5 minutes reading time (917 words)

Joomla at the Cloudfest Hackathon 2023: multidomain solution

April-Hackathon

The CloudFest Hackathon is an annual event in Rust (Germany) that brings together developers, designers, and open source enthusiasts from around the world. They collaborate and innovate on various projects, aiming to create cutting-edge solutions that address different challenges in the world of web hosting and content management systems. Like last year, a team worked on a new core Joomla feature: a multidomain solution. In this interview, Elisa Foltyn and Timo Feuerstein tell us what happened. 

Thanks to you both for sharing your Cloudfest adventures with us! How do you get selected to take part in the event?

To participate in the CloudFest Hackathon, you must submit an application. You can also apply with a proposal outlining your project idea.The organisers review each submission and select participants based on the potential impact, innovation, and feasibility of the projects.

How was the team formed?

The team was formed by a group of talented people who shared a common interest in improving the Joomla CMS. They came together through the Hackathon's project selection process, where participants chose the projects they wanted to contribute to based on their skills and expertise. This dynamic group of professionals combined their strengths to create a collaborative and innovative environment, driving the project forward and laying the groundwork for future developments in Joomla.

Introducing the Team Members

The diverse and talented team that worked on the Hackathon consisted of individuals with a shared passion for enhancing the Joomla CMS. Each member brought their unique skills and expertise to the table, making significant contributions to the project:

  • Angelika Prox-Dampha handled social media posts on Facebook, TikTok, and Twitter.
  • Benjamin Trenkle managed user management, the multisite component and supported Franci Perisa and Elisa Foltyn.
  • Christiane Maier-Stadtherr took care of implementing features into the user profile.
  • David Jardin developed the assignments for extensions.
  • Elias Hackrath assisted with concept development and communication
  • Elisa Foltyn added new field types for sites and groups, while also documenting use cases and constraints.
  • Francisca Perisa created the multisite component and its settings.
  • Harald Leithner focused on routing and concept development.
  • Johannes Dürscheid collaborated with David on extension assignments.
  • Niels Nübel contributed by adding fields to menu items and articles.
  • Stefan Wendhausen played a crucial role supporting the team and being the godfather of the project's name.
  • Timo Feuerstein worked alongside Franci on the UI of the multisite extension.

You worked on a multidomain solution. Could you describe the project for us?

The multidomain solution would be a core feature. It could enable Joomla users to manage multiple websites within a single Joomla system. With customizable settings, streamlined management of SiteGroups and Base URLs, and improved language handling, this solution offers a more efficient and flexible approach to managing multiple websites.

Why could this be good for Joomla?

This multidomain solution enhances the Joomla CMS by providing a more convenient and efficient way for webmasters to manage multiple websites. It saves time, reduces complexity, and allows for greater flexibility in site administration.

Who would benefit from this?

Webmasters and businesses managing multiple websites, as well as web development agencies overseeing various client projects, would greatly benefit from this multidomain solution. It simplifies site administration and reduces the time spent managing individual sites. We defined several use cases for franchises, for special interest sites, and so on.

What goals did you want to achieve at the Hackathon?

The team aimed to develop a proof of concept for the multidomain solution, showcasing its potential benefits and feasibility, but also its constraints and its possible impacts on existing sites and backwards breaks. They also sought to foster collaboration and innovation among team members and share their knowledge and expertise with the broader Joomla community.

Did you reach your goals? 

While the team did not fully achieve their goal of developing a proof of concept for the multidomain solution, the Hackathon provided valuable insights into the challenges and requirements needed to make it happen. The team's collaborative efforts helped identify the obstacles and necessary changes for a successful implementation. However, since Joomla 5 was promised without any backward compatibility (b/c) breaks, it is more likely that this multidomain solution will be incorporated into Joomla 6, which allows for the required changes.

And what will happen now?

Moving forward, the team will continue refining and improving the multidomain solution, taking into account feedback from the Joomla community. Once the solution is polished and tested, it may be integrated into future Joomla releases.

What were previous Joomla projects at the Hackathon?

Previous Joomla project at the Hackathon was the TUF Project, The Update Framework, a framework designed to deliver signed updates for all kinds of software. This is still under development.

Apart from the project, what was the CloudFest event like?

The CloudFest event provided an engaging and collaborative environment for participants, with various workshops, presentations, and networking opportunities. The event fostered innovation, learning, and growth among attendees.

What part of the event did you like the most?

The most enjoyable aspect of the event was the opportunity to collaborate with talented and skilled people from all kinds of backgrounds. The Hackathon enabled participants to learn from one another, share ideas, and contribute to the development of groundbreaking solutions in the world of web hosting and content management systems.

Links to the Social Media Posts:

TikTok

https://www.tiktok.com/@angelikaproxdampha/video/7211885523391057157?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id=7212188529497523717

YouTube

David Jardin at the Hackathon (in German): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBwrjAMAKU4 

Presentation of the results of the work on the multidomain project (in English): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huLw-K7vbVQ 

Flicker

Photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/aprox/sets/72177720306839908/ 

 

 

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Comments 2

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herve on Thursday, 20 April 2023 19:26
Sad about the non-integration in joomla 5 but I understand

Hi
I hope you can get closer to the developers of multisite extensions (like MightySites) who are already doing this to benefit from their experiences and allow them (in exchange?) to increase the functionality over it.
Regards

0
Hi I hope you can get closer to the developers of multisite extensions (like MightySites) who are already doing this to benefit from their experiences and allow them (in exchange?) to increase the functionality over it. Regards
Ernie Brogdon on Saturday, 06 May 2023 18:58
Most definitely need multisite support

The multisite option would be VERY interesting to me - I manage two dozen websites for a niche group that has regional chapters and their needs are practically identical for most extensions and configurations.

0
The multisite option would be VERY interesting to me - I manage two dozen websites for a niche group that has regional chapters and their needs are practically identical for most extensions and configurations.

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