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Message from Dean - May 8th 2007
I am currently testing out a new version of the APF Bridge Component - If you notice any errors within this demo store please drop me a line.
Rating:  -
This is a reasonable introductory text and it gave me what I needed when I read it after Learning Joomla! 1.5 Extension Development: Creating Modules, Components, and Plugins with PHP in the same series.
However, it is let down by a poor index and the fact that the coverage is too much 'type this' and 'do this' rather than helping the reader understand why things need to be done in a certain way and how to find the necessary resources to address new problems.
Rating:  -
The book was a good resource for me to get to grips with the Joomla 1.5 API, having had very little experience of Joomla and PHP development in general, however having a good background in programming. I feel the book has been written with developer's like me in mind, i.e. people who have knowledge of general web application programming but little or no knowledge of Joomla. The way the book has been sectioned progresses nicely, starting with a brief intro to Joomla (for completeness' sake), a Joomla programming Getting Started chapter and then delves into the API per se. It introduces the general classes Joomla uses, and how they relate to each other. Each chapter then introduces and describes more enhanced functionality, such as accessing the database, developing components, the MVC model, and keeps on building, with each chapter building and adding to the knowledge learned in the previous chapters.
Overall I think this book is a good start for anyone delving into the Joomla Development world. It introduces the concepts, explains, and with that knowledge you can go ahead and dive into your development.
Rating: -
If I didn't already know MVC, Joomla 1.5 and had made components before I think this book would be useless.
If you have dabbled in developer code however and Joomla 1.5 this is a great resource.
This book lacks examples of building finished components.
If it combined the style of other books like learn joomla 1.5 as well as having this great resource of information it would be worth solid gold.
Without it and without a good index It takes time to find what you are after. Once you find it however it always provides great, accurate information.
Rating: -
The really frustrating thing about this book is the style and lack of indexing. When I buy a technical reference, the most important thing is being able to look up any relevant term or function name and immediately find the place to read about that. This book has the terms subcategorized under other terms that only make sense if you already know Joomla programming! I seriously almost never find the term I'm looking for in the index. This really drives me crazy. When I have found the area I'm looking for, however, I've been pretty happy with the quality of explanation provided. Indexing is all important.
Rating: -
I recently read "Mastering Joomla! 1.5 Extension and Framework Development" by James Kennard, and I must say I really enjoyed it. Every time I read a book about Joomla! framework and extension development, I get all sorts of new ideas. This time was no exception. The book provides a thorough description of the topics surrounding Joomla! 1.5 extension development, and it is a great reference book. I would not recommend reading the book cover-to-cover, but I think it is a great resource to have handy when attempting to develop extensions for Joomal! 1.5. The book was written for experience PHP developers who already have a working knowledge of Joomla! For those wanting to learn Joomla! extension devleopment, I recommend starting with Joe Leblanc's book, "Learning Joomla! 1.5 Extension Development", and having "Mastering Joomla! 1.5 Extension and Framework Development" as a reference for getting more in depth with the framework.
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