Joomla!

Joomla! is a mature, open‑source Content Management System that powers thousands of websites and complex web applications. From a developer’s perspective it is a full‑stack framework built on PHP, offering an extensible MVC architecture, a robust plugin system, and a well‑defined API surface for building custom extensions. The core codebase is maintained under GitHub, with continuous integration pipelines that enforce PHP 8.1+ compatibility and Node 20+ for front‑end asset compilation.

Key Features

• MVC Architecture: The application follows a strict Model‑View‑Controller pattern, separating data access, business logic, and presentation layers. Developers can hook into any layer via events or override templates without modifying core files.
• Plugin System: Joomla! exposes dozens of event hooks (e.g., onAfterRoute, onBeforeRender) that allow extensions to inject logic at virtually any point in the request lifecycle. Plugins are written in PHP and can be activated per‑site or globally.
• Component/Module/Template Structure: Extensions are packaged as components (full applications), modules (small UI blocks), or templates (skin layers). Each follows a standard folder layout (/components/com_example, /modules/mod_example) and can be versioned independently.
• RESTful API: Since Joomla! 5 the core ships a JSON‑based REST API that exposes content, users, and configuration endpoints. The API is authenticated via OAuth 2.0 or JWT tokens and can be extended with custom routes.
• Asset Pipeline: Node.js, npm, and SASS are used to compile JavaScript bundles (Webpack) and CSS. This allows developers to integrate modern frameworks like Vue or React into the admin UI while still maintaining compatibility with legacy PHP code.

Technical Stack

Core Capabilities

• Event‑Driven Extension API: Factory::getApplication()->triggerEvent('onAfterRoute') allows extensions to modify routing or add custom menu items.
• Content API: content.item.get and content.article.save endpoints expose CRUD operations for articles, categories, and media.
• User Management API: users.get, users.create provide programmatic access to the built‑in authentication system.
• Menu & Routing: The Router component maps URLs to components, supporting SEF (Search‑Engine‑Friendly) URLs and multilingual routing.
• Form Validation: The JForm class allows developers to define XML form schemas that are automatically rendered and validated on the server.

Deployment & Infrastructure

• Self‑Hosting: Requires a LAMP/LEMP stack with PHP 8.1+, Composer, and Node 20+ for asset compilation during development or CI builds.
• Scalability: Joomla! can be deployed behind load balancers, with database replication and caching (APCu, Redis). The stateless nature of the REST API facilitates horizontal scaling.
• Containerization: Official Docker images are available on Docker Hub (joomla/joomla-cms). Containers can be orchestrated with Kubernetes or Docker Compose, simplifying CI pipelines and production deployments.
• CI/CD Integration: The repository’s GitHub Actions workflows run unit tests, linting, and static analysis on every pull request. Custom pipelines can be added to deploy to staging or production environments.

Integration & Extensibility

• Plugin API: Plugins can register to any of the 100+ core events, enabling deep integration without touching core code.
• Webhooks: The REST API supports outbound webhooks for events such as article.created, allowing third‑party services to react in real time.
• Template Overrides: Developers can override any core view by placing a template file in /templates/yourtemplate/html/com_example/..., preserving upgrade safety.
• OAuth & JWT: Built‑in support for OAuth2 and JSON Web Tokens enables single‑sign‑on with external identity providers.

Developer Experience

• Documentation: The official docs (docs.joomla.org) cover architecture, extension development, and API usage. Code comments are extensive, and the GitHub wiki hosts tutorials.
• Community: A large, active community contributes extensions, bug fixes, and security patches. The Joomla! Forum and Discord channels provide real‑time support.
• Tooling: Composer autoloading, PSR‑4 namespace conventions, and a modular file structure make IDE navigation straightforward. The joomla-cms repository includes scripts for generating skeleton extensions (/cli/generate.php).

Use Cases

• Enterprise Portals: Complex intranet sites with custom workflows, user roles, and multilingual content.
• E‑commerce Frontends: When paired with extensions like VirtueMart, Joomla! can serve as a robust e‑commerce platform.
• Community Platforms: Forums, event calendars, and membership sites built with extensions such as JomSocial or Community Builder.
• **API‑First