Soapbox Engage Blog

Sitting on one of the Joomla working groups, I see a lot of interesting conversations go across the boards.  Often times, there are quite vibrant discussions on the new Joomla 1.5 framework, especially when it comes to developer opinions.

One of the great members of the documentation working group, Ian, put together the following board post regarding his realization of the power of the new Joomla 1.5 MVC (model, view, controller) methodology that had me laughing.

Remember, what's listed below is to be taken as sarcasm.  With that, Ian: 

I have to say I am pretty disappointed with the direction that the component framework has gone. I strongly object to the new MVC model. I think this is a horrible thing for the Joomla! project. Here is why:
>

1. I tried converting a component into the MVC framework yesterday. I used the com_menus component as an example in the backend. The results were fantastic. It was far too simple, and the code was far too clean. If we provide this as part of the framework it is going to make it too easy for people to develop extensions.
2. This in turn, will overburden the Joomla! Extensions Directory because we will end up with so many high quality extensions that we will not be able to host them all. Can we afford the extra hosting space and traffic that this will generate?
3. We have already been accused by some that Joomla! is easy to use and is therefore only for beginners. If we make extension development this easy, then they will say that the framework mustn't be too powerful because even a beginner can use it. This isn't what we want, is it? Although this may help counteract #2.
4. I'm part of the developer documentation workgroup and I enjoy this. But what is the point in writing a lot of documentation for something is so simple to implement? I suppose as a reference, but I really hoped that at some point we would have tutorials, and etc. to help people learn how to develop Joomla! components. What is the point of this now? I don't want to be out of a job at Joomla!
5. At the very least we mustn't provide good examples as to how this system is to be used. We cannot let people catch on to how easy to use and how powerful the system is. If this happens, then everybody will be using Joomla!. This may seem like a good thing, but I'm warning you now, development workgroup - the life of a celebrity isn't always easy. If you are willing to give up all your privacy and to have photographers following you around trying to get pictures of you, to have your kids have to grow up as celebrity children, have rumours about your life splashed about in headlines (see http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/chat/your_comments/newsid_3618000/3618061.stm), then go ahead, but I will have no part in it. That will be you next, Johan! You all might find your names on http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/music/newsid_3134000/3134770.stm

Well, these are my thoughts. I hope I haven't been too harsh and I hope that the devs will reconsider this direction for the reason stated above. If the direction doesn't change, I will resign from my position in the developer documentation workgroup.