What’s Joomla?

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Joomla is a free content management system written in PHP that allows web designers to build sites by combining modules. It is open source and adaptable, with a graphical interface and a lower learning curve than Drupal. Its name means “all together” in Swahili.

Joomla is a free content management system used to build websites. Joomla allows web designers to build sites by combining modules and requires no coding knowledge to use. The Joomla framework is written in PHP, as are the modules used to customize websites. There are a wide variety of modules available, including RSS feeds, polls and language internationalization, which make it easy for Joomla users to publish content to the web, even with minimal web design experience. Joomla can also be used to post information on the intranet, making it a useful organizational tool.

Since the Joomla code is open source, anyone can write modules and extensions of the system, making it extremely adaptable. These modules are available for download, usually through their creators’ websites. Many web designers also create Joomla design elements, called “themes,” which they then make available for download. However, not all Joomla themes are free and many web designers will create custom themes for a price.

Joomla is often compared to Drupal, another open source content management system. Joomla is often described as easier to use initially, but Drupal seems to be more adaptable if a user can handle technical issues. One of the key features of Joomla is its graphical interface, which has a lower learning curve than the Drupals menu system.

The name “Joomla” is a transliteration of a Swahili word meaning “all together” or “as a whole”. It was selected as part of a re-branding process for software originally developed as part of the Mambo content management system. Mambo has been at the center of controversy over what constitutes open source software, and the foundation members tasked with funding the project have been accused of planning a capital-investment venture. The Mambo development team, in turn, left the project and released the first version of Joomla, essentially Mambo version 4.5.2.3, in 2005.




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