- The document discusses how to create a basic Joomla component from scratch in about an hour by forking and modifying the existing com_helloworld component. - It describes the necessary files and code changes needed to modify the component name, add additional fields to the component form, and include features like publishing status filtering. - The presentation provides step-by-step instructions for tasks like renaming files and text strings, adding columns to views, and including standard Joomla features like toolbar buttons and menu icons to create a functional component.

1. How to create a Joomla
component from scratch
Tim Plummer
@bfsurvey
Presented at Sydney JUG 12/06/2012

2. About me
• I’ve developed over 24 Joomla
extensions including…
Tim Plummer
@bfsurvey
• Member of bug squad
• Contributed code to Joomla core
• Convenor of the Sydney JUG (2012)
• Co-organiser of Sydney JoomlaDay

3. My Joomla Development Story

4. What is a component?

5. What is a module?

6. What is a plugin?

7. Can we make a component in an hour?
Yes (if we cheat)

8. Tools you need
• Web Server & PHP & MySQL
(XAMPP)
• Text editor or IDE (Textpad /
Notepad++ or Eclipse / Netbeans)
• Web browser (Firefox with firebug)

9. What license?
• GNU GPL (if you want to
be listed on the JED)
• Free as in “Freedom” not
free as in “Free Beer”

10. Set Error Reporting to Maximum

11. Security
Never EVER trust your user
ALWAYS sanitise user input!

12. Let’s fork com_helloworld

13. File Structure

14. Demo time…

15. Batch rename files
@echo off
setlocal enabledelayedexpansion
for /R %%j in (*.*) do (
set filename=%%~nj
set filename=!filename:helloworld=sjug!
if not !filename!==%%~nj ren %%j
!filename!%%~xj
)

16. Find and replace text
com_helloworld com_sjug
HelloWorld Sjug
COM_HELLOWORLD COM_SJUG
helloworld sjug
HELLOWORLD SJUG
Hello World Sjug
hello sjug
Hello Sjug
World Sjug

17. grepWin (free tool – windows only)

18. Xml file
• Change date, author, version etc

19. Zip it up
• I like 7-zip (http://www.7-zip.org/)

20. Now let’s install it

21. Now let’s try it

22. Demo time…

23. Add more fields to the form

24. Add more fields to the form
/administrator/components/com_sjug/models/forms/sjug.xml

25. Add more fields to the form
/administrator/language/en-GB/en-GB.com_sjug.ini

26. Add more fields to the form
Use phpMyAdmin
You should also add these fields to
/administrator/components/com_sjug/sql/install.mysql.utf8.sql

27. Adding toolbar buttons
• http://docs.joomla.org/JToolBarHelper
JToolBarHelper::publish(‘sjugs.publish', 'JTOOLBAR_PUBLISH', true);
JToolBarHelper::unpublish(‘sjugs.unpublish', 'JTOOLBAR_UNPUBLISH', true);
JToolBarHelper::archiveList(‘sjugs.archive');

28. Add published column to list view

29. Add published column to list view
/administrator/components/com_sjug/views/sjugs/tmpl/default_head.php
<th width="5%">
<?php echo JText::_('JSTATUS'); ?>
</th>
/administrator/components/com_sjug/views/sjugs/tmpl/default_body.php
<td>
<?php echo JHtml::_('jgrid.published', $item->published, $i, ‘sjugs.', '', 'cb',
$item->publish_up, $item->publish_down); ?>
</td>
/administrator/components/com_sjug/models/sjugs.php
$query->select('id,greeting,published,publish_up,publish_down');
/administrator/components/com_sjug/views/sjugs/tmpl/default_foot.php
<td colspan="4">

30. Fix menu icon
/media/com_sjug/images/tux-16x16.png

31. Fix Toolbar Image
/media/com_sjug/images/tux-48x48.png

32. Add link to title in list view
/administrator/components/com_sjug/views/sjugs/tmpl/default_body.php

33. Status Filter
/administrator/components/com_sjug/views/sjugs/tmpl/default.php
/administrator/components/com_sjug/views/sjugs/view.html.php

34. Status Filter
/administrator/components/com_sjug/models/sjugs.php

35. Change delete to trash
/administrator/components/com_sjug/views/sjugs/view.html.php

36. Now it looks like a Joomla Component

37. Now you are ready to start creating
your own components

38. Questions?

39. Tim Plummer
@bfsurvey
tim@tamlyncreative.com.au