Getting extensions ready for Joomla 4: Alexandre Derocq (AcyMailing)

Details: Written by: Anja de Crom; Category: March; Published: 20 March 2021; Hits: 3

With Joomla 4 on the way, some extension developers are still working on the compatibility of their extensions. Others haven’t even started yet (guys, you really should at least have started by now). And others, like AcyMailing… well, if you use it, you may know this already: AcyMailing’s latest version (7) is fully compatible with Joomla 4. Alexandre Derocq from AcyMailing is more than happy to share his thoughts on this with us.

Could you tell us a little about your extension?

AcyMailing is a newsletter and email marketing plugin for Joomla. It allows you to efficiently manage an unlimited number of subscribers, organize them into mailing lists, send personalized newsletters (Hi {name}...) and automate them. Using AcyMailing enables you to manage everything. From the subscription form to the send process. Everything is stored inside your own Joomla website so your data remains safe.

What will happen with AcyMailing when J4 is released? Will it be compatible or will you have to provide a complete new version?

AcyMailing has always been compatible with every new Joomla version. So no big changes; our plugin will still be the same and people won’t see any changes. We’ve recently released AcyMailing 7 which was one of our biggest releases, including J4 compatibility. We can’t wait to see people use it and share their feedback!

What should users do with AcyMailing when they migrate to J4? What should they expect from their extension providers in general? And what can they expect from you?

That’s a difficult question. I think the most important thing is to reduce the risks of having an issue.
So make sure to make backups before migrating to this new version and before installing the new updates.

I think Joomla users expect us to be compatible with the new version and not to make any mistakes that might lead to creating issues on their websites. The most important thing for people is to get everything working perfectly as having issues while upgrading to a new version is probably the most frustrating thing.

As a developer, would you say it is important to start preparing extensions as soon as possible?

Definitely! Well, I think it’s pretty important to have your extension compatible as soon as the new version is available. And this can be done thanks to alpha / beta versions. By doing this people can see you’re really reactive and it helps to confirm their trust in your product.

What impact do the different types of Joomla versions (alpha, beta, RC) have on the update of extensions?

We always wait for the beta version to start developing compatibility with our plugin. As soon as it is released we start checking what improvements need to be made. Then we download every new version (beta / RC) to make sure we don’t miss anything and everything is ok.

How do you expect the launch of J4 to impact your business?

I’m definitely in love with all the new J4 features. So I can’t wait for it to be released. This is an important step for the Joomla project and I’m really excited about it!

Is there anything else you would like to advise our readers regarding extensions and Joomla 4?

I really recommend them to give this new amazing version a try. There are tons of really good features and improvements. Hopefully this will be a game changing move!

About the author

Before I got my current job as Coordinator Communications & Digital, I ran my own company for 25 years. The first 15 years I was a writer / editor / journalist / writing coach.

In 2009 I started working with Joomla, not knowing anything about webdesign. I joined a JUG in 2012, two months later I was co-organizer :) (and stayed co-organizer for about five years).

I loved working with Joomla so much that I started projects, just to be able to create a website for them. That's when I thought: hey, maybe it's time for a career switch. In 2014 I decided to go pro with Joomla and switch to webdesign instead of writing.

Volunteer work

I already mentioned the JUG. After that I did a number of other things over the years:

Writer: I wrote articles about Joomla in a Dutch webdesigner magazine.
Speaker at JUGs and JoomlaDays.
Member of the Dutch JoomlaDagen team for three years.
Member of the team that organized all three editions of Joostock (a Joomlacamp/unconference event).
Editor of the Dutch Joomla web agency brochure, a brochure webdesigners can use to convince their potential clients that Joomla is the right choice for them.

In 2020 I've started contributing to the Joomla Community Magazine, first as an author, and since 2022 I'm Team Leader of the wonderful Joomla Community Magazine Team.

Why I contribute to Joomla

To many people Joomla is just a tool. But if you look a little closer, you'll notice it's much more than that. It's a living system, raised and nourished by a community of volunteers dedicating their time to make it the best CMS ever. Without volunteers, Joomla wouldn't exist. It's not 'just a product'. Everyone who uses Joomla, can do so because someone, somewhere, contributed to it. I want to give back to the community that keeps Joomla alive.

And, probably needless to say: I love being part of that community.

Contributing to Joomla by volunteering brought me so much: valuable experience, more knowledge and a better understanding of Joomla and its community, and the opportunity to work together with a crowd of lovely people all over the world.

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Some articles published on the Joomla Community Magazine represent the personal opinion or experience of the Author on the specific topic and might not be aligned to the official position of the Joomla Project

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