Zikula Blog

I've received a lot of questions from module authors about how to get their translations onto the translation portal and how to create language packs. I'd like to take a little time to explain the systems that are now in place.

Open Source is all about free software, and usually community spirit around software development. In fact the open source model has even become a multi billion dollar industry. I would like to explore the licensing models the enshrine FOSS and their appropriate use. We will see, not all licenses were created equally.

i18n means 'internationalisation' and Zikula is in dire need of it! Starting with Zikula 1.2.0 we have tried to make some effort to cope with the issues presented by internationalised websites. We are presented with all manner of problems, from different date formats to different ways to write numbers.

I don't quite know where to begin with listing the changes in the upcoming version of Zikula, so of listing a couple. One is of particular interest to module developers, so pay close attention.

As some of you might have experienced I am more of a highly experienced Zikula user with some basic PHP knowledge but I am not much of a good programmer let alone a software architect like Axel. Novertheless once in a while I start a small project to solve a problem that nobody have solved for Zikula before.

Facebook contains a lot of cool stuff - one of the coolest features is the way Facebook uses links within the live-stream: It not only displays the URL - it automatically fetched title, teaser and a picture. Of course Zikula supports this - you only have to use it correctly.

In last couple of days I dug deep into the Zikula theme system to find some very cool stuff: Themevariables are my latest discovery. But I also found the whole system pretty inconsistent. I know the development team is already working on the (re-)integration of pnRender and Theme. But there is more to it than just combining the two.

For a good while I was thinking about a bigger cut in the core which I want to discuss, as I wondered if we are perhaps doing too much unneeded effort with the 2.0 core. During the first steps to our new architecture (see this earlier post) doubts came into my mind about what we *are doing* and what we *should do*.

This year Camp Zikula will be August 14th-16th in Georgsmarienhütte near Osnabrück, Germany.

The Google Summer of Code 2009 has begun - at least for the organizations: Until March 13th we have time to apply and we will apply. Simon is already working our the application.