The Joomla Project’s latest CMS release includes a release of the project’s PHP Framework: Joomla Platform. In 2010 the project made plans to officially decouple the core of Joomla (now the Platform) from the CMS. This allows site implementers to utilize both the full featured CMS, and as well as allow developers to use the light but powerful Joomla Platform core to power web applications.
The Joomla 2.5 CMS release includes notable features that until now have been available only to those developers who have been using the Joomla Platform as a stand alone application. Among others, some of my favorites are:
- JWeb
- JImage
- JWebClient
- JGrid
Here's a brief explanation of each:
JWeb is a new base for both the platform and the CMS. This feature includes all the important parts of a web application that make it extensible and customizable. This keeps the platform in a position to be a lean, mean, web-application-powering machine.
JImage is a new special feature that Platform developers have included to really help developers with image handling. Many website implementers and third party extension site builders have been including their own interpretations of image management, which has lead to a lot of duplicated and repeated efforts. Since the main purpose of having a framework is to reduce duplication and repeated code, it made perfect sense to create a feature to help developers out in this regard.
JWebClient is the Joomla Project’s accolade to adopting mobile technology as trend that is here to stay. The project understands that with iPhones, iPads, Androids, and other tablets and cellphones, building a responsive website or web application is important, and something that users expect. JWebClient allows extension developers to detect important user viewing data such as their device, browser, and language, and make a decision based on that information. Mobile is here to stay, and the Joomla project welcomes it with open arms.
JGrid is an HTML generator that will save developers from repeatedly having to create their own methods of generating table layouts. Tables are used extensively in web applications for list layouts, and until now developers working in Joomla have had to create their own code to do this from scratch. Now with a class in the core, developers can minimize the amount of code they have to write themselves, saving time for them and letting them focus on innovation and creativity for their Joomla extensions and applications.
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