all together, as a whole\".<br>What This Book Covers<br>Chapter 1 gives an overview of how Joomla! works. The example project <br>used throughout the book is also introduced. The three types of extensions <br>(components, modules, and plug-ins) are covered along with descriptions of how <br>they work together.<br>Chapter 2 begins the development of the component used in the project. Initial entries <br>are made in the database and toolbars for the back end are built. The general fle <br>structure of Joomla! is also introduced.<br>Chapter 3 walks through the creation of the back-end interface for creating, <br>editing, and deleting records in the project. Database table classes are introduced, <br>as well as common HTML elements used to make the project blend in with other <br>Joomla! extensions.<br>Chapter 4 builds a front-end interface for listing and viewing records. Additionally, <br>code to generate and interpret search-engine-friendly links is covered. The project is <br>also expanded slightly when a commenting feature is added.<br>Chapter 5 introduces a module used to list records on every page of the site. The <br>module takes advantage of layouts, where the same data can be formatted differently <br>depending on how the code is called. Some of the code is also separated out into a <br>helper class so that the main code generating the module stays simple.<br>Chapter 6 rewrites the component developed in Chapters 2, 3, and 4 so that it follows <br>the Model, View, Controller design pattern. Controls over the publishing of records <br>are introduced, in addition to an interface for removing offensive comments. More <br>toolbars are added and the search-engine-friendly URL code is redesigned.<br>Chapter 7 develops three plug-ins. The frst plug-in fnds the names of records in <br>the database and turns them in to links to those records. A second plug-in displays <br>a short summary of the record when certain code is added to content articles. <br>Finally, another plug-in is designed so that records are pulled up along with Joomla! <br>content searches.<br>Chapter 8 adds confguration parameters to the component, module, and plug-ins. <br>These are handled through XML and generate a predictable interface in the back <br>end for setting options. Retrieving the values of these parameters is standardized <br>through built-in functions.<br>Chapter 9 expands the XML fles used for parameters and adds a listing of all the <br>fles in each extension. Once this fle is compressed along with the rest of the code <br>into a ZIP archive, it is ready to be installed on another copy of Joomla! without any <br>programmer intervention. Custom installation scripts and SQL code are also added <br>to the component.