Review of some recommended Joomla extensions

Akeeba Backup

Basically, Akeeba Backup is your safety net. This extension allows you to create fast, safe and easy backups of your website. You can then use the backup to restore your website on any server that supports Joomla through an AXA installer that has been implemented to avoid server timeouts. The configuration of the extension is fairly easy and functions through a wizard that does most of the work itself.

JCE – Joomla Content Editor

JCE is an editor that allows Joomla users without any working knowledge in XML, CSS, XHTML, etc. to edit the content of their websites.  It is an environment that closely resembles Microsoft Office, and that is why it is so familiar and easy to use. You can use it to upload, edit and position images, create links that lead wherever you want them to and it also has an integrated spellchecker. It is also upgradable with file manager feature, media manager feature and so on.

Admin Tools

Created by the developer that brought us Akeeba Backup, Admin Tools give us a solution for many of those little problems that can take a lot of time to solve on your own. It updates your Joomla, creates a Secure Administrative ID, provides protection for your website and much more.

AllVideos

AllVideos is an invaluable tool for all websites that incorporate videos and music in their content. By using this extension, you bypass the problem of dealing with large chunks of code when sharing YouTube, Vimeo or SoundCloud and other media elements in your article.

Mini FrontPage

This is a great tool to set up the main page of your website.  It is lightweight and easy to use. You can use it to present the latest content added, or show the currently most popular articles from any given category and so on. It also has nice ‘fade in’ and ‘fade out’ effects added, to make it easier on the eye.

Avatar Slide Galleria

This is a slide show extension with a full screen mode and a lightbox when you click on the image. You can add a gallery from a local folder, Flicker or Picasa.

Yahoo! Weather Module

This is a weather extension that uses jQuery and Yahoo Weather API. It can display many things from temperature, humidity, wind, weather forecast, to sunrise and sunset time for a specific city. It takes a little time to set up, but it’s very much worth the hustle.

JEvents

JEvents is an excellent event calendar through which you can create onetime only or repeating events. It comes with three modules: the latest event module, the Mini-calendar module and Event legend module.  It also includes a search plug-in that can find specific items from the event calendar.

ReReplacer

ReReplacer is a search engine that allows you to find and change any part of your HTML code on the go.  You can use it to change elements which are in the HTML of your site, clean up your HTML, change specific words and much more. This search engine does not touch your database, it just changes the HTML.

JSN PowerAdmin

It is basically a tool to make your use of Joomla easier. It allows you to change modules position, adjust your menu items, etc. Users around the world claim that this should be a native Joomla extension, since it simplifies the use to such a level that it is unbelievable.

We hope our little list helped you set up your Joomla based website a bit better. It was our intention to create a list of extensions that almost any web administrator would like to have on his site. Good luck in your future endeavors.