As a Joomla (novice) developer, I'm concerned about why we really need modules to create our own forms. I'm definitely not an authority on the subject when it comes to Joomla but here's my issue.
I understand (through hands-on discovery) that we can create forms using two ways (without additional custom modules).
By writing the form content straight in the index.php page, then checking for submit using PHP.
By inserting the HTML content for the form as a CustomHTML article using the admin back-end. Then have a separate PHP page to do the processing and return back to a specific landing page.
First I'm not sure if the above methods are considered sane in the joomla world but I do think they're workable.
If so, why do we need to run through rough seas trying to download and install form-builder plug-ins and write code that looks pretty absurd with so many files.
The first solution you mentioned is the worst that could be done. Editing the index.php should never be done. If an update for the template is bought out and you install it, it will override your changes.
The second point you mentioned is also a bad idea. There is no point in using separate PHP pages if you're using the Joomla CMS.
Stick to Joomla standards and create a custom module (not custom HTML module) either by coding it yourself or getting started with a Module Generator.
The whole point of using a CMS is to make life easier. A Joomla site is built of of Components, Modules and Plugins.
Components are like applications such as a Forum, e-commerce system etc. Modules are like widgets such as a twitter feed, shoutbox etc.
Plugins change the behavior of something.
why do we need to run through rough seas trying to download and
install form-builder plug-in?
Trying to download and install a form builder is not difficult at all. Simple go to the Joomla Extensions Directory, go the the necessary category, click on an extension that suits your needs, download and install it and voilà.
I'm just trying to find a simple way to show a joomla component as a module, do u guys know how to get this done?
BTW, I am using Joomla 1.5.
Thanks!
The Joomla API defines Components and Modules as two different things. You can't plug a component into a place where a module goes.
You can create a module plug-in that displays information from the component. For example, most calendaring components also ship with a module so you can display a small calender in the side-bar.
There are a bunch of extensions that do this already. Take your pick -
http://extensions.joomla.org/extensions/core-enhancements/embed-a-include
I was wondering if page templates can be built instead of individual components in Teamsite 7? I've seen other cMS systems where it is just a page template that has lots of functionality built I and you can "switch" on and off elements that you want to display instead of having to drag components onto a page? Is this possible?
Old question, but since I just came across it:
Yes, TeamSite supports templates (.template) files which can be partial or full page templates. The default location is iwadmin/main/livesite/template.
I recommend downloading the developer guides from Autonomy's web site for detailed information.
Templates in teamsite/livesite is like a bag that can contain components. But in order for a functionality to be developed in teamsite/livesite we need to create components. certainly we can avoid dragging and dropping components in each page by creating templates and dropping components within it for once. Keep in mind templates are bound to layouts. for each type of layout we need to create a template. Please have a look at TS_7.3_SiteDeveloper_rev1, Chapter 5.
Yes, you can create templates instead of dragging components.
Since, TeamSite supports templates (.template) files which can be partial or full page templates and resides at location : iwadmin/main/livesite/template.
So, whenever you try to create a new page everytime the HTML code required for that page gets automatically added with the template and layouts you selected.
But, again this is not good since you can have any number of templates you need but this could create confusions at times when you try to create a new page since you will need to remember every template name and contents that you will need for a particular page so it's better to have small lists of templates and layouts since then we can say that there is reusability in our application/website which we are going to develop using Teamsite and Livesite.
Please vote the solution if its helpful.
Thanks!
I'd like to create a plugin that exports into a custom document format similar to the way that export to PDF and export to Word currently work in Confluence.
Does anyone have experience creating a custom export plugin for Confluence? If so do you know of any resources or samples that describe what would be involved?
Here are the most useful resources that I've found so far:
Plugin Tutorial - Adding a custom action to Confluence - This shows how to add an action to the "Tools" menu that appears at the top of a confluence page. Additionally it shows how to interact with the Page object to get more info about the page.
Plugin Module Types - The second guide I found helpful was the list of general plugin module types. It was informative to discover that a "plugin" is really a collection of "modules" and seeing this list was helpful to understand how to apply that model to creating a plugin of the type I was looking for. Additionally the Confluence Plugin Guide was also helpful for a breakdown on Confluence specific plugin modules.
The Confluence Developer FAQ - Useful for information on how to convert wiki content from a page into HTML as well as a number of other hard-to-find gems.
Finally, it was hard to find, but in order to understand how to "target" a particular menu or area of the existing UI to extend, I found it very helpful to read about the guide for Creating your Plugin Descriptor.
What is the difference between Joomla components, modules, extensions and plugins?
Plugins
Plugins enable you to execute code in response to certain events, either Joomla core events or custom events that are triggered from your own code. This is a powerful way of extending the basic Joomla functionality.
Components
Components are the main functional units that display in your template, like the content management system, contact forms, Web Links and the like. They are usually displayed in the center of the main content area of a template (depending on the template).
Modules
A more lightweight and flexible extension used for page rendering is a module. Modules are used for small bits of the page that are generally less complex and able to be seen across different components. Sometimes modules are linked to a component such as the core latest news module.
Extensions
Components, languages, modules, plugins and templates collectively known as Extensions.
Quickstart tutorial for free.
Components
A component is a separate application. You can think of a component as something that has its own functionality, its own database and its own presentation.
So, if you install a component, you add an application to your website. Examples of components are
a forum
a newsletter
a community system
a photo gallery
You could think of all of these as being a separate application. Each of these would make perfectly sense as a stand-alone system.
A component will be shown in the main part of your website and only one component will be shown. A menu is then nothing more than a switch between different components. You can compare it a bit with your windows taskbar, where you see a tab for each open application.
Modules
Modules are extensions which present certain pieces of information on your site. It's a way of presenting information that is already present. This can add a new function to an application, which was already part of your website.
Think about
latest article modules
login module
a menu
Typically, you'll have a number of modules on each web page.
The difference between a component and a module is not always very clear. A module doesn't make sense as a standalone application, it will just present information or add a function to an existing application.
Take a newsletter for instance. A newsletter is a component. You can have a website which is used as a newsletter only. That makes perfectly sense. Although a newsletter component probably will have a subscription page integrated, you might want to add a subscription module on a sidebar on every page of your website. You can put this subscribe module anywhere on your site. You'll probably agree with me that a site with just a subscription module and no actual newsletter component would be rather ridiculous.
Plugins
They used to be called mambots in Joomla 1.0.x, but since Joomla 1.5.x they're called plugins. A plugin is a function which is performed on a part of Joomla before this part is shown. This part can be on content, on the editor, on the complete system, etc. This might seem a bit abstract, but you'll understand it with an example.
Let's take one of the plugins of Ulti Joomla as an example: Ulti Reflection. This is a plugin which can make a reflection of the images you use in your content articles. To use this you just have to put something like
inside your content. Before the content is shown to the user, the Ulti Reflection plugin will scan the content to find the {reflection} tag. If it finds the tag, it will replace the tag with the image and its reflection.
Be carefull not to put to many plugins one your website, because some of them can really slow down your site.
If the difference between the three types of extensions is still not completely clear, then I advice you to go to admin pages of your joomla installation and check the components menu, the module manager and the plugin manager. Joomla comes with a number of core components, modules and plugins. By checking what they're doing, the difference between the three types of building blocks should become clear. You can also check out the official Joomla extensions page. Browse through the extension categories and you'll be amazed about the extension possiblities you have for your site.
Modules and components are displayed on a page.
Plugins operate behind the scenes and can do a multitude of things, like replacing content with other content, perform searches, perform login/logout functions, or anything really tricky that you can imagine.
There can only ever be one component on a page. When you choose menu items, you are actually choosing the component that you wish a page to display. The variables for the component are stored once (in the database), so you can't have multiple instances of the component!
On the other hand, modules are added multiple times. You can have many modules on the one page. In fact, you could have 100 instances of the same module on the one page. The variables for a module are stored against each instance. (in the database).
This is why joomla templates have one place holder for a component, and many place holders for modules.
A module can be added to an individual page (menu item) , or seleceted pages, or all pages.
Remember that a menu item is indeed a component choice. Each menu item does store variables in the database, so it is possible to feed the component display details. E.g. what page id the content component is to display.
In the back end, components can have many backend settings and functions, and "do" many more things than a module.
Examples of a component are:
com_content (displays articles...)
a bulletin board
a forum
a sitemap
Examples of a module:
a countdown clock
top 10 most read content
a poll
Unless you understand the difference between a module and a component, you will find it very difficult to administer your Joomla installation.
Modules
Modules are usually small pieces of functionality designed to present information in your site. They can appear a number of times, on a number of pages in various positions. On the contrary components are a full blown application, usually quite complex and are to the main body if a page. Also each module can be viewed in various pages, and the position of each module can be easily changed. You are allowed to select the menu items where a module is displayed. A good example of the usage of this functionality is targeted advertising. If your site has various sections, you can create module for each section. Each module will contain a targeted advert for the section. Now instead of showing all the modules, all the time, you customise the visibility of the module such that each advert is displayed only in the relevant menu links. Typical examples of standard Joomla modules are : Main / User / Top and other menus, Latest News, Popular Articles, Polls, Login Form, Syndication Details etc.
Components
On the other hand, a Joomla component is typically more complex, with extensive functionality and capabilities. A component can only be displayed in the main area of a page, and can only be displayed in a single page (usually). Links to components are usually done by creating menu items. Components usually have a particular page or pages for their configuration.
Extensions
Joomla extensions extend the functionality of Joomla websites. Five types of extensions may be distinguished: components, modules, plugins, templates, and languages. Each of these extensions handles a specific function.
Comdev is a Joomla development services provider, which provides varirties of extensions like: JomOffers, JomDirectory, JomHoliday 3, JomEstate, JomEvents.
Source: http://comdevjoomla.blogspot.com/