Joomla! Users Group Presentation - Your Joomla! Toolbox and Template Hacks
What do you have in your Joomla! toolbox when you are building a website?
I have found these tools to be helpful in addressing different aspects that may arise when implementing Joomla! .... or building websites in general....
CONTENT EDITING
a WYISWYG editor (What You See Is What You Get)
JCE - Joomla Content Editor
http://www.joomlacontenteditor.net/downloads
I like JCE for these reasons:
1. recognizable icons - for both me and my clients
2. lots of functionality and easy to click "one push" functions like
changing font color
changing font size
adding in a photo
making text linkable
3. color coded HTML view
4. easy integration with other extensions plugins
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VERSION CONTROL 
Update Manager
http://joomlacode.org/gf/project/pasamioprojects/frs/?action=FrsReleaseBrowse&frs_package_id=4728
http://sammoffatt.com.au/os/
With a few clicks, this extension will patch your Joomla! to the next most current version. Easy!
SITEMAP
XMAP
http://joomla.vargas.co.cr/
An SEO must, this extension will build your XML sitemap and your "html" sitemap so that search engines may index your site, easier. This extension builds the site 'tree' article page when you create a link to it in your menu manager. And it generates the XML file that search engines look for.
SITE BACKUP/HOST MIGRATION
Akeeba Backup
https://www.akeebabackup.com/
What a fantastic FREE! tool. This extension copies your core files, along with your modifications, and your database into one zipped package. Easily move live-ready sites from a development server environment to a live location. Easily restore sites that may have been corrupted or damaged.
CONTACT FORM
aiContactSafe
http://www.algisinfo.com/
The standard core Joomla! "contact form" leaves much to be desired. aiContactSafe offers customizable fields, backend reporting and recording and captcha for spammer intervention. It's free too! Add custom fields, contact information, a map, CSS to style, captcha styling options - and you have a much more robust lead-capture form on your site. It also records all received emails in the component backend in case your directed email loses them, junks them, or the email account owner misplaces the web-generated emails. Moderate learning curve.
NEWSLETTER MANAGEMENT
acyMailing
http://www.acyba.com
This extension installs fast, with three templates, and synchs to current site users. Create lists to distribute emails to, select subscribers, make customized templates for email newsletters, and check stats of who's opening emails. Create an article page and use a coded plug in to make that article page your newsletter! Send the newsletter from your website and never have to mess with a third party emailer like Constant Contact or MailChimp again. Export your site users/subscribers, import other email addresses. You can set how many emails to send out per hour, as usually requested and suggested by hosting companies in order to comply with spam laws, and required automatic 'subscribe/unsubscribe' opt-in/opt-out is hard coded into every newsletter.
FAVICON / TAB ICON
Phoca FavIcon
http://www.phoca.cz
This easy to use extension takes a 16x16 or 32x32 jpg and turns it into your browser tab icon, also known as a favicon or favico. The format for this image is favico.ico and the extension creates the file image and places the appropriate favico.ico in your root folder as well as manages any other images you might consider for your tab icon.
These tools are not Joomla! specific but come in handy
PLATFORM BUILD
How many times have you see a great site and asked yourself - "HOW DID THEY DO THAT??". This tool can help answer that question! It evaluates back end code to help determine what platform websites are built on - static HTML, WordPress, Drupal, .asp, .php, etc...
CODE INSPECTOR
FIREFOX browser only - This code inspector allows you inspect and edit in real time the CSS and HTML code behind any web page. It's also loaded with other features that check code validation, debug and profile JavaScript, and measure where things lie on your web page with draggable rulers.
FILEZILLA
http://filezilla-project.org
This a free FTP application that lets you handle multiple sites (at the same time even) for sending files up and back from the hosting environment. An absolute must for web development- FileZilla per se is not necessary - but some kind of FTP client is needed. Using your Joomla! backend template settings or other admin extensions is clunky, slow and tedious. Use a free, 'external' FTP Client and make your life a whole lot easier.
tip: on your local side - set up a folder directory system of "original files" and "edited files". Within those folders, set up folders that are dated.
always move original files off the host to your local "original files > 05152011" folder. edit those files, "save as" and save into "edited files >> 05102011" folder. That way you will always have a legit copy of the original file in case you need to restore.
HOSTING COMPANY CHECK
http://www.whoishostingthis.com
without having to track down DNS through whois.net etc... - this site gives it to you strait. Helpful to know when taking over site projects
SITE DOWN CHECK
http://www.downforeveryoneorjustme.com
Oh No, your site is down. It's crashed. Or has it? Use this website to find out more. My ISP from time to time will block my access to a site that I am working on by turning on a firewall. II will check it here first and if it is up, I know it's my gateway router settings. I reset the hardware and I'm back to my site!
CROSS-BROWSER COMPATIBLITY
Adobe BrowserLab
https://browserlab.adobe.com/en-us/index.html
Use this to help determine a site's cross-browser compatibility. Doesn't test FUNCTION across browsers, but it does show visual layout and positioning across several different versions of the most used browsers. Must be a registered Adobe account holder to use this.
Use this to help determine a site's cross-browser compatibility. Doesn't test FUNCTION across browsers, but it does show visual layout and positioning across several different versions of the most used browsers. This is a free service, it is slow and you have to check in on it every 10mins or so when it is processing a URL. It checks GLOBAL browsers, not just the "big 4" - Firefox, Explore, Chrome and Safari. It also checks versions on Linux/Unix environments. Limited to restricted number of URL submissions per 24 hr period for "free" browser checks. Can become a member for unlimited access and additional features.
SEO "GRADE"
HubSpot's "Website Grader
http://www.websitegrader.com
There is no definitive grading system on a site's SEO potential ranking. However, HubSpot has created this tool that many people are using and referring to as a new standard on which to grade a website's SEO potential. It examines known issues that Google and other SE's look for when indexing a site and offers suggestions on how to fix issues it sees as potential low scoring areas. Downside - it grades the site on Google's last index of the site. You can make "suggested", immediate changes but the grade will not change until Google re-indexes the site - which could be a few days.
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One last tip - if you are struggling with a component, look up the component / developer on Facebook. That's a more personal connection to them and I have gotten good results from reaching out to the developer/page managers this way instead of wading through forums, expecting answers, etc....
