Before I jump into the actual recommended Joomla plugins, I want to share a little about the Joomla plugin community. Joomla as a stand alone application is a powerful CMS, but the hundreds of plugins and extensions allow you to pretty much do anything with your Joomla powered site.
So whenever you discover the need for additional functionality, you want to head over Joomla extensions and begin your research. And I highly recommend that you research carefully the various options before deciding and installing a plugin or extension. Seriously, taking the time to read the reviews will help you decide which extension is best for you. It’ll also clue you in to any potential problems.
I’ll list the plugins below, along with a brief explanation of what each plugin does, in no particular order. In other words, the order has nothing to do with relevance, but simpy how my brain compiled the list.
01. eXtplorer
eXtplorer is a web-based File Management Component for all your needs. It has a desktop-application-like interface with drag&drop, grid and a directory tree. You can use it to access and modify the files and directories on your server via FTP or direct file access.
eXtplorer runs natively under Joomla! 1.5.x, 1.0.x and can also be used as a standalone app.
02. jSecure Authentification
jSecure Authentification creates an additional security layer to your administrator log in page by requiring an additional access key. Since any web user can easily know the site is created in Joomla by typing the URL to access the administration area (i.e. www.site name.com/administration), this is a really important plugin to install.
03. Joomla Pack
Joomla Pack is a backup component for Joomla. It creates a site backup that can be restored on any Joomla-capable server. The backup and restore process is AJAX powered to avoid server timeouts, even with huge sites. Alternatively, you can make a backup of only your database. If you want a reliable, easy to use, open source backup solution for your Joomla! site, try it out.
04. XMap
Xmap is a site map generator component for Joomla that allows you to create a map of your site using the structure of your menus.
05. Mod_html
Mod_html is the module I mentioned in the Joomla FAQs when I answered the question about how to add html or affiliate code into your Joomla 1.5 article. Well, this module is what gives you the ability to do just that. Mod HTML allows you to add any HTML snippet or JavaScript code to your Joomla 1.5 Website via a module.
06. All Videos Reloaded
All Videos is an all-in-one media management solution for Joomla. You can use the plugin to easily embed videos hosted on popular services like YouTube, Metacafe, Vimeo (and many more) inside your Joomla! articles (content items). Additionally, it allows you to playback almost any video/audio file type directly from your server or a remote server, giving you the competitive edge when it comes to rich media content.
To be continued…
