The User Module is implemented with the plg_jbackend_user plugin. It provides functions related to Joomla users and ACL. Here is the list of supported methods.

User login

Request parameters

action=post
module=user
resource=login
username=<username>
password=<password>

Example

<end-point>?action=post&module=user&resource=login&username=<username>&password=<password>

Example (REST format)

<end-point>/post/user/login?username=<username>&password=<password>

Response

{
    "status": "ok",
    "userid": <userid>,
    "username": "<username>",
    "session_id": "<session_id>"
}

User logout

Request parameters

action=get
module=user
resource=logout

Example

<end-point>?action=get&module=user&resource=logout

Example (REST format)

<end-point>/get/user/logout

Response

{
    "status": "ok"
}

User registration

Request parameters

action=post
module=user
resource=register
username=<username>
password=<password>
email=<email>
firstname=<firstname>
lastname=<lastname>

Example

<end-point>?action=post&module=user&resource=register&username=<username>&password=<password>&email=<email>&firstname=<firstname>&lastname=<lastname>

Example (REST format)

<end-point>/post/user/register?username=<username>&password=<password>&email=<email>&firstname=<firstname>&lastname=<lastname>

Response

{
    "status": "ok"
}

User remind

Sends an email to the user's account with a password remind link.

Request parameters

action=get
module=user
resource=remind
email=<email>

Example

<end-point>?action=get&module=user&resource=remind

Example (REST format)

<end-point>/get/user/remind

Response

{
    "status": "ok"
}

User reset

Sends an email to the user's account with a password reset link.

Request parameters

action=get
module=user
resource=reset
email=<email>

Example

<end-point>?action=get&module=user&resource=reset

Example (REST format)

<end-point>/get/user/reset

Response

{
    "status": "ok"
}

User profile

Request parameters

action=get
module=user
resource=profile

Example

<end-point>?action=get&module=user&resource=profile

Example (REST format)

<end-point>/get/user/profile

Response

{
    "status": "ok",
    "fields": [
        {
            "id": "<id>",
            "title": "<title>",
            "name": "<name>",
            "language": "<language>",
            "type": "<type>",
            "default_value": "<default value>",
            "context": "<context>",
            "group_id": "<group id>",
            "label": "<label>",
            "description": "<description>",
            "required": "<required>",
            "language_title": "<language title>",
            "language_image": "<language image>",
            "group_title": "<group title>",
            "value": "<value>",
            "rawvalue": "<raw value>"
        },
        ...
    ],
    "_errors": [<_errors>],
    "groups": {
        "<groupid>": "<groupid>"
        ...
    },
    "id": "<id>",
    "name": "<name>",
    "username": "<username>",
    "email": "<email>",
    "block": "<block>",
    "sendEmail": "<sendEmail>",
    "registerDate": "<registerDate>",
    "lastvisitDate": "<lastvisitDate>",
    "activation": "<activation>",
    "params": {
        "admin_style": "<admin_style>",
        "admin_language": "<admin_language>",
        "language": "<language>",
        "editor": "<editor>",
        "helpsite": "<helpsite>",
        "timezone": "<timezone>"
    },
    "lastResetTime": "<lastResetTime>",
    "resetCount": "<resetCount>",
    "otpKey": "<otpKey>",
    "otep": "<otep>",
    "requireReset": "<requireReset>",
    "tags": {
        "typeAlias": <typeAlias>,
        "tags": "<tags>"
    }
}

User profile update

Allows to update the user profile (user must be authenticated). The requests must use the POST method with a JSON payload.

Request parameters

action=put
module=user
resource=profile

Example

POST <end-point>?action=put&module=user&resource=profile

Example (REST format)

POST <end-point>/put/user/profile

JSON payload data:

{
    "name": "<name>",
    "username": "<username>",
    "password": "<password>",
    "email": "<email>",
    "profile": {
        "city": "<city>"
        ...
    },
    "com_fields": {
        "field-1": "<value 1>",
        "field-2": "<value 2>"
        ...
    }
}

Response

{
    "status": "ok"
}

User status

Allows to check the current status of the user (guest or logged in), and provides some additional information.

Request parameters

action=get
module=user
resource=status

Example

<end-point>?action=get&module=user&resource=status

Example (REST format)

<end-point>/get/user/status

Response

{
    "status": "ok",
    "is_guest": <0 or 1>,
    "user_id": "<user_id>",
    "session_id": "<session_id>",
    "session_expire": <session_expire>
}

Plugin Settings

The following options are available for user plugin:

The general format for any error response is the following:

{
    "status": "ko",
    "error_code": "<code>",
    "error_description": "<description>"
}

The following table includes all error codes with description, grouped by "realm".

KNN_KNIKunena not installed{"status":"ko","error_code":"KNN_KNI","error_description":"Kunena not installed"}

Once an end-point is published the web clients can start to make HTTP requests and consume services provided by jBackend API. It is possible to test if all is working as expected using any REST client that allows to build custom HTTP requests (much better if the client supports JSON decode to better show server responses). Some good clients are available as browser plugin for both Firefox and Chrome. We suggest REST Easy for Firefox and Postman - REST Client for Chrome.

Let's assume the end-point menu item can be accessed with the following URL:

http://www.mysite.com/index.php/jbackend

Calling just the URL without any parameter we will get the following JSON response:

{
    "status": "ko",
    "error_code": "REQ_MNS",
    "error_description": "Module not specified"
}

Note that the HTTP Response Code is always 200 even in case of errors. The error condition is reported by the "status" value (ok, ko). Additional information about the error can be found in the "error_code" and the "error_description" values.

To check jBackend features it is available a sandbox with the last version of jbackend and all modules installed, and free access type on the end-point. To play with the sandbox a Postman collection is available to download here:

http://www.selfget.com/downloads/file/41-jbackapp-postman-collection.html

It needs only to be imported into Postman and is ready to play.

Push Notifications

jBackend includes a fully featured platform for sending Push Notifications over Google GCM (Android) and Apple APNs (iOS). Moreover, it supports multiple mobile applications, and you can manage them all from a single Joomla installation.

The component interface includes functions to manage Apps, Devices and Notifications, and there's a Push module to interact with jBackend from the outside (e.g. to send registration token from your app or start the push notification sending process).

The first thing to do just after installation is to enable jBackend basic plugins. To do this go to menu "Extensions" -> "Plug-in Manager", and filter plugin list for type "jbackend".

Each one of these plugins has some configurable options, so it is enough to click on "Status" buttons to enable the plugins, but it is necessary to edit a plugin to change its settings.

Note that when a plugin is disabled the API functions it provides will NOT be available.

To start using jBackend it is a good practice to publish an "end-point". This is a Joomla menu item which provides a defined URL to access to jBackend APIs (the one associated with the menu link), and can be configured as needed using menu item's options. To create an end-point go to "Menus" -> "Menu Manager", click on the menu that will contain the end-point (or create a new menu, like an hidden menu) and add a new menu item.

Select a menu type "jBackend" -> "Request" and set the "Access type" in the "Options" tab, and other options available for the current endpoint.

The following options are available for each endpoint:

Currently jBackend supports the following access type:

Note that APIs could be accessed without to publish any end-point, just calling the jBackend component with http://<siteurl>/index.php?option=com_jbackend&<params> (default requests). For this reasons there are global options defined as default and used for such situations. These general options can be accessed by the "Options" button in the jBackend panel. For security reasons the default access is set to "API Key".

The following global options are available:

REST format

If Joomla SEF is enabled, the endpoint can serve requests with the REST format (e.g. /get/content/articles/<N>).

jBackend is a Joomla extension that introduces a set of APIs for access to all Joomla's content and features, and easily integrate any Joomla site with any external system. It extends the power of Joomla allowing you to use your site as a "backend system" to serve and feed any kind of client (mobile apps, news channels, affiliate sites, and any other external system).

jBackend also provides a full push notifications platform for iOS and Android mobile apps. It is possible to manage multiple apps, to register devices for each app, and to schedule push notifications sending on registered devices, filtered by app and platform type.

jBackend is designed to be "extensible" via plugins. Adding new plugins means to add new APIs to support new Joomla extensions. The basic package already includes three plugins, the User Module (that supports Joomla users and ACL), the Content Module (for the standard Joomla content, categories and articles), and the Push Module (to work with push notifications). New plugins are on the way, to add support for the most used Joomla extensions (e.g. K2, Zoo, VirtueMart, HikaShop, and so on). Additional plugins can be installed separately, so you can install and use only the necessary modules, and keep your CMS lightweight and efficient.

jBackend access is possible through an "end-point", that can be published like a menu item. It is possible to publish several end-points and configure access rules separately for each one. The access can be free, or restricted with a standard user login or through the use of an API Key. API Keys can be generated and configured (e.g. in terms of limitations like expiration or daily access) in jBackend panel. This allows full control on API access provided to clients.

It is possible to enable requests tracking for each endpoint separately. In this way all requests received from the endpoint are stored in the database and can be used for security audit or for statistical analysis.

It is also possible to enable specific modules for each endpoint separately. This increase the control level on the pool of functions or services to expose for each endpoint.

End-point channels can be accessed through HTTP, requests can be compliant to RESTful pattern, and responses are JSON encoded. In the future is expected to support the ability to provide XML responses.

jBackend basic extension has just one package to download and install. The package includes the component and three plugins (User Module, Content Module, and Push Module), and support the installation with "upgrade" mode, so there’s no need to uninstall any previous installed version.

To install jBackend, login to Joomla backend as administrator, and go to menu "Extension Manager". Click the browse button, select the package file (jBackendX.X_J3.zip) and click the installation button.

The package will be uploaded on the server and then installed. After installation finished a message will report a successful message.

That’s all. Now we are ready to start using jBackend.

Upgrade procedure

When upgrading from a previous version of jBackend, there is no need to first uninstall the old package. As mentioned earlier, jBackend supports the "upgrade" mode for the installation, so is enough to just install the new package over the old one. The component and the three plugins included in the basic package will be upgraded.

Note that during the upgrade also the database tables are upgraded when needed, but without to delete or loose any table data. It is in charge of the installation process to upgrade tables structure if needed. All the data (e.g. API Keys) will be preserved.

Introduction

Installation procedure

Initial configuration

Usage

Keys

Logs

Apps

Devices

Notifications

User Module API

Content Module API

Push Module API

Menu Module API

K2 Module API

SobiPro Module API

ZOO Module API

Kunena Module API

Search Module API

Community Builder Module API

Release System Module API

Error Codes

Developer's guide

Changelog

jBackend is a Joomla extension that gives you all the power of Joomla CMS through an extensible and pluggable set of REST API. With these API you can access to all site's contents and features, and use Joomla as a backend system for smartphone and mobile apps, syndication networks, external websites, and provide web services for any external system.

Furthermore jBackend provides a full push notifications platform for iOS and Android mobile apps. It allows to define multiple apps, to register devices for each app, and to schedule push notifications sending on registered devices, filtered by app and platform type.

Features

• Extensible through plugins to increase API and support any Joomla extension;
• Support for publishing of multiple endpoints, each with its specific settings;
• Three endpoint access type (free access, user authenticated only, API Key required);
• Tracing requests in the database for each endpoint;
• Selection of jBackend plugins to enable for each endpoint;
• API Key management interface;
• Request log management interface;
• Each API Key can have a max daily requests limit and an expiration date;
• Each API Key can be targeted on separate endpoints;
• Access control is compliant with integrated ACL;
• Support for REST compliant requests;
• JSON format for responses;
• Support for push notifications on iOS (APNs) and Android (GCM);
• Custom payload for push notifications;
• Scheduled sending of push notifications;
• Push notifications can be create and scheduled via API call;
• Push notifications can be targeted on selected users or groups.

The basic extension package includes the jBackend component, that provides the general infrastructure for endpoints, notifications, and plugins support system. Also the following plugins are already included in the basic package:

• User Module: provides support for Joomla users (e.g. login, logout, registration);
• Content Module: provides support for standard Joomla content (e.g. categories and articles);
• Push Module: provides support for push notifications (e.g. register device, send scheduled push);

Additional plugins can be downloaded from here and installed separately. Before to buy a subscription check here if what you need is already available, or submit a support request.

It is also possible to give it a try downloading and installing jBackend Community for free, a lite version created to give a chance to test jBackend capabilities, to develop and test new modules, and to provide some basic REST API integration features to a Joomla site.

jBackend is released under GPL 2.0 license.

Tag Meta is a Joomla native extension that allows you to efficiently manage site meta tags. Tag Meta allows to set the tag 'title' and the meta tags 'description', 'author', 'keywords' and 'robots' on each page, which is identified by the URL or a part of it. Also other meta information like the rel ‘canonical’ are supported, and there’s a customizable database of synonyms for each group of keywords, that can be used to enrich pages. This provides a powerful tool to improve site positioning in SEO optimization.

It was initially created because many Joomla extensions didn’t provide a way to set meta info on their pages, and in these cases Tag Meta helps you to do this. With the introduction of macros and placeholders that allow complex data manipulation now Tag Meta can be also used to improve site's SEO ranking and get some other advanced "things".

For best SEO results, remember to always use meaningful text for title and description, concerning content of the pages, and also remember to insert comma separated list of keywords (no spaces needed). Finally, it is recommended to enable native Joomla SEF routing to generate friendly URLs and simplify the site structure, improving both SERP positioning and meta info management.

How it works

Tag Meta package includes a component for managing list of rules for site's URLs, and a plugin that analyzes all requests and sets the meta information as defined by rules. These are the main steps to start using Tag Meta (for the impatient):

1. Install the package using Joomla Administration interface;
2. Enable the plugin "System - Tag Meta" and set its ordering and other parameters;
3. Use Tag Meta component to manage rules for meta info and synonyms database.

Detailed instructions on each step are described in the following paragraphs. In this section we just want to focus on some basic concepts related to Tag Meta and how it works.

The first important thing to understand is what a "rule" is. With Tag Meta Manager (the component interface) you can create as many items as you want, and each item is a meta info rule. But not necessarily an item corresponds to a single page (i.e. matches just a single URL).

A rule has a "URL" field that can be full URI or just a part of it. For example, if the "URL" field is "/home.html", then this rule matches both the URL http://www.mysite.com/home.html and http://www.mysite.com/orders/home.html?view=status. So, it means that with a single rule it is possible to match multiple source URLs. But the content of the "URL" field can be a regular expression, and this provide a powerful way to specify complex search patterns for matching URL. In the next paragraphs will be shown many regular expression examples.

For any request on the site, the Tag Meta plugin compares the requested URL with all the rules enabled. All matching rules are applied in the sequence defined with rules ordering. The "Last rule" flag controls if the current rule must be the last or not, so when multiple rules are applied the process ends if a rule has this field set to true. This provide a way to "pile" meta information from multiple rules for each page (e.g. some values come from the "category rule", other from the "single item rule").

Tag Meta extension has just one package to download and install. The package includes a component and a system plugin, and supports the installation with "upgrade" mode, so there's no need to uninstall any previous version of Tag Meta.

To install Tag Meta, login to Joomla backend as administrator, and go to menu "Extensions manager". Click the browse button, select the package file (TagMetaX.XCommunity.zip or TagMetaX.XEnterprise.zip) and click the installation button.

That’s all. Now we are ready to start using Tag Meta.

Upgrade procedure

When upgrading from a previous version of Tag Meta, there is no need to first uninstall the old package. As mentioned earlier, Tag Meta supports the "upgrade" mode for the installation, so it is enough to just install the new package over the old one, both component and plugin will be upgraded.

Note that during the upgrade also the database tables are upgraded when needed, but without to delete or loose any table data. It is in charge of the installation process to upgrade tables structure as needed. All the rules will be preserved.