Installing and using Joomla! extensions.

So guys...ready to go ahead with the Extensions...!! Here we will see how to install and use various extensions in Joomla!

INSTALLATION:

•   Extensions are available in the form of component, module or a plugin.
•  To use an extension in joomla site, download the zip folder for that extension.
•  You can get a huge variety of extensions at extensions.joomla.org and many others.
• Go to Extension Manager from Control Panel or Extensions->Extension Manager from  menu.

• A message will be displayed whether installation is successful or not.

    USAGE:

• If it is a Component:
• Create a new menu item to display the component. As I said in my previous post, there is only one component for each page in a Joomla! website. So we link the menu item to the component type, we want for that page.
• Select the required component from the list of menu item types. Eg. If the component is hello_world, you can view it in the list of menu item types as shown in the figure:

• Let us take an example of component for FAQ extension:  
• After installation it is available in the Component menu at the administrator.
• You can select it from there and make the configuration you want.

• Now it is also a menu item type.

• You can view the component on clicking the menu item in the website.

• If it is a Module:
• Go to Module Manager in Control Panel or go to Extensions->Module Manager and then press New.
• Following list for the type of module will appear.

• Select the Module that you installed.
• Enter the Title, Status-Published.
• Change 'Module assignment' field to 'On All Pages'. This shows that the module is assigned to all the pages in the site and can be used in any of them.
• Open the article in which you want to use the module.
• Write {loadmodule module_name} wherever you want to use the module in the article.
• Let us take an example of Lof Scrollbar extension as a module.
• After installing the module, go to Extensions->Module Manager, Click on New to create a new module of type Lof Scrollbar.
• Select Lof Slider from the module type list, which will appear when you click New.

• In this case you need to specify the source of the content for the slider.
• You may specify the article ids which you want in the slider or you may choose Category.
• Save & Close the module.
• Now you can add the module to an article by writing the {module Lof ScrollBar Module|division} in the article.
• On the website you can view the scrollbar.

• If it is a Plugin:
• Go to Extensions->Plugin Manager.
• Now Enable the plugin you installed.
• Let us take an example of social media extension as plugin.
• Figure shows the article before the plugin was Enabled.

•  Make the status of the plugin you installed as Enabled.

• And here it is..!! Now share your article on any social network with this..!!

• Let us take another example of Modules Anywhere extension as a plugin.
• This extension is used to add modules in an article.So this is not for the website, it is for the administrator.
• Install the zip folder for the plugin.
•  Now go to Extensions->Plugin Manager Enable the plugin.

•  Now you can add a module to an article using Add Module button.

• This way you can create extensions for any type of functionality you want in you website or for the administrator.
• To start with the component development for your website, check out my next post. Its coming soon...:)