What is an Extension?
Extensions are anything you can add to Joomla to extend its default
functionality. While Joomla has plenty of useful features out of the
box, it is not uncommon for someone to want to add something extra to
set their site apart.
There are five different extension types in Joomla: Components,
Modules, Plugins, Templates, and Languages. These extension types can
all be installed in much the same way, though they can perform
incredibly different jobs for your site. For example, a plugin and a
template are very different things, though each of them extend your
site's inherent function and form beyond what comes with the base Joomla
package.
Joomla comes with a set of core extensions that make it easy to get
up and running with your site. These include any provided templates,
plugins, components, and languages needed to access your site directly
after installation.
Joomla Template Development
Joomla Template Development
Components
Components are large, often complex extensions that act as the main
functional parts of a Joomla site. They are essentially miniature
applications which run in conjunction with virtually every other part of
the site. Components make up the main content body of the visitor and
administrator side of Joomla. Components are the applications used to
render the bulk of your site's content on both the frontend and backend.
They can also serve specific purposes such as adding ReCAPTCHA to
forms, providing the site's template manager, and working to render the
main body of a page.
Modules
A module is a small extension that exists within a specific position
in your template, typically around a component. A weather module, for
example, will sit in a designated place on the page and relay the
current weather to the visitor. Modules can perform a number of
different tasks ranging from simple text boxes to complex login
functions.
Plugins
A plugin is generally invisible to a visitor and runs commands in
response to a trigger event. These events can either be associated with
Joomla's included set of trigger events (onSubmitContact, onSave, etc.)
or any event defined by other extensions. These functions might change
the way a site responds, or initiate a series of actions that carry out
the request of the visitor.
Templates
Templates determine the style and general layout properties of a
site. Templates are created with multiple files and file types which can
include PHP, CSS, or even media files. A template is basically the skin
of your site, which is then filled out by any modules or components you
assign to appear in designated spaces.
Some templates offer more control to the user than others. For more
information about templates and how they work within Joomla, visit the Understanding Joomla Templates page in our documentation.
Joomla Template Development
Joomla Template Development
Languages
Languages are an essential type of extension within Joomla. They
enable the site manager to configure their Joomla installation to
support a variety of different languages on either the visitor side,
administrator side, or both. While language support exists within the
core Joomla platform, you can install third-party language packs which
can provide additional support to meet your individual needs.
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