The risk is yours! We offer no guarantees, just tips! Hacking Joomla!

No, don't expect how-to's on black-hat hacking into a Joomla site - there we are providing how to modify the Joomla core and addons to get most out of it. This category is intended to be used by the white-hat hackers, Joomla siteowners who want to get out more from the system they have.

Insert a plugin (or a module) anywhere

You might need to use a plugin's output in a component, or to insert a module in a page outputted by an arbitrary component. I mean ANY plugin which has it's own output in ANY Joomla component you like.

I know, there are couple of ready-made solutions, but all of these are specific to a given component(s) and some components have their own plugins to do that.

VirtueMart invoice overrides don't working?

Recently a co-worker asked my help for a seemingly trivial problem, he complained that whatever he does, the template overrides for the invoices done by the book aren't working. Well, the cause is simple - and is not really qualifying as a hack for non-rookies, but since the solution involves deleting files in Joomla's filesystem, the procedure can harm your site. So, put your helmet on, fasten your seat belt, and do a backup.

Bypass the VirtueMart's built in currency converter

Recently one of my clients needed an interesting feature: to have different, un-related prices for the products in his shop for each "currencies" he wanted to use. The quote signs aren't by mistake there, one of his "currencies" was for example Payments in USD from China... Interesting currency, what you think?

At the first the problem seemed to be simple: since the existing VM framework let you define any kind of extra currencies, and also let you enter prices for products in all of your currencies, the logical step was to simply switch off the currency converter plugin, as was possible in VirtueMart 1.1.9 and earlier versions.

But there is the first catch - this is no more possible.

Use plugins, show modules anywhere in a VirtueMart page

It's a know fact between VirtueMart insiders, that you can use Joomla plugins in the product descriptions. For that you need to enable this by clicking a checkbox in VirtueMart's main configuration (VirtueMart Admin > Configuration > Global tab > Enable content mambots/plugins in descriptions? checkbox.)

But what if you want to use plugins elsewhere, in other spots of the VirtueMart pages? For example in some other spot of the product details page - let's say to insert an availability calendar module under the main product image?

Right, you can do it with a little code hack! Let's make our hands dirty with some PHP then!

Add more, than one e-mail address to the Virtuemart store - and send mails to all of them

By default, in the VirtueMart 1.1.* Store Information settings you can add only one e-mail address in Contact Information box. All important mails - as new order notifications, for example, will be sent there. What if - for various reasons - you need to add more, than one e-mail address?

Subcategories

Don't do this! We are not recommending doing ANY hacks in Joomla! core! You will compromise both upgradeability of your site - and potentially your security. But sometimes you are facing a situation when you need to do this... and then you can look up for a potential solution here. Use these tips only on your own risk - there are no guarantees!


Hacking the main add-ons, the components running under Joomla! to add new features, functionalities, to enhance or even to fix them

Template is an essential part of a Joomla site. It's not only simple HTML/CSS/PHP/JS wich let's you show your content, it's a genuine shell with endless of possibilities for success - and failure. There are defined not only how your site will look like for your human visitors, but also for searchengines too. So it's your primary tool in your SEO efforts.

And also it's first line of your defence too. Lots of security holes can be opened with a badly written template! And also, don't forget, that might be the biggest resource hog - so the first place to optimize your site's performance.

More: has a tremendous amount of power built in. You should unleash that, and master it.


Προώθηση ιστοσελίδων

You might heard lot of weird expressions and acronyms when is coming about hacking. What XSS, LFI and all these things are meaning? You can find'em here!

The module you just installed does not works exactly as you need it? Dont be lazy or shy, do some crafting, bricolage, whatewer you like - and are qualifyed for! DIY - Joomla style.