published: 02-November-2009
pages: 648
published by: Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 470509570
The Joomla! Bible provides a complete guide to building and managing websites with the Joomla! open source content management system. The book covers the process of obtaining the code, then deploying it to a server. The set-up portion of the text also covers configuring the site for various purposes and how to create and manage content and user hierarchies. Content management is dealt with in detail. Users are shown how to create, modify and delete content items. The text explains the many varied options that are available to content managers and how to minimize and manage site complexity. Included in the Joomla! core are a number of modules that provide advanced functionality, including the Polls Module, the Banner Manager, the Media Manager, Weblinks, Content Syndication, and Newsfeed Aggregation. All of the basic and extended core functionalities are covered in full detail, including tips for getting the most out of each. The Joomla! Bible will also help users learn about the online Joomla! resources, including most importantly, the online Extensions site, where users can find and download extensions that add additional functionality to their Joomla! site. With more than 5,000 extensions listed in the directory, the Extensions site contains literally too many choices for most users. In the text we will identify the most useful extensions for common functions like site maintenance and enhancement of the core functionality (e.g., Galleries, Newsletters, etc.). While the book will only touch on most extensions, considerable space will be spent discussing two systems: JomSocial and VirtueMart. JomSocial is a complex extension that turns Joomla! into a web 2.0-type community website platform. This is a complex extension - virtually a system all its own. Similarly, VirtueMart is a complex extension that adds multiple functionalities, in this case, to turn Joomla! into a full ecommerce and catalog management system. Both of these important extensions are explained in detail, including installation, configuration and management.
Comments
Hi! I have minimal
Hi! I have minimal programming comprehension, but I would like to know what can make my Joomla more secure. Would Joomla Bible cover both the threats that the system might be compromised by, as well as what kind of extensions one should look for to improve security, or the php modifications might help?
Making Joomla! More Secure
The book includes one chapter devoted to securing your site. I cover basic security issues and how to address them. The good news is, you don't need to be a hardcore programmer to protect yourself from the most common security threats. Aside from some basic steps to help harden your site, the best thing you can do is keep up with your patches and make sure your passwords are secure. Most compromised sites are compromised through extensions that have not been patched -- that is, through known vulnerabilities. If, in contrast, someone really targets you specifically, then they are going to try to come in through your admin access -- so you need to make sure you keep that nice and secure.
Note the book does not go in depth into server configuration, as most people out there are on shared hosts where those options are not available to the user. (I mention some of these techniques but don't step through them.)
Hope this answers your question. Thanks for your interest!
-ric