Joomla!
Encyclopedia
Joomla is a free
and open source
content management system
(CMS) for publishing content on the World Wide Web
and intranet
s and a model–view–controller (MVC) Web application framework
that can also be used independently.
Joomla is written in PHP
, uses object-oriented programming
(OOP) techniques and software design patterns, stores data in a MySQL
database, and includes features such as page caching
, RSS feeds
, printable versions of pages, news flashes, blogs, polls
, search, and support for language internationalization
.
Joomla had been downloaded 23 million times. Between March 2007 and February 2011 there had been more than 21 million downloads. , there are over 8,600 free and commercial extension
s available from the official Joomla! Extension Directory and more available from other sources.
of Mambo on August 17, 2005. At that time, the Mambo name was trademarked by Miro International Pvt Ltd. who formed a non-profit foundation
with the stated purpose to fund the project and protect it from lawsuits. The Joomla development team claimed that many of the provisions of the foundation structure went against previous agreements made by the elected Mambo Steering Committee, lacked the necessary consultation with key stake-holders and included provisions that violated core open source values.
The Joomla development team created a Web site called OpenSourceMatters.org to distribute information to users, developers, Web designers and the community in general. Project leader Andrew Eddie wrote a letter that appeared on the announcements section of the public forum at mamboserver.com. A little more than one thousand people had joined the OpenSourceMatters.org Web site within a day, most posting words of encouragement and support, and the Web site received the Slashdot effect
as a result. Miro CEO Peter Lamont gave a public response to the development team in an article titled "The Mambo Open Source Controversy — 20 Questions With Miro". This event created controversy within the free software community
about the definition of "open source". Forums at many other open source projects were active with postings for and against the actions of both sides.
In the two weeks following Eddie's announcement, teams were re-organized, and the community continued to grow. Eben Moglen
and the Software Freedom Law Center
(SFLC) assisted the Joomla core team beginning in August 2005, as indicated by Moglen's blog entry from that date and a related OSM announcement. The SFLC continue to provide legal guidance to the Joomla project.
On August 18, Andrew Eddie called for community input on suggested names for the project. The core team indicated that it would make the final decision for the project name based on community input. The core team eventually chose a name that was not on the list of suggested names provided by the community.
On September 1, the new name, "Joomla!," was announced. It is the anglicised spelling of the Swahili
word meaning "all together" or "as a whole."
On September 6, the development team called for logo submissions from the community and invited the community to vote on the logo preferred; the team announced the community's decision on September 22. Following the logo selection, brand guidelines, a brand manual, and a set of logo resources were then published on October 2, for the community's use.
Joomla won the Packt
Publishing Open Source Content Management System Award in 2006, 2007, and 2011.
On October 27, 2008, PACKT Publishing announced Johan Janssens the "Most Valued Person" (MVP) for his work as one of the lead developers of the 1.5 Joomla Framework and Architecture. In 2009 Louis Landry received the "Most Valued Person" award for his role as Joomla architect and development coordinator.
4.5.2.3 which, itself, was combined with other bug and moderate-level security fixes.
Joomla version 1.5 was released on January 22, 2008. The last release of this version (on November 14, 2011) was 1.5.25. This version is the first to attain long term support (LTS). LTS versions are released each three major or minor releases and are supported until three months after the next LTS version is released.
Joomla 1.6.0 was released on January 10, 2011. This version adds a full access control list
functionality plus, user-defined category hierarchy, and admin interface improvements.
Joomla 1.7.0 was released on July 19, 2011, six months after 1.6.0. This version adds enhanced security and improved migration tools.
Joomla 2.5.0 is planned for release six months after 1.7.0, in January 2012. This version is a long term support (LTS) release. Originally this release was to be 1.8.0, however on August 9 it was announced that it would be renamed to fit into a new version number scheme in which every LTS release will be an X.5 release.
applications, from a package management system
or using a virtual appliance
, from sources such as the TurnKey Linux Virtual Appliance Library, which comprises the application and its dependencies as a ready-to-use system.
There are numerous web hosting companies who provide a control panel which automates the deployment of a basic Joomla Web site.
Joomla can also be installed via the Microsoft Web Platform Installer
which installs the software on Windows and IIS
. The Web PI
will automatically detect any missing dependencies such as PHP
or MySQL
then install and configure them before installing Joomla.
The official Joomla! site now has a directory of example sites: Official Community Showcase
Free software
Free software, software libre or libre software is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction, and which can be copied and redistributed in modified or unmodified form either without restriction, or with restrictions that only ensure that further recipients can also do...
and open source
Open source
The term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...
content management system
Content management system
A content management system is a system providing a collection of procedures used to manage work flow in a collaborative environment. These procedures can be manual or computer-based...
(CMS) for publishing content on the World Wide Web
World Wide Web
The World Wide Web is a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the Internet...
and intranet
Intranet
An intranet is a computer network that uses Internet Protocol technology to securely share any part of an organization's information or network operating system within that organization. The term is used in contrast to internet, a network between organizations, and instead refers to a network...
s and a model–view–controller (MVC) Web application framework
Web application framework
A web application framework is a software framework that is designed to support the development of dynamic websites, web applications and web services. The framework aims to alleviate the overhead associated with common activities performed in Web development...
that can also be used independently.
Joomla is written in PHP
PHP
PHP is a general-purpose server-side scripting language originally designed for web development to produce dynamic web pages. For this purpose, PHP code is embedded into the HTML source document and interpreted by a web server with a PHP processor module, which generates the web page document...
, uses object-oriented programming
Object-oriented programming
Object-oriented programming is a programming paradigm using "objects" – data structures consisting of data fields and methods together with their interactions – to design applications and computer programs. Programming techniques may include features such as data abstraction,...
(OOP) techniques and software design patterns, stores data in a MySQL
MySQL
MySQL officially, but also commonly "My Sequel") is a relational database management system that runs as a server providing multi-user access to a number of databases. It is named after developer Michael Widenius' daughter, My...
database, and includes features such as page caching
Cache
In computer engineering, a cache is a component that transparently stores data so that future requests for that data can be served faster. The data that is stored within a cache might be values that have been computed earlier or duplicates of original values that are stored elsewhere...
, RSS feeds
RSS (file format)
RSS is a family of web feed formats used to publish frequently updated works—such as blog entries, news headlines, audio, and video—in a standardized format...
, printable versions of pages, news flashes, blogs, polls
Opinion poll
An opinion poll, sometimes simply referred to as a poll is a survey of public opinion from a particular sample. Opinion polls are usually designed to represent the opinions of a population by conducting a series of questions and then extrapolating generalities in ratio or within confidence...
, search, and support for language internationalization
Internationalization and localization
In computing, internationalization and localization are means of adapting computer software to different languages, regional differences and technical requirements of a target market...
.
Joomla had been downloaded 23 million times. Between March 2007 and February 2011 there had been more than 21 million downloads. , there are over 8,600 free and commercial extension
Extension (computing)
Software extension, is a file containing programming that serves to extend the capabilities of or data available to a more basic program. It is a kind of list of commands which are directly included in the program. This term often coincides with the plug-in...
s available from the official Joomla! Extension Directory and more available from other sources.
Development
Joomla was the result of a forkFork (software development)
In software engineering, a project fork happens when developers take a legal copy of source code from one software package and start independent development on it, creating a distinct piece of software...
of Mambo on August 17, 2005. At that time, the Mambo name was trademarked by Miro International Pvt Ltd. who formed a non-profit foundation
Foundation (charity)
A foundation is a legal categorization of nonprofit organizations that will typically either donate funds and support to other organizations, or provide the source of funding for its own charitable purposes....
with the stated purpose to fund the project and protect it from lawsuits. The Joomla development team claimed that many of the provisions of the foundation structure went against previous agreements made by the elected Mambo Steering Committee, lacked the necessary consultation with key stake-holders and included provisions that violated core open source values.
The Joomla development team created a Web site called OpenSourceMatters.org to distribute information to users, developers, Web designers and the community in general. Project leader Andrew Eddie wrote a letter that appeared on the announcements section of the public forum at mamboserver.com. A little more than one thousand people had joined the OpenSourceMatters.org Web site within a day, most posting words of encouragement and support, and the Web site received the Slashdot effect
Slashdot effect
The Slashdot effect, also known as slashdotting, occurs when a popular website links to a smaller site, causing a massive increase in traffic. This overloads the smaller site, causing it to slow down or even temporarily close. The name stems from the huge influx of web traffic that results from...
as a result. Miro CEO Peter Lamont gave a public response to the development team in an article titled "The Mambo Open Source Controversy — 20 Questions With Miro". This event created controversy within the free software community
Free software community
The free-software community is an informal term that refers to the users and developers of free software as well as supporters of the free-software movement. The movement is sometimes referred to as the open-source software community or a subset thereof...
about the definition of "open source". Forums at many other open source projects were active with postings for and against the actions of both sides.
In the two weeks following Eddie's announcement, teams were re-organized, and the community continued to grow. Eben Moglen
Eben Moglen
Eben Moglen is a professor of law and legal history at Columbia University, and is the founder, Director-Counsel and Chairman of Software Freedom Law Center, whose client list includes numerous pro bono clients, such as the Free Software Foundation....
and the Software Freedom Law Center
Software Freedom Law Center
The Software Freedom Law Center is an organization that provides pro bono legal representation and related services to not-for-profit developers of free software/open source software. It was launched in February 2005 with Eben Moglen as Chairman. Initial funding of US$4 million was pledged by...
(SFLC) assisted the Joomla core team beginning in August 2005, as indicated by Moglen's blog entry from that date and a related OSM announcement. The SFLC continue to provide legal guidance to the Joomla project.
On August 18, Andrew Eddie called for community input on suggested names for the project. The core team indicated that it would make the final decision for the project name based on community input. The core team eventually chose a name that was not on the list of suggested names provided by the community.
On September 1, the new name, "Joomla!," was announced. It is the anglicised spelling of the Swahili
Swahili language
Swahili or Kiswahili is a Bantu language spoken by various ethnic groups that inhabit several large stretches of the Mozambique Channel coastline from northern Kenya to northern Mozambique, including the Comoro Islands. It is also spoken by ethnic minority groups in Somalia...
word meaning "all together" or "as a whole."
On September 6, the development team called for logo submissions from the community and invited the community to vote on the logo preferred; the team announced the community's decision on September 22. Following the logo selection, brand guidelines, a brand manual, and a set of logo resources were then published on October 2, for the community's use.
Joomla won the Packt
Packt
Packt, pronounced Packed, is a print on demand publishing company based in Birmingham, UK.-Company:Packt published its first book, Mastering phpMyAdmin for Effective MySQL Management, in April 2004, and continues to specialize in publishing focused books on specific technologies and solutions...
Publishing Open Source Content Management System Award in 2006, 2007, and 2011.
On October 27, 2008, PACKT Publishing announced Johan Janssens the "Most Valued Person" (MVP) for his work as one of the lead developers of the 1.5 Joomla Framework and Architecture. In 2009 Louis Landry received the "Most Valued Person" award for his role as Joomla architect and development coordinator.
Version history
Joomla 1.0 was released on September 16, 2005. It was a re-branded release of MamboMambo (CMS)
Mambo was a free software/open source content management system for creating and managing websites through a simple web interface....
4.5.2.3 which, itself, was combined with other bug and moderate-level security fixes.
Joomla version 1.5 was released on January 22, 2008. The last release of this version (on November 14, 2011) was 1.5.25. This version is the first to attain long term support (LTS). LTS versions are released each three major or minor releases and are supported until three months after the next LTS version is released.
Joomla 1.6.0 was released on January 10, 2011. This version adds a full access control list
Access control list
An access control list , with respect to a computer file system, is a list of permissions attached to an object. An ACL specifies which users or system processes are granted access to objects, as well as what operations are allowed on given objects. Each entry in a typical ACL specifies a subject...
functionality plus, user-defined category hierarchy, and admin interface improvements.
Joomla 1.7.0 was released on July 19, 2011, six months after 1.6.0. This version adds enhanced security and improved migration tools.
Joomla 2.5.0 is planned for release six months after 1.7.0, in January 2012. This version is a long term support (LTS) release. Originally this release was to be 1.8.0, however on August 9 it was announced that it would be renamed to fit into a new version number scheme in which every LTS release will be an X.5 release.
Deployment
Joomla can be installed manually from source code on a system running a Web server which supports PHPPHP
PHP is a general-purpose server-side scripting language originally designed for web development to produce dynamic web pages. For this purpose, PHP code is embedded into the HTML source document and interpreted by a web server with a PHP processor module, which generates the web page document...
applications, from a package management system
Package management system
In software, a package management system, also called package manager, is a collection of software tools to automate the process of installing, upgrading, configuring, and removing software packages for a computer's operating system in a consistent manner...
or using a virtual appliance
Virtual appliance
A virtual appliance is a virtual machine image designed to run on a virtualization platform ....
, from sources such as the TurnKey Linux Virtual Appliance Library, which comprises the application and its dependencies as a ready-to-use system.
There are numerous web hosting companies who provide a control panel which automates the deployment of a basic Joomla Web site.
Joomla can also be installed via the Microsoft Web Platform Installer
Microsoft Web Platform Installer
Initially released on January 21, 2009, Microsoft Web Platform Installer is a simple, free tool that automates the installation of Microsoft's entire Web Platform including:* IIS* Visual Web Developer 2008 Express Edition...
which installs the software on Windows and IIS
Internet Information Services
Internet Information Services – formerly called Internet Information Server – is a web server application and set of feature extension modules created by Microsoft for use with Microsoft Windows. It is the most used web server after Apache HTTP Server. IIS 7.5 supports HTTP, HTTPS,...
. The Web PI
Microsoft Web Platform Installer
Initially released on January 21, 2009, Microsoft Web Platform Installer is a simple, free tool that automates the installation of Microsoft's entire Web Platform including:* IIS* Visual Web Developer 2008 Express Edition...
will automatically detect any missing dependencies such as PHP
PHP
PHP is a general-purpose server-side scripting language originally designed for web development to produce dynamic web pages. For this purpose, PHP code is embedded into the HTML source document and interpreted by a web server with a PHP processor module, which generates the web page document...
or MySQL
MySQL
MySQL officially, but also commonly "My Sequel") is a relational database management system that runs as a server providing multi-user access to a number of databases. It is named after developer Michael Widenius' daughter, My...
then install and configure them before installing Joomla.
Examples
These are examples of popular Web sites based on the Joomla CMS:The official Joomla! site now has a directory of example sites: Official Community Showcase
See also
- List of content management systems
- List of web application frameworks