Joomla!® User Guide
This Guide is created and frequently updated to help you get the most out of your Wynchcote Website built on the Joomla! platform.
Joomla! 2.5
The latest Long term Release of Joomla! was released in January 2012.
Our Joomla! 1.7 Guide will cover most of what you need to know when working with this latest version of Joomla!
In the meantime, here is a useful link: the Joomla! 2.5 Beginner's Guide by hagen Graf.
Joomla! 1.7
Follow this link for Joomla! 1.7 User Guide.
Use the Joomla! 1.7 Guide for all Versions of Joomla! after Joomla! 1.5.
Joomla! 1.5
Follow this link for Joomla! 1.5 User Guide.
The Joomla! Development Plan
The next Long Term Release (LTR) of Joomla! will be Joomla! 3.5, scheduled for release in July 2013.
The Present and Beyond
Joomla! 2.5* - LTR - Released January 2012 (Developer Community support ends July 2013).
Joomla! 3.0 - STR - Planned Release July 2012 (Developer Community support ends February 2013).
Joomla! 3.1 - STR - Planned Release January 2013 (Developer Community support ends August 2013).
Joomla! 3.5 - LTR - Planned Release July 2013 (Developer Community support ends January 2015).
Previous Versions of Joomla!
Joomla! 1.0 - LTR - Redundant (Developer Community support ended in July 2009).
Joomla! 1.5 - LTR - Current (Developer Community support ends April 2012).
Joomla! 1.6 - STR - Released January 2011 (Developer Community support ends August 2011).
Joomla! 1.7 -STR - Released July 2011 (Developer Community support ends February 2012).
Source: Joomla! Developer Network.
Can you see a pattern?
The development pattern for Joomla! is now two STRs (example, 1.6 and 1.7) followed by one LTR (example, 2.5).
Short Term Releases are so-called because the period of Developer Community support is for a shorter period than the LTRs.
Long Term Release support periods will not only be longer but also cut across the period of support offered to STRs.
With effect from Joomla! 1.6 the Joomla! Development Cycle is time-based, whereas before Joomla! 1.6 it had been a feature-based Development Cycle.
There will be a new Long Term Release (LTR) made available every 18 months, the next one being 3.5 in July 2013.
A Long Term Release will always be labelled as a .5 release (for example, 2.5, 3.5 and so on).
Which version of Joomla! should you use?
Joomla! 1.0 Users
Users of Joomla! 1.0 are running websites no longer supported by the Developer Community and should therefore by now have upgraded to at least Joomla! 1.5.
Joomla! 1.5 Users
Users of Joomla! 1.5 websites can safely hold off upgrading their websites until Spring / Summer 2012 unless there is a pressing need for change.
Reason, Developer Communty support for Joomla! 1.5 is available until April 2012.
Joomla! 2.5 was released in January 2012.
Joomla! 1.6 Users
You should upgrade to the latest version of Joomla! (currently Joomla! 2.5) as this includes an improvement of website security.
Joomla! 1.7 Users
You should upgrade to Joomla! 2.5 when it is released, unless you are waiting for third party developers to upgrade important extensions that are being used by your website.
If not upgrading immediately, you should check to see if there is a more recent Joomla! 1.7 release, as releases fix bugs and/or website security issues.
The latest release of Joomla! 1.7 (January 2012) is Joomla! 1.7.4.
New Joomla! Users
New users of Joomla! should request the latest version of Joomla! (currently Joomla! 2.5) unless there is a pressing need for using an earlier version.
What is the difference between a Joomla! Version and a Joomla! Release?
A version is a significant redesign of the underlying code and resulting improvement in efficiency over a previous version.
Example: Joomla! 2.5
A release is the most up to date code for a particular version of Joomla!
Example: Joomla! 2.5.0
New releases occur as the need arises, whether to improve efficiency following discovery of a 'bug' in the existing code, or to 'patch' the code to increase your website's security.
You should keep your website as up to date as possible to maintain its security and performance.
You should also ensure you are using the latest version of any third party extensions being used by your Joomla! website.
Wynchcote's Joomla! Maintenance Solutions are designed to help keep your Joomla! website up to date.
How easy is it to uprade your Joomla! website?
Whichever version of Joomla! is in use it is possible to upgrade to the latest version of Joomla!
Users of Joomla! 1.6 and Joomla! 1.7 can upgrade to Joomla! 2.5 from within their website's Control Panel using the "one-click upgrade" facility.
Users of Joomla! 1.5 will be able to migrate their site directly to Joomla! 2.5 using the jUpgrade component. This is not however a simple procedure for a complex website.
Users of Joomla! 1.0 must first migrate to Joomla! 1.5 before they can migrate to Joomla! 1.6, 1.7 or 2.5.
Important: always perform a Full Backup of your website before upgrading to a new Release or Version of Joomla!
Wynchcote can help you upgrade your website.
The Joomla!® name is used under a limited license from Open Source Matters in the United States and other countries. Wynchcote Limited is not affiliated with or endorsed by Open Source Matters or the Joomla! Project.
