Preparing for Joomla! 2.5 – Coming January 2012
The votes are in! As of August 09, 2011, the Joomla! community voted the next version number to be 2.5, instead of 1.8. Calling the January 2012 release of Joomla! version 1.8 would have continued on after the currently available 1.6 and 1.7 releases, but the x.5 (meaning long term release) won out in the end.
With January coming fast, the big question that are making companies and their webmasters nervous is whether or not they need to upgrade their current installation to the latest Joomla! version. In a previous article titled “What’s New in Joomla! 1.7 And Should You Upgrade” I discussed why you should or should not upgrade to Joomla! 1.7, and found the answer to be: yes. However, there are some things to consider before upgrading to Joomla! 2.5 in January.
Backup Your Site
This is absolutely critical when making any significant changes to your website, especially when it comes to the framework of your content management system. Akeeba Backup is the best backup tool for Joomla!, and always keeps with the current version. You want to make sure you use backup software that will not be discontinued, leaving you in the lurch.
Investigate your Components, Modules, and Plug-ins
The first thing to explode on a Joomla! website when you upgrade Joomla! is the 3rd party extensions! Make sure you have investigated each extension to provide an upgrade or replacement. This is a pain, but is a better outcome than a bunch of PHP/Database errors and a client screaming on the phone.
Check Your Template
You have to make sure that your template works with the new version of Joomla! when it is released. Install a dummy installation and load the template. Custom template programs like Artisteer will keep your template up to date, but if you are building them manually you will need to find out what will change in the template code.
Run A Test Site
As soon as Joomla! releases version 2.5, install a test installation and load your template(s) and extension(s) from your repertoire. It is better to have problems in your test site and fix them when you have room to tweak, then to play with a live website. Otherwise, screaming client, hair pulling, days off your life, you get the picture.
Convincing Your Clients to Migrate
Oh, this is going to be the hardest part, especially for you techies that are reading this article. Clients are going to want to know why they should pay for you to fix a site, when it is not broken. Things I would mention in this respect are:
- Security Issues Will Come Up (Fact)
- Your Site Will Get Outdated Quickly (Fact)
- Super Cool New Functionality (This is a hope)
- Their Site Will Load Faster and Run Smoother (Another Hope)
- Improved On-Site Search (Fact)
- Will Keep up With Browsers (Fact, as with all online software)
If you need more help convincing your clients, I would recommend you check out an article called: Nine Questions When Preparing Clients for Joomla! 2.5 by Joomla! Magazine for more information.
If it isn’t broken, then don’t fix it…
You may have a completely working website in Joomla! 1.5 and may be telling yourself that you do not need to upgrade because your website is running smooth, and you don’t want to mess with it. I truly believe that your website will continue to work properly… for a time. As a webmaster that has had to clean a virus out of a hacked version of OSCommerce because the software company did not release an update of the shopping cart software for years, let me be the first to tell you that outdated software will eventually get hacked. It is not a question of “if”, but of “when”. Besides, don’t you want to upgrade the abilities of your website from time to time anyways?
You might as well start now.
