Sobi2

Last updated
Sobi2
Sobi2logo.png
Developer(s) Sigrid Suski and Radek Suski
Initial releaseSeptember 12, 2006 (2006-09-12)
Final release
2.9.4.2 stable / July 18, 2012 (2012-07-18)
Written in PHP
Operating system Cross-platform
Platform Joomla! CMS up to version 1.5
Type Directory
License GNU General Public License v2
Website www.sigsiu.net

Sobi2 (formerly written as SOBI2) is the abbreviation of Sigsiu Online Business Index 2. Sobi2 is a free of charge open-source web directory component and content construction kit (CCK) for the Joomla! content management system (CMS). Sobi2 is written in the programming language PHP, also makes use of JavaScript and requires the MySQL database environment for storage. [1] It is best suited for low to medium-level traffic web-sites. Sobi2's development has been discontinued in 2011, when its successor, SobiPro comes out.

Open-source software software licensed to ensure source code usage rights

Open-source software (OSS) is a type of computer software in which source code is released under a license in which the copyright holder grants users the rights to study, change, and distribute the software to anyone and for any purpose. Open-source software may be developed in a collaborative public manner. Open-source software is a prominent example of open collaboration.

A web directory or link directory is an online list or catalog of websites. That is, it is a directory on the World Wide Web of the World Wide Web. Historically, directories typically listed entries on people or businesses, and their contact information; such directories are still in use today. A web directory includes entries about websites, including links to those websites, organized into categories and subcategories. Besides a link, each entry may include the title of the website, and a description of its contents. In most web directories, the entries are about whole websites, rather than individual pages within them. Websites are often limited to inclusion in only a few categories.

Joomla web-based Content Management System (CMS)

Joomla! is a free and open-source content management system (CMS) for publishing web content, developed by Open Source Matters, Inc. It is built on a model–view–controller web application framework that can be used independently of the CMS.

Contents

Sobi2 was listed in the Joomla! Extensions Directory [2] until all extensions for Joomla! 1.5 were removed in 2013. [3] The listing still can be found in the Web Archive. [4]

As a component for Joomla! (up to version 1.5), Sobi2 made it possible to run and manage a directory in a Joomla! website. Sobi2 has features that made it stand out from other directory components at that time. It could be used as a web directory or as a directory to physical locations, like golf courses. It has a built-in integration with Google Maps (API key from Google is required).

Website set of related web pages served from a single web domain

A website or web site is a collection of related network web resources, such as web pages, multimedia content, which are typically identified with a common domain name, and published on at least one web server. Notable examples are wikipedia.org, google.com, and amazon.com.

Google Maps Web mapping service by Google

Google Maps is a web mapping service developed by Google. It offers satellite imagery, aerial photography, street maps, 360° panoramic views of streets, real-time traffic conditions, and route planning for traveling by foot, car, bicycle and air, or public transportation.

Sobi2 was built with a modular concept, where additional functionality was added via plug-ins. The Joomla extensions directory listed over 80 plug-ins for Sobi2 at that time.

Directory Component for Joomla

Sobi2 is an open source directory component for Joomla! (up to version 1.5), an open-source content management system. Using Sobi2 a Joomla user can have a directory of contacts, members, distributors, manufacturers, locations, products, or whatever very quickly with little or no "coding" - most or all of the set-up may be done using only the configuration interface. Add data, to produce a working directory on the Joomla web site.

A content management system (CMS) manages the creation and modification of digital content. It typically supports multiple users in a collaborative environment.

History

In 2006 Sigsiu.NET developed a Content Construction Kit for Joomla. Designed as a business directory (online business index), Sobi2 could be used for every kind of directory.

Sobi2 has been designed as the follower of the SOBI component but it is not based on SOBI. It has been built up new from the bottom because the table structure of SOBI was not suited for the new features implemented in Sobi2. Sobi2 is built up almost object oriented. It runs under PHP4 and MySQL4. [5]

PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor is a general-purpose programming language originally designed for web development. It was originally created by Rasmus Lerdorf in 1994; the PHP reference implementation is now produced by The PHP Group. PHP originally stood for Personal Home Page, but it now stands for the recursive initialism PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor.

MySQL SQL database engine software

MySQL is an open-source relational database management system (RDBMS). Its name is a combination of "My", the name of co-founder Michael Widenius's daughter, and "SQL", the abbreviation for Structured Query Language.

Sobi2's development has been discontinued in 2011, when its successor, SobiPro came out. [6] [7]

Description

Sobi2 is an add-on (component) to Joomla! (up to version 1.5) that makes it possible to run and manage a directory in your Joomla! website.

To add listings to the directory, an input form needs to be filled out.

While setting up the directory, the input form is built by the site developer using the integrated fields manager to add the various field types (text input fields, text areas (w/o WYSIWYG editor), check boxes, check box groups, select lists (drop down), simple text fields or calendar fields) to the form. The layout of the form can be changed by the usage of the built-in template engine.

During installation, Sobi2 creates input fields for a business directory. They can be changed, deleted or extended by additional fields.

There is an option to make features of the listings paid for or free. E.g. listings could be free but charge for links to the websites. This is decided when setting up and managing the component. [8]

The administrator of the directory site is able to create, edit or delete listings within the Sobi2 administration panel.

Listings within a Sobi2 directory are assigned to one or more categories. A category manager allows to create, edit and delete categories within the directory with an unlimited nesting depth.

As a complex Joomla! component, Sobi2 has different views to present its data. In an overview all directory listings are shown with their smaller description, linked to a detailed description. Other views are available (e.g. alpha, search, user listings).

Especially for directories with paid listings, but also to keep the directory up to date, Sobi2 has the possibility to associate the listings with an expiration date. Once expired, listings can be renewed.

Sobi2 can be used "out of the box" or adapted individually to the site. It provides a style sheet file (CSS) which can be edited in the administration panel, using an editor with syntax highlighting.

For advanced adaptations there are separate templates available for the different views.

Sobi2 sends out emails on different events (add, edit, renew, approval). Sending out an email can be set up separately for each event. The content of the emails can be defined using placeholders, separately for each event.

Sobi2 has integrated diagnosis systems to log occurring problems. A template parser is helpful in finding syntactical errors while developing own templates. A built-in system check detects if a server does not meet the requirements for Sobi2. A version checker checks for newer versions.

Additional Features

Plug-in interface

To enhance the functionality of Sobi2, there were more than 80 different plug-ins available and listed in the Joomla! Extensions Directory at that time. These listings still can be found in the Web Archive. [9]

Sobi2 plug-ins (incomplete list)

Languages

Originally equipped with English languages files, Sobi2 has been translated into 34 languages (Arabic, Basque, Brazilian Portuguese, Bulgarian, Catalan, Chinese (simplified), Chinese (traditional), Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Farsi, Finnish, French, Galician, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Slovenian, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, and Vietnamese). Additional languages are installable via Sobi2 language manager.

Further reading

See also

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References

  1. ↑ Boateng, Kwasi; Boateng, Beatrice A. (2010). Joomla! Social Networking with JomSocial. Packt Publishing Ltd. ISBN   9781847199577.
  2. ↑ "Joomla! Extensions Directory". extensions.joomla.org.
  3. ↑ "JED 1.5 Version Support Ends". 2013-02-06.
  4. ↑ "Sobi2 in Joomla! Extensions Directory (Web archive)". Archived from the original on 2013-08-27.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)
  5. ↑ "Component description on the official homepage". 2009-09-01.
  6. ↑ Suski, Sigrid. "Difference between Sobi versions". www.sigsiu.net.
  7. ↑ "SobiPro RC1 ready to download". 2011-02-28.
  8. ↑ "Creating portal with Joomla and Sobi2 in mycmsblog.com". 2007-12-28.
  9. ↑ "Sobi2 plug-ins in Joomla! Extensions Directory (Web archive)". Archived from the original on 2013-08-25.CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (link)

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