[...]... to work with all the files on your local file system Summary Joomla! can be extended through components, modules, and plug-ins This allows you to add functionalities to a Joomla! site without hacking the core code Joomla! can then be maintained and updated without disturbing the custom code [ 10 ] Getting Started with Component Development Before you begin with coding, there are a few files and folders... articles and another will integrate them into searches [] Joomla! Extension Development: An Overview To prepare for this project, install a fresh copy of Joomla! 1.5 on a web server with PHP and a database (preferably MySQL) If you prefer to exclusively use one computer to complete this project and do not have a local web server, it will probably be easier to download and install a bundled and pre-configured... developers have written for Joomla! All of these can run on a Joomla! site, and only a single database, template, and core need to be maintained When you build an extension to Joomla!, it will inherit the look and feel of the overall site Any type of program that can be coded in PHP is a potential component waiting to be written Joomla! Extension Development: An Overview Your extensions can also be portable... Look and Reducing Repetitive Code Using HTML Functions Several standard CSS class names are used to format content and HTML elements within your extensions This makes it easy for your extensions to seamlessly blend in with the rest of the website Additionally, Joomla! includes many functions to automate the generation of checkboxes, dropdowns, select lists, and other common elements [] Joomla! Extension. .. component is loaded from the front end, Joomla! will look for a file with the component's unique name ending in a php extension Within the components/com_reviews folder, create the reviews .php file Similarly, running it in the back end assumes the presence of a file prefaced with admin followed by the component name and ending in php Add the file admin.reviews .php in administrator/components/com_reviews...Preface Joomla! is an award-winning content management system with a powerful extension system This makes it easy for third-party developers to build code extending Joomla's core functionality without hacking or modifying the core code Once an extension is developed, it can be packaged into a ZIP file for site administrators to upload and use The people who manage Joomla!- based websites and want to use extensions... different kinds to get the functionalities you desire Joomla!' s code allows extensions to share resources and sometimes perform actions on each other Since we can write extensions, we will do this instead of customizing the core How to Extend Joomla! There are three types of extensions Joomla! supports, each with a specific use Components Of the extensions available, components are the most essential... along with Joomla! content searches Chapter 8 adds configuration parameters to the component, module, and plug-ins These are handled through XML and generate a predictable interface in the back end for setting options Retrieving the values of these parameters is standardized through built-in functions Chapter 9 expands the XML files used for parameters and adds a listing of all the files in each extension. .. wondering why we are creating two files to begin with, toolbar.reviews .php and toolbar.reviews.html .php The preferred coding style among component developers is to keep the processing logic in a file completely separate from where the actual output takes place This makes it easier to add features later and to potentially share the code with others After toolbar.reviews .php loads the file with the output... it is preferable to write an extension When updates and patches are released for Joomla! itself, the core code will be updated, but your extensions will not be overwritten These extensions are crafted in a self‑contained manner, allowing you to freely develop your own code without disturbing other items present in the Joomla! installation Although they are self-contained, extensions do not operate in . h0" alt="" Learning Joomla! 1. 5 Extension Development Creating Modules, Components, and Plug-Ins with PHP A practical tutorial for creating your first Joomla! 1. 5 extensions with PHP Joseph. Files 14 7 Packaging the Module 14 8 Packaging Plug-ins 14 9 Packaging the Component 15 1 Including SQL Queries 15 3 Creating Back-End Menu Items 15 5 Extra Installation Scripts 15 5 Distribution 15 7 Summary. Toolbars 10 6 Summary 10 7 Chapter 7: Behind the Scenes: Plug-Ins 10 9 Database Queries 11 0 A Simple Link Plug-In 11 2 An Information Box Plug-In 11 6 Searching the Reviews 12 1 Summary 12 6 Chapter