Versatile catalog system

The ZOO extension allows you to create different catalogs for all purposes

Feb

In our last blog post we described the CCK feature of our new ZOO extension in detail. This time we want to take a closer look at the catalog system.

One great thing about the ZOO is that with a single installation of this component you can create unlimited catalogs. This means you can create for example a product catalog, a download archive and a news magazine. All these use cases are basically catalogs with different contents. Furthermore different templates and styles can be assigned and each catalog will have it's own individual design and layout. Using Joomla's powerful overriding features you will have full control of all ZOO layouts. Finally you can use ZOO for very different purposes on a single website. Take the YOOtheme website for example, since our Joomla 1.5 migration back in January we use the ZOO component ourselves to manage our download section and also this blog you are reading right now. So you have been using the ZOO component for quiet some time... ;-)

Working with categories and items

Joomla itself is rather limited by its two level section/categories hierarchy. The ZOO catalog system comes with an multi-level hierarchy for categories. Managing those categories is easier than ever. Categories can be copied and moved within a catalog and also into other catalogs easily. In Joomla articles can only be assigned to a single category. The ZOO catalog system can link your content items to multiple categories of as many catalogs as you want. You will never have to create the same content twice only to show it in different catalogs. We are also very pleased with the performance when working with the ZOO. We tested it with over 10.000 items and 1.000 nested categories and it works really fast. By the way: Of course all your items are fully searchable via the Joomla search.

Core features in a nutshell

Basically ZOO provides two core features. The first feature is the catalog system that manages the different catalogs and categories and the assignment of all content items. Catalogs with multi-level categories are containers for content all items. So all your items can easily managed with the catalog system. The second feature is the CCK functionality which allows you to create custom types for your content items. Each time you create an item you choose which type it should be. A type is a blueprint you create for your content items, a custom combination of elements that the ZOO provides. There are various elements you can choose from like text fields, textareas, selectboxes, radio buttons but also images and downloads.

In face of all complexity of the ZOO we focused on usability and just make things work. Like our Teamlog you can expect that the ZOO will be very user-friendly.

By Sascha | 19 February, 2009 | Posted in ZOO

Comments (32)

david.t.baron

| Profile | #

AWESOME hoping its ready soon. Thanks for all the hard work you are putting into this and that it will be part of the membership.

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Jazper

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can't wait to take it for a testdrive!

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Gao

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Possible to mass import/export ? It will be very very very nice !!!! Bye bye SOBI, welcome ZOO !!!! Can't wait !!! aarrrgghhh !

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Rob Bosboom

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One thing is for sure, if this CCK is the same quality then the rest of you stuff, we are in for a GREAT surpise ..!
Can't you give us a sneek peek ? pleazzzzzzzz.

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Martyn

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Guys when is the release date?

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aravot

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Will it be possible to create a proper gallery with ZOO. By proper I mean possibility for users to create albums (categories) upload images to their album only and manage their albums, images and user comments.

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Jacob

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I am very excited. Hopefully this will give YOOTheme further visibility within the Joomla Community. :)

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bdg

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Awesome ! ZOO is gonna be a Must Have !!! I'm really excited !

One question : Do you think ZOO will help us manage video content ?

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jazzz

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Great! Can't wait! :)

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punshdrunklove

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An integration for joomsocial would be very nice!

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Maxim

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Naturally this project use MYSql tables, have you thought about import/export of zoo section to/from xml or CSV files?

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Rex

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Does it have a frontend submission end editing ?
TIA!

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- Stick
  
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  You came short before me... I wonder the same thing. It could be a must for corporate or community websites.
  Anycase, I think Zoo "as is" could be wonderful for 99% of the quick&dirty websites, most of all the very little ones where customer have to learn how to manage just ONE component to get all site editing done.
  With new Joomla 1.6 ACL this could be a killer app for a lot of sites!
  
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  - Rex
    
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    No answer about frontend features... :-(
    Sasha where are you?... Coding and kicking the bugs out of Zoo... ;-) Go! go! go! ;-)
    
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    - Tehla
      
      | #
      
      Same question ^^
      A front-end for edition and submission is needed ;)
      
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      - johnny.nylund.3
        
        | Profile | #
        
        "Frontend submission is planed but will not make it into the first release..."
        
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konstantinos pappas

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dont forget it , to include , comment system in zoo extension.
will be fine , and smart move , in my opinion.

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konstantinos pappas

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simple comment system , with w3c validator, css and html .
thanks for attention.

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jazzz

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Hi, would it work with jomcomment?

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DaEmOnIaK

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Great, great, great !!!
Any date ?

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Dylan

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I'm also interested in hearing if ZOO will have front end submission capability. I am developing BarGuide.co.za and am considering waiting until ZOO is released instead of making use of current components.

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fcm

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Hello guys, I'm very impressed with this component and waiting for the release too. I'm prety new with Joomla so it's difficult for me to realize what will be able to do with this CCK, so sorry if my questions are stupid ;). I'm trying to build a website with a catalog for restaurants and pubs. I want to add restaurants and pubs (in my city, for example) and I'd like to implement a voting system (website users voting their favourite places). Restos and Pubs share some common info (like name, address, open hours) but there are other information specific (kind of food, appointments, etc). So will I be able to use ZOO for this? Can I use ZOO to create a restaurant catalog and a pub catalog, each one with custom information? Can I use ZOO to implement a 'voting component' and integrate it in that pages/catalogs? In what MySQL tables will be stored that information? Can I implement a component to show the pubs and restos ranking according to users votes? What about the ZOO - YOO Tools integration? Can I create a catalog or a new type with the YOO Map component using ZOO, for example?

thanks

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benny.kristensen

| Profile | #

Is Zoo at product similar to JoomSuite
I think Zoo is the tool I have been waiting for to manage my reciepes, my wine and other things.

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vtech

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This sounds really intersting! I'can wait to see this...me like! :)

Crazy... I have the same question as the user "fcm"! But... I'm guessing it would be possible; the restaurant/pub profile could be managed by ZOO's capability of creating any type of content (forms/views?). As per your voting system, I'm almost sure there is a way to integrate a 3rd party component such as a voting system. My friend, with open source...and products such as Joomla & ZOO....only sky is the limit! :)

Cheers, and all the best!

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TheRealWheely

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Looks like a very nice addition to my website. But I don't read anything about users and usergroups. Is it possible to publish items or categories only to certain users like DocMan does?

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jazzz

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So, any date in mind? how much longer? Thanks

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david.t.baron

| Profile | #

Usually updates for the ZOO Blog has been every 7 days hoping tomorrow well have more info. Better yet a release would be awesome i dont know maybe it will be with the next template either way i cant wait. Hoping this is gonna be as good as all the hype its getting.

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Paolo (aka spike00)

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CCK with Taxonomy is something absolutely needed. If Joomla 1.6 ACL will mantain all the promises and ZOO will be fully integrated with ACL, then it will be the real killer application ever made for Joomla

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jon

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nice

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matteo.beretta

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"In face of all complexity of the ZOO we focused on usability and just make things work."
I hope to see an easy way to upload images and autoresize. Hope more usable for low experienced users than JCE http://tinyurl.com/cys4d8 : I have to lose too much time to help my customers to add items with images in Joomla!.
May be defined in the configuration the size for big and thumbs images and in the upload field may be seen a simple button to open the file choser.

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Rene Kreijveld

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How do you compare Zoo with JoomSuite Resources? Is it also possible to create relational data models?

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Anonymous

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Will it be possible to create pages with sort of froms so we can make quizzes or surveys?

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