Do you want the ability to manage documents, photos, and other content over the Web, but don't want to shell out thousands of dollars in proprietary solutions? Want to create an online community for your hobby or user group? You're not alone. For thousands of like-minded users around the globe, the answer is Joomla!, an open-source content management system used to manage all sorts of data over the Web.

While Joomla! is relatively easy to install, a fair amount of knowledge is required in order to configure the application to your specific needs. Beginning Joomla! answers many of the questions you're sure to have, guiding you through the process of creating your own design templates, adding and managing content, and adding popular community features such as article commenting, user profile management, and forums. Later chapters discuss e-commerce integration, explore search engine optimization, and show you how to extend Joomla! by creating your own plug-ins.