Joomla! is the world's hottest open-source content management system, and the winner of the 2006 Open Source CMS Prize. Out of the box, Joomla! does a great job of managing the content needed to make your website sing. But for many people, the true power of Joomla! lies in its application framework that makes it possible for thousands of developers around the world to create powerful add-ons and extensions. Many companies or organizations have requirements that go beyond what is available in the basic Joomla! package or in a freely available extension. Thankfully, Joomla! offers a powerful application framework that makes it easy for developers to create sophisticated add-ons that extend the power of Joomla! into virtually unlimited directions.

If you use PHP programming to extend or customize Joomla!, this book is essential reading. If you feel that you've mastered the basics of creating Joomla! extensions, then this book will take you to the next level. Packed with expert advice on all aspects of development with Joomla!, you will learn about best-practice design and coding for Joomla! components, modules, plugins and other extensions.

You will also learn about customizing the page output, using JavaScript effects, making use of Web Services from within Joomla! and ensuring that your code is secure and error-free.

A unique and comprehensive reference to the main areas of interest within the Joomla! framework is also included in the book.

What you will learn from this book?

• Joomla!'s directory and URI structure along with a brief overview of its libraries
• Joomla's common classes, variables and constants crucial for creating Joomla! extensions
• Extending the database, following conventions for database schema, and common fields
• Storing common types of data in standard fields and dealing with multilingual requirements.
• Getting data from the Joomla! database
• Using the JTable class to display and edit tables of cells
• Designing components using the MVC design pattern
• Configuring the component and its various elements and parameters.
• Packaging components with the required install and uninstall files
• Getting modules and components to work together
• Writing, loading, and translating plugins
• Working with Joomla!'s registry
• Working with the User, Session, and Browser classes
• Render output and maintain consistency throughout the application
• Controlling paging of lists
• Using JavaScript effects from the mootools librarys included with Joomla!
• Creating and using Web Services in Joomla!
• Handling errors, warnings and notices
• Building secure Joomla! extensions
• Working with dates, arrays, tree structures and other Joomla! utility classes
• An in-depth reference guide to the most significant parts of the Joomla! framework

Approach

Packed with expert advice and tips, this book is an invaluable reference guide that you will turn to again and again as you work with Joomla!

Who this book is written for?

PHP developers who want to understand how Joomla! works with a view to advanced customization or extension development, and want to learn how to work with the Joomla! framework.