Benutzer:Elkuku/Proyektz/EasyCreator

EasyCreator 0.0.14

The EasyCreator logo
from KTuberling

Short: EasyCreator is a developer tool. It tries to speed up the developing process of custom components, modules, plugins and templates (and Libraries and packages for Joomla! 1.6).

You can create a 'frame' for your extension and an installable zip package with just a few 'clicks'.

Long: EasyCreator tries to assist from the start to the release of your custom extension. You can start up by creating a 'frame' (read: 'hello world' applications - slightly enhanced) for your extension based on predefined templates for components, modules, plugins and templates. This frame will be installed automatically into your running Joomla! installation. Ready to use. You can also import your already existing and installed extension. Now it's up to you to fill that frame with your custom code (we assume you already know about that ;)

EasyCreator also tries to assist you in the creation of multilingual extensions. This is done by comparing the existing language file to each other and then examine the PHP and XML code for appearances of 'JText::***'. The results are then compared and give you a pretty overview of untranslated strings, missing and obsolete translations. EasyCreator also assists you in the creation and modification of your language files. We have also created an interface for managing translations which we think should speed up the process of getting your extension multilingual and should be easy to use for translators which generally are more comfort with a form than to edit some source code.

There is also an interface for creating config XML files for your component which is really handy to use. You will get a form with all available parameters for a given type.

We are actually doing some tests with PHP 5's reflection class. You can inspect your classes with it's methods and the Joomla! core class it extends. If you know Eclipse PDT you know what i mean. You will see all methods, parameters and doc comments like in phpDocumentor.

When you are ready to release a test (or final) version of your component, EasyCreator will do the arduous work of copying files and folders, creating the xml install file and packing the whole thing in a ZIP package with version number and creation date included. So you can create an installable package instantly whenever you want.

There is some Help with a few screen shots included. Do yourself a favor and snoop around a bit (Don't miss the 'Quicky' ;).

If you are new to Joomla! development you will find lots of information about creating extensions for this great CMS.

If you are an experienced Joomla! developer you will get a helper application which can speed up some necessary tasks during the development of your component.

Creation of packages containing multiple Joomla! extensions. - BIG thanks to Andrew Eddie for his cool install script.

Have lots of fun,
The EasyCreator Team

Requirements

• Joomla! should be up and running without any problem ;)
  • Joomla! - NOT supported
  • Joomla! - ECR <= 0.0.18 and J! >= 1.5.19 - please activate the MooTools Upgrade plugin !
  • Joomla! - Supported ?
  • Joomla! - Supported ?
  • Joomla! - Supported
  • Joomla! - Supported ECR >= 0.0.19
• PHP >= 5.3
• For EasyCreator 0.0.14 onwards the g11n language library is required for foreign (non English) languages.
• Please set the php.ini value for upload_max_filesize to something higher than 2M - The EasyCreator zip package has actually 2.4 MB and is still growing ;)

Install / Upgrade / Uninstall

• /Install

First Things first

Before you start your first project: /Customize your personal data

Starting up your Project

see also: /Reusable code - Extension templates included in EasyCreator

Configuring your Project

/Building • /Files • /Installing • /Parameters • DataDesigner • /Remove project

• DataDesigner Alpha TEST !

Language Handling

Setup • Translations • Files and menus • Default file order • Translation order • Versions • Convert • Javascript translations

/Language handling

EasyCodeEye - Cares for your code

EasyCodeEye provides an interface to several PEAR packages:

• PHP_CodeSniffer checks your code according to several coding standards. You can create your own =;)
• phpcpd finds duplicated code.
• PhpUnit for executing unit tests and creating skeletons.
• PhpDocumentor documents your code.

See: /EasyCodeEye

Finishing - Packing your Project

• /Component install scripts

Concepts

Creating a Package

/Creating a package

Reusable Code

/Reusable code - Extension templates included in EasyCreator

EasyCreator resources

on Joomla! Extension Directory.

• Bug tracker
• Feature requests
• Support forum
• github.com/EasyCreator git repository on GitHub.
• RSS recent commits
• Some stats on Ohloh - I like that "I use it" button =;)
• Extensions.Joomla.org - the official release announcement
• Help translating EasyCreator on transifex
• The current CHANGELOG

Translating EasyCreator

EasyCreator speaks several languages. If yours is not included or incomplete please read about Help translating EasyCreator. Thanks in advance =;)

Known Bugs

• MS Internet Explorer ® (all versions ?) has been reported not to work very well... as usual - Please report specific bugs
  • Workaround - Our recommendation --- remember it is "just" for your own personal development and generally better browsing experience and... please use Firefox.
• MS Windows ® (all versions) has been reported not to work very well... as usual ;)
  • Workaround - Please report any bugs asap and we will try to fix them for the next release.
    • Well, another workaround would be to use the same operating system we do - which, of course, is highly recommended - OpenSUSE, but any other *nix style flavored OS will be fine.

Things I'd like to change

EasyCreator started as a simple shell script - not thinking of PHP yet. The only purpose was creating extension packages from the Joomla! directory structure. It was controlled by simple ini files.

• Change EasyCreator project description files from INI to XML format.
  • Maybe information could stay in standard xml manifest file - would not harm, i think.. Done in ECR 0.0.12
• EasyCreator uses a start up file for installation and packing extensions. it bypasses the joomla installer. Obviously we should change this behavior.
  • Create a proper install.xml and use the J! installer. Done in ECR 0.0.12
• Create logic to list and edit db table data and the corresponding code in table classes, models, views etc. as suggested on forum.joomla.org/...
  • Working on that - it will be called EasyERD =;)
• Create update packages as suggested on forum.easy-joomla.org/... an old forum thread...
• Write a class for every project type - as there will be even more in J! 1.6. Done in 0.0.14
• Run unit tests, code sniffers etc. on building / packing a project.
• What to do about the upcoming change in J! 1.6's language files ?? We'll go the hard way.. A brand new language handler called g11n
  • There will be some UGLY_LOOKING_INI_STYLE_LANGUAGE_STRINGS_JUST_FOR_A_SHORT_WORD - like "Hello" .. not in EasyCreator - we use po files now.

• The world... no more hungry kids.

So long...

=;)