Using Joomla!, 2nd Edition

Appendix D. Developing for Joomla

Joomla development is driven by contributors of both the Joomla CMS and Joomla Framework. The Joomla Extension Directory (JED) is full of hundreds of developers who have extended Joomla in many ways and made it even more powerful. If you want to contribute to make Joomla better or develop your own extensions, here are a few resources and bits of information.

Joomla Framework and API

The Joomla Framework is the underlying scaffolding the Joomla CMS is built upon (and replaces the Joomla Platform). They are really separate pieces, but together they make up what is installed with Joomla. This lightweight framework enables developers who are interesting in building their own application via an API to leverage the power and benefits of Joomla, even if they don’t want to use the CMS. It also enables Joomla Framework developers to implement and take advantage of the most modern trends in web application development. The framework is developed independently from the CMS, so the version numbers are different. When the CMS team is planning their next release, they decide which version of the framework is appropriate for their needs, and that’s what is incorporated.

It is licensed under the LGPL (the CMS is still licensed under the GPL), which allows for more flexibility in how it can be used and integrated with other applications. This should greatly help increase enterprise adoption.

If you’re interested in contributing to the Joomla Framework API, visit these ...