The Joomla! Project is pleased to announce the availability of Joomla! CMS 3 Beta2. Community members are asked to download and install the package in order to provide quality assurance for Joomla 3.1. Joomla 3.1 is scheduled for release on or around March 25th, 2013.

Joomla 3 is the latest major release of the Joomla CMS, with Joomla 3.1 the second short term support release in this series.  Please note that going from Joomla 3.0 to 3.1 is a one-click upgrade and is NOT a migration.  The same is true is for any subsequent versions in the Joomla 3 series.  That being said, please do not upgrade any of your production sites to the beta version as beta is ONLY intended for testing.

What is this release for?

This is a beta release and not for use on production sites.

Extension developers are encouraged to work with this release in order to prepare extensions for the General Availability release of Joomla 3.1, though there shouldn't be any backward compatibility issues. Users are encouraged to test the package for issues and to report issues in the Joomla! issue tracker. 

Click here to download.

What are the new features of Joomla! 3.1?

• 29855 - Tags (click here to see the recent blog post about it)
• 29822 - Show logs in debug console
• 30085 - Refactor installation to use new application and MVC classes
• 29965 - Added pagination in COM_SEARCH component
• 29770 - Added triggers on save for com_config
• 30230 - JPlugin autoloadLanguage property
• 28924 - Added SQL Server subclass for FinderIndexer

Miscellaneous: 28574 - Removed the GeSHi plug-in

What are the other new features of the Joomla! 3 series?

• Incorporation of Twitter Bootstrap into a jui media package.
• A new responsive administrator template--Isis-- and interface.
• A new front end template--Protostar-- built using Twitter Bootstrap
• Updated accessible template called Beez3
• PostgreSQL Driver. You will be able to run Joomla 3.0 sites using the PostgreSQL database.
• PHP Memcached Driver
• Use of JFeed for feed management rather than SimplePie
• Installation of language packages directly from the extension manager
• Guest user group present by default
• Saving blank articles allowed
• New administrator statistics module
• Update TinyMCE to version 3.5.6
• Continued clean up of older unused code, files and database fields and tables and improved standardization of tables.
• Improvements to Smart Search
• Extensive work on code style standardisation and consistency
• Unit testing in the CMS
• Updated system tests in the CMS 
• Multilanguage: adding items associations in remaining core components.
• Language Installation tool for the Joomla Installer.
• Items associations in multi-language
• Allow different update packages for different version dev levels

What is the status of Joomla! 2.5?

Version 2.5 of the Joomla! CMS is a Long Term Support release and support for it will continue until shortly after the release of Joomla 3.5 scheduled for Spring 2014. Joomla 2.5 users do not need to migrate to Joomla 3.0 or 3.1.

Will I be able to update directly to Joomla! 3?

Moving to Joomla 3.x from Joomla 2.5 will be a mini-migration not an upgrade, although for the core of Joomla! the migration should be simple. However, it is likely that templates for Joomla 2.5 will need modification to work with Joomla 3 as will many extensions. Always test prior to migrating and consult with the developers of any extensions and templates you use.

What is the status of Joomla! 1.5?

Support for Joomla 1.5 ended in April of 2012 and we continued to support it unofficially until the end of 2012 for medium to high priority security issues.  

Does that mean your 1.5 site will suddenly stop working? No, your site will continue to work as it always has. However, Joomla’s developers will not be releasing new versions for Joomla 1.5, so you won’t be getting bug fixes or security fixes. For this reason, it’s recommended to migrate from 1.5.

Moving from 2.5 to any Joomla 3 version is relatively simple, since Joomla has made the process easy for newer versions. Unfortunately, moving from 1.5 is not a trivial task. Fortunately, there are two good extensions that make the process easier: jUpgrade and SPUpgrade.

You have a choice of going straight to Joomla 3.0 or going to 2.5 first.  Both jUpgrade and SPUpgrade have versions ready for both versions.  Please consult with their documentation on how to migrate from Joomla 1.5 to 3.0/2.5.

For most new/migrated sites, the Joomla! 3 series is the preferred series and starting on it avoids a mini-migration from Joomla 2.5 later down the road. Starting on the Joomla 3 series for a new/migrated site, also provides you with longer backward compatible support (with one-click upgrades) than starting a new site on 2.5 right now, because support for 3.x ends in 2016.

How can you help Joomla development?

There are a variety of ways in which you can get actively involved with Joomla! It doesn't matter if you are a coder, an integrator, or merely a user of Joomla!. You can contact the Joomla! Community Development Manager, David Hurley, david.hurley@joomla.org, to get more information, or if you are ready you can jump right into the Joomla! Bug Squad.

The Joomla Bug Squad is one of the most active teams in the Joomla development process and is always looking for people (not just developers) that can help with sorting bug reports, coding patches and testing solutions. It’s a great way for increasing your working knowledge of Joomla, and also a great way to meet new people from all around the world.

If you are interested, please read about us on the Joomla Wiki and, if you wish to join, email Mark Dexter, one of the Bug Squad co-coordinators.

You can also help Joomla development by thanking those involved in the many areas of the process. The project also wants to thank all of the people who have taken the time to prepare and submit work to be included in Joomla 1.6,1.7, 2.5, & 3.1, and to those who have worked very hard on the Joomla Platform separation project.

Related information

If you are an extension developer, please make sure you subscribe to the general developer mailing list as this is a place where you can discuss extension development and news that may affect custom development will be posted from time to time.

Following is a list of previous news and information about Joomla and other sites of interest:

• Working with the Joomla Feature Tracker
• General developer mailing list
• Joomla developer network
• Joomla development strategy

A Huge Thank You to Our Volunteers!

This beta release is the result of thousands of hours of work by dozens of volunteers. Thank you so very much for making Joomla the best CMS on the planet!

The Joomla! Project is pleased to announce the availability of Joomla! CMS 3 Beta1. Community members are asked to download and install the package in order to provide quality assurance for Joomla 3.1. Joomla 3.1 is scheduled for release on or around March 25th, 2013.

Joomla 3 is the latest major release of the Joomla CMS, with Joomla 3.1 the second short term support release in this series.  Please note that going from Joomla 3.0 to 3.1 is a one-click upgrade and is NOT a migration.  The same is true is for any subsequent versions in the Joomla 3 series.  That being said, please do not upgrade any of your production sites to the beta version as beta is ONLY intended for testing.

What is this release for?

This is a beta release and not for use on production sites.

Extension developers are encouraged to work with this release in order to prepare extensions for the General Availability release of Joomla 3.1, though there shouldn't be any backward compatibility issues. Users are encouraged to test the package for issues and to report issues in the Joomla! issue tracker. 

Click here to download.

What are the new features of Joomla! 3.1?

• 29855 - Tags (click here to see the recent blog post about it)
• 29822 - Show logs in debug console
• 30085 - Refactor installation to use new application and MVC classes
• 29965 - Add pagination in COM_SEARCH component
• 29770 - Added triggers on save for com_config

Miscellaneous: 28574 - Removed the GeSHi plug-in

What are the other new features of the Joomla! 3 series?

• Incorporation of Twitter Bootstrap into a jui media package.
• A new responsive administrator template--Isis-- and interface.
• A new front end template--Protostar-- built using Twitter Bootstrap Updated accessible template called Beez3
• PostgreSQL Driver. You will be able to run Joomla 3.0 sites using the PostgreSQL database.
• PHP Memcached Driver
• Use of JFeed for feed management rather than SimplePie
• Installation of language packages directly from the extension manager
• Guest user group present by default
• Saving blank articles allowed
• New administrator statistics module
• Update TinyMCE to version 3.5.6
• Continued clean up of older unused code, files and database fields and tables and improved standardization of tables.
• Improvements to Smart Search
• Extensive work on code style standardisation and consistency
• Unit testing in the CMS
• Updated system tests in the CMS 
• Multilanguage: adding items associations in remaining core components.
• Language Installation tool for the Joomla Installer.
• Items associations in multi-language
• Allow different update packages for different version dev levels

What is the status of Joomla! 2.5?

Version 2.5 of the Joomla! CMS is a Long Term Support release and support for it will continue until shortly after the release of Joomla 3.5 scheduled for Spring 2014. Joomla 2.5 users do not need to migrate to Joomla 3.0 or 3.1.

Will I be able to update directly to Joomla! 3?

Moving to Joomla 3.x from Joomla 2.5 will be a mini-migration not an upgrade, although for the core of Joomla! the migration should be simple. However, it is likely that templates for Joomla 2.5 will need modification to work with Joomla 3 as will many extensions. Always test prior to migrating and consult with the developers of any extensions and templates you use.

What is the status of Joomla! 1.5?

Support for Joomla 1.5 ended in April of 2012 and we continued to support it unofficially until the end of 2012 for medium to high priority security issues.  

Does that mean your 1.5 site will suddenly stop working? No, your site will continue to work as it always has. However, Joomla’s developers will not be releasing new versions for Joomla 1.5, so you won’t be getting bug fixes or security fixes. For this reason, it’s recommended to migrate from 1.5.

Moving from 2.5 to any Joomla 3 version is relatively simple, since Joomla has made the process easy for newer versions. Unfortunately, moving from 1.5 is not a trivial task. Fortunately, there are two good extensions that make the process easier: jUpgrade and SPUpgrade.

You have a choice of going straight to Joomla 3.0 or going to 2.5 first.  Both jUpgrade and SPUpgrade have versions ready for both versions.  Please consult with their documentation on how to migrate from Joomla 1.5 to 3.0/2.5.

For most new/migrated sites, the Joomla! 3 series is the preferred series and starting on it avoids a mini-migration from Joomla 2.5 later down the road. Starting on the Joomla 3 series for a new/migrated site, also provides you with longer backward compatible support (with one-click upgrades) than starting a new site on 2.5 right now, because support for 3.x ends in 2016.

How can you help Joomla development?

There are a variety of ways in which you can get actively involved with Joomla! It doesn't matter if you are a coder, an integrator, or merely a user of Joomla!. You can contact the Joomla! Community Development Manager, David Hurley, david.hurley@joomla.org, to get more information, or if you are ready you can jump right into the Joomla! Bug Squad.

The Joomla Bug Squad is one of the most active teams in the Joomla development process and is always looking for people (not just developers) that can help with sorting bug reports, coding patches and testing solutions. It’s a great way for increasing your working knowledge of Joomla, and also a great way to meet new people from all around the world.

If you are interested, please read about us on the Joomla Wiki and, if you wish to join, email Mark Dexter, one of the Bug Squad co-coordinators.

You can also help Joomla development by thanking those involved in the many areas of the process. The project also wants to thank all of the people who have taken the time to prepare and submit work to be included in Joomla 1.6,1.7, 2.5, & 3.1, and to those who have worked very hard on the Joomla Platform separation project.

Related information

If you are an extension developer, please make sure you subscribe to the general developer mailing list as this is a place where you can discuss extension development and news that may affect custom development will be posted from time to time.

Following is a list of previous news and information about Joomla and other sites of interest:

• Working with the Joomla Feature Tracker
• General developer mailing list
• Joomla developer network
• Joomla development strategy

A Huge Thank You to Our Volunteers!

This beta release is the result of thousands of hours of work by dozens of volunteers. Thank you so very much for making Joomla the best CMS on the planet!

The March issue of the Joomla Community Magazine is here! Our stories this month:

Editors Introduction

Adventures in Joomla! Event Planning..., by Dianne Henning

Feature Stories

Interview with Andrew Eddie from The Art of Joomla, by John Rampton
IXAPI startup, by Stefan Neculai
Joomla! Facebook Page Hits 100,000 Fans, by John Rampton

Events

Joomla User Group Toronto -- The Journey, by Bob Bloom
The 2nd JoomlaDay Switzerland 2013 in Berne, by Roger Perren
The 3rd Joomla! Day India, by Ashwin Date
JoomlaDay Events in April and May 2013, by Jacques Rentzke

Project News

Leadership Highlights - February 2013, by Marijke Stuivenberg

Designers

Do LESS in Joomla!, by David Hurley

Business Matters

SEO Optimizing Your Joomla Website, by Luke Summerfield

Book Reviews

Installing Joomla 3.0 on local host using XAMPP, by Tuan Bui

Developers

Joomla! 3.0 Extension Development Series: Writing The Core, by David Hurley
Differences between the Joomla Framework and Joomla Platform, by Matt Thomas

Sitebuilders

Training Your Clients with Video - Part 3, by Rod Martin
Adding Access Control through Overrides, by Randy Carey
Standing Out in the Stream - Adding Interactive Posts to your Content, by Ruth Cheesley

Help Wanted

The Joomla! Project Wants You - March 2013, by Dianne Henning

Administrators

It Can't Be Said Often Enough. Save, Update and BackUp Your Site, by Markus Færø-Lunde
Are you Suffering from Keyword Overload? Keeping Google Happy after the Exact Match Domain (EMD) Update, by Ruth Cheesley
Joomla Security Tips 101, by John Rampton

Community Choice Extensions

Community Choice Extensions - March 2013, by Peter van Westen

The Joomla! Haikus

Post your Haikus for March, by Dianne Henning

International Stories

Browse the international articles submitted this month.

In our next issue

We want to publish your Joomla! story in the next JCM issue! So take a look at our Author Resources content to get a better idea of what we are looking for, and then register to become a JCM author and submit your Joomla! story!

The February issue of the Joomla Community Magazine is here! Our stories this month:

Editors Introduction

We Heart Joomla!, by Alice Grevet

Feature Stories

Going to Production with Joomla!, by Marek Husek
Have You Browsed Joomla.org Lately?, by Helvecio da Silva
Interview: Humble Bundles – Behind the Bargain, by Dianne Henning

Events

Presenting... JUG Rio!, by Jennifer Gress
JoomlaDay Events in February and March 2013, by Jacques Rentzke

Help Wanted

The Joomla! Project Wants You - February 2013, by Paul Orwig

Project News

More Hands on Deck, by Alice Grevet

Business Matters

Marketing & Dating Meet at the Thank You Economy, by Luke Summerfield

Designers

Top 10 Fashion VirtueMart Templates, by Iryna
Beyond Responsive Design: Scalable User Experiences, by Alan Langford

Administrators

What You Probably Never Knew Lurked Within Google Analytics!, by Ruth Cheesley

Developers

20 Suggestions for Better Style and Script Designing in Joomla! Extensions (Part 2), by Soheil Novinfard
Joomla! 3.0 Extension Development Series: Beginning Development, by David Hurley

Sitebuilders

Training Your Clients with Video - Part 2, by Rod Martin
Tutorial: Taking Advantage of Alternative Layouts for Articles and Modules, by Scott Greenwald

The Joomla! Haikus

Post your Haikus for February, by Dianne Henning

International Stories

Browse the international articles submitted this month.

In our next issue

We want to publish your Joomla! story in the next JCM issue! So take a look at our Author Resources content to get a better idea of what we are looking for, and then register to become a JCM author and submit your Joomla! story!

The January issue of the Joomla Community Magazine is here! Our stories this month:

Editors Introduction

There Are No Limits..., by Dianne Henning

Feature Stories

The Beginning: A New Joomla User Tells Her Story, by Renea Leathers
JWC 12 - An Unexpected Journey, by Olivier NOLBERT
Join a JUG, by Richard Pearce

Project News

The Joomla Translation Experience, by Helvecio

Developers

The Shift Joomla Needs to Make: My Challenge, by Luke Summerfield
Joomla! 3.0 Extension Development Series: Setting the Stage, by David Hurley

Administrators

The Two Most Important Things You Can do to Secure Your Joomla Site, by Alan Langford
How Secure is Your Joomla! Website?, by Ruth Cheesley

Sitebuilders

What Makes a Website Memorable?, by Pete Juratovivc
Successful Extension Potluck, JUG Bay Area, California, USA, by Jennifer Gress
How SSL Can Secure and Add Features to Your Joomla! Site, by Alex Andreae
Training Your Clients with Video - Part 1, by Rod Martin
Mobilize Joomla!‎, by Ali Safaie

Business Matters

The Unbalanced Force in Your Marketing Strategy, by Luke Summerfield

International Stories

Browse the international articles submitted this month.

In our next issue

We want to publish your Joomla! story in the next JCM issue! So take a look at our Author Resources content to get a better idea of what we are looking for, and then register to become a JCM author and submit your Joomla! story!