In this blog post about the new ZOO 2.0 we are taking a closer look at a fundamental part of the ZOO: The elements! For the new ZOO we reworked the entire elements architecture to make them more flexible and easier to use. And of course we added a bunch of new ones to extend the possibilities of what can be done with ZOO.

Repeat Functionality

One of the things bothering us when creating content with ZOO 1.0 is the fact that if you have several paragraphs, for example in your article, you still have to code HTML in the textarea element. Wouldn't it be nice if the textarea was repeatable and you'd have one for each paragraph? The text paragraphs should be automatically separated by the needed HTML code. For example if you are creating a new item and you need a second text you simply click on repeat and a new textarea is injected into your item. We implemented this fantastic feature in ZOO 2.0 for the textarea and text element and also for some new ones. We took this idea a little further: if you can have multiple textareas, why not get rid of the way Joomla! handles the "System Readmore" break. It certainly feels better to have two independent textareas instead of some ominous code break in one textarea. Reduced complexity.

In our last two posts we presented a brief overview about what’s coming with the new ZOO 2.0 and gave a quick peek inside the new app concept. In this post we're going to take a closer look at the new user interface of the ZOO administration area and all the usability features we included. Here we go...

Global Parameters

We like the global parameters concept in Joomla but it lacks on usability when you don’t use select boxes. So we improved it by using a checkbox to set whether you are using the global parameter or a specific parameter. If "global" is checked the parameter is hidden. If you uncheck it the parameter form will slide in with a nice Javascript effect. This gives you a much cleaner user interface for the global parameters.

A couple of days ago we announced our brand new ZOO 2.0 extension and we are really excited about it! Today we want to show you the most important part of your new ZOO architecture: the apps!

One of the biggest goals for us during the development was to move from a catalog system to an application builder. The CCK feature from ZOO 1.0 already allows us to create content specific types to fit exactly your requirements. But on the other side everything in ZOO 1.0 was a catalog with the same parameters and content fields. We didn't like that concept that each catalog has the same properties and settings. For example a blog, a product catalog or a download archive aren't the same and have different requirements. So the next step was to allow catalogs to have their own properties, settings and workflows and to be a real content application. With ZOO 2.0 we did this step and it is not a catalog system with a CCK anymore. ZOO 2.0 is a content application engine that lets you create your own apps!

Today we are really excited to announce one of the most anticipated extensions for Joomla: ZOO 2.0! Yes, we know some of you waited quite a while for this announcement. This is the start of a blog post series about the new ZOO 2.0. Today we want to give you some insight into the ZOO development and changes in the upcoming version.

Actually the new ZOO release was planned for summer 2009. We had some cool features implemented like “drag ’n drop” element positions to improve templating and the overall usability. The project codename was ZOO 1.1. But as always we had some new ideas and we did a brainstorming about how we could add essential improvements to the software architecture to make it more future proof. We didn’t like the old concept that everything is a so called "catalog". For example a blog isn’t necessarily a typical catalog and may have other features and workflows than a product catalog. And a business directory may have again different requirements. It was great that we already had a CCK which allows to build content items that meet exactly your requirements. The next big thing for us was to transform this idea and make it possible to build your own content applications which have their own parameters, workflows and features instead of having a super catalog, which has hundreds of parameters and options to cover everything. So we started the ZOO 1.5 development in late summer to move from a CCK to a Content Application Builder.

Today we want to give a brief roundup on our ZOO presentation at Hagenbeck ZOO's Tropical Aquarium on May 27th, 2009. We know that it has already been five weeks since we had this great event but it took us some time to look through all the pictures, create the video and prepare this blog post.

First of all, thanks everyone for coming. We were almost 40 people in the Huge Shark Atoll, and we think it was a very nice evening with a stunning atmosphere. The presentation was divided into three parts. The first one was held by Annabel, talking about the architecture and the different application purposes of the ZOO. Then, Janine talked about everything you can do in the backend of the ZOO, creating catalogs, categories, types and items. After Janine's presentation, Sven showed what you can do with templates and overrides, how to render elements and what the different views are for. He also showed in which folders you can find all the files needed to create templates and what all of those files do, basically everything you need to know to be able to create your own templates. After the presentation, Steffan gave a lookout on which features are going to be implemented in the next ZOO versions. We will do a blog post about the upcoming features of ZOO 1.1 in the next weeks. Finally we had individual conversations about Joomla, the ZOO, YOOtheme and the daily work we all do as web developers, of which some were very inspiring.

We recorded the whole event and created a short video for all who could not participate. Don't forget to continue reading to see all the images. Enjoy the video impressions:

Hi there, we want to remind you that on the 27th of May we are going to present our ZOO component at the Huge Shark Atoll of the Hagebeck Zoo in Hamburg, Germany. If you want to participate, drop us a line within the next two days as we will only accept registrations until the 20th of May. The entry is free. You can find more information on the previous blog post.

• Date: Wednesday, May 27th, 2009
• Time: 19:00 (Central European Summer Time)
• Location: Hagenbeck ZOO, Tropical Aquarium
• Address: Lokstedter Grenzstraße 2, Hamburg, Germany
• Email registration is required until May 20th, 2009
• The presentation and discussion will be held in German language

See you on the 27th!

Our newest product ZOO was well received by the Joomla community, so we think it's time to celebrate the pleasant outcome of a year's worth of work with you! On May 27th, 2009, we are going to have our first YOOtheme event ever: We are really excited to invite you to our ZOO presentation in Hamburg, Germany. The event will begin at 19:00 (Central European Summer Time). The rough agenda is that first we will present the power of the ZOO and its true CCK functionality and show you how everything works. We will structure the presentation to be informative for both people who haven't used the ZOO yet and experienced developers. After the presentation we are planning on having a lively discussion amongst the participants. The presentation and discussion will be held in German. Of course, all YOOtheme developers and designers will be there. We are looking forward to meeting you!

Exciting Location

We chose a location with an ambience that fits the occasion perfectly. Experience a night in company of sharks roaming the reefs of the South Seas: Our presentation will take place at a tribune viewing the Huge Shark Atoll of the Hagenbeck ZOO's Tropical Aquarium. Snap at the chance to meet fellow web developers in a stunning atmosphere!

• Date: Wednesday, May 27th, 2009
• Time: 19:00 (Central European Summer Time)
• Location: Hagenbeck ZOO, Tropical Aquarium
• Address: Lokstedter Grenzstraße 2, Hamburg, Germany
• Email registration is required until May 20th, 2009

The entry is free. The number of seats is limited though, so drop us an email soon. First come, first served! See you on the 27th of May!

It has been two and a half weeks since the ZOO release and we have over 5700 downloads of the Lite Edition. We are glad to see more and more reviews, news articles and Twitter discussions going on about our ZOO extension. Also, the term CCK is a hot and intensely discussed topic and we would like to share our view on some points and answer some questions here.

It's been 3 days after the ZOO release and we are overwhelmed by the positive feedback we are getting for the new ZOO extension. Thank you guys! Over 1900 people downloaded the free Lite Edition already. We got a lot of feedback in our forum and already fixed some bugs which sneaked into the final release. If you have any issues running ZOO make sure you use the latest ZOO version 1.0.2. To update an older release take a look at the update instructions on our documentation page.

Win a ZOO Pro Edition for free!

To celebrate the ZOO release we give away 10 Pro Editions of the ZOO!