One of the most useful tools to date that I’ve come across is K2.
As with any tool, it has its ups and downs.
K2 is a Joomla version of the CCK (content construction kit).
One of the most useful tools to date that I’ve come across is K2.
As with any tool, it has its ups and downs.
K2 is a Joomla version of the CCK (content construction kit).
The Pros :
It allows developers to create a “theme within a theme”.
What does this mean for the end user?
- Flexible content appearance
- Easy to add items whether it be store items or blog items
- Less mash-ups of random components, modules and plugins — Less confusing to operate
For developers, it simplifies development and training because everything can be done from a single source (most of the time).
The separation of outer Joomla! template development and the inner K2 template makes life easier. This is especially true when client needs change mid-project and they require greater functionality than what the content component from a stock Joomla! installation would have provided.
The Cons:
The only issue is that because K2 is so flexible, if the end-user is going to be doing anything more than adding items, the time of training expands exponentially.
For example, if a user needs to add a category to the K2 system and add an menu item to correspond to that, it could take the user exponentially more time to get used to the system.
However, this is a very small price for the amount of pros that K2 has.
Conclusion:
I now use K2 on every Joomla installation as it makes creating themes and its content much quicker with greater satisfaction from clients.
