Joomla Jumpstart

When programming a Joomla extension in PHP -- particulary when you need to create a display module -- you often need to get information about about the document being displayed. By instantiating the document object, you can get access to all of the information on everything from the metatags to the template name.

Sometimes finding documentation for Joomla features is like searching in a darkened home for that illusive flashlight. Even if you find what you're looking for, it may be no help at all (are these batteries dead?). Likewise, documentation on Joomla is often difficult to locate and when you discover something in the area where you're looking, the thing you need is missing. There is a well-lit, often comfortable place where you can find anything you're searching for -- the Joomla source code. Using a powerful text editor like jEdit, you can often quickly and easily locate the information that you need.

If you do a minimum Joomla! install, many of the common extensions will not be activated (Who's Online, Syndicate, etc.) or listed in the various managers (Module Manager, Plugin Manager, etc.). To install them manually, you need to modify the XML descriptor files. Here I'll show you how.