
Joomla Improves Ease of Use and Security
Joomla!’s latest release fully embraces the spirit of opensource.The features in version 1.7 are based on the feedback from over 2 million posts and almost 500,000 forum members as well as data collectedfromJoomla! extensions. The release includesan impressive number ofnew enhancements such as:
- One ClickVersion Updating -- This enhancementnot only makes upgrades faster but canalso improve CMS securitybecause users are more likely to perform upgrades

New One-Click Update
- Pre-DefinedSearch Options -- Improves searcheffectivenessfor end users by allowing developers to define optionsthat automaticallycomplete search fields in the user interface
- AutomaticForm Data Validation -- Improves security by protecting against malicious inputfrom forms
- AutomaticArticle Categories -- Improvesproductivity for administrators by allowingsite administrators torestrict the articles users post to a defined set ofcategories
- Improved Multi-LingualSupport -- Language packs now supportselecting the best font for the language without additional user intervention

Improved Multi-Lingual Support (Chinese)
Learning Opportunities
- ArchitecturalDecoupling -- The core Joomla!libraries have been separated from the CMScore. This will enable useof the Joomla! platform to be used in other types ofdevelopmentprojects without requiring deployment of the entire CMS platform.
Joomla! has also included more extensive code samples forbuilding custom extension in the release and improved security by alerting users to remove the installation directory once the install is complete.
New Development Lifecycle
In addition to the new features, the Joomla! team is nowfollowing asix-month, time based release cycle. According to Joomla!, releases willbe indevelopment for six months and then be retired one month afterthe nextrelease. However, long-term support willlast for 15 monthsstarting with the next release, 1.8. A fixed delivery cycleis unusualfor an open source project that typically releases based on feature completion instead of time. Fixed delivery cycles, however, alloworganizationsto better plan upgrade operations. The move may giveJoomla! an edge over otherCMS options in enterprises with a strongfocus on operations planning.
Have you had a chance to look at the new version of Joomla!?We would love to know your thoughts.