Hello everyone. My name is Oleg Nesterov. I’m a mentor of the JDevTools GSoC project. This is my first GSoC project, but you probably well know our second mentor Ian MacLennan.

Within this post I want to give you a very brief introduction to Jonas Arnfred’s project, explain what tools we’re going to develop, and ask you an advice.

JDevTools – is a set of tools that may increase your productivity while creating Joomla! extensions by providing some kind of Rapid Application Development functionality. In other words the goal of the JDevTools project is to automate almost all your routine work with extension development.

The first part of the JDevTools project – is a package of scripts that automates all routine work with files and their code. The following is the list of tasks which, in our opinion, this part should implement:

1. Installation tasks. It includes: component/module/plug-in creation, installing, renaming, and packaging.
2. Development tasks. That are tasks which you can use during your extension development:
   
   1. Default package:
      • File creation with boilerplate code, providing: new controller, model, view, template, table.
      • File creation for some specific tasks, e.g. list model and view with pagination, setter and getter methods for data from database, etc.
      • Automatic creation of language files.
      • Automatic creation of lists in the back end with the Adminlist library (see below).
   2. Custom package. This feature gives you the ability to add your own packages with files you need and assign tasks to them. For those of you who create new extensions fairly often it can be very helpful.
      Some specific list of items with front end and back end functionality, permissions, data filtering, pagination, etc. is an example of the custom package that you may add to the JDevTools and get in your extension (component) by pushing only one button.

So we are going to develop an environment where you can perform all development tasks in one place using both predefined scripts/packages and your own ones.

The list of tasks is still in process. This is what we have for now, and this is where we really need your help!

What are the most boring tasks for you while creating extensions?
Do you like the current list of tasks? What would you like to add or remove?
Do you have any ideas or wishes about such automation process?

Please send us your thoughts through the forum. Because we really don't want to create something that will not be used at all and vice versa miss something important.

The second part of the JDevTools project – is the Adminlist library. It will automatically create a standard Joomla! administration list of your items. This library will support different column types (text, link, edit link, publish, order, logical and date types), data filtering, the Ajax processing of some common administration tasks (publish/unpublish, order up/order down, save ordering, filtering, sorting by columns) and quick edit mode to change some data on fly without entering item’s edit page. It can be used as a separate library and will be integrated with the JDevTools as well (see above).

More details about JDevTools project you can find here.

P.S. If you want just to support us by saying some inspiring words please post a comment here. But if you have some thoughts, questions or ideas about the project in general and tasks particularly please post them to the forum.

We look forward to hearing from you. Thanks.