Extension Quality indicators

[Hackwar]

In a discussion I talked about quality indicators for extensions. The background wasn't so much to force developers to adopt something, but to give users an idea about the core integration and which core features the extension supports. The following information could be collected from an extension with the options "Yes", "No" and "Does not apply" and could then be displayed with badges in the listing:

• Is accessible (respects accessibility)
• Supports Smart Search
• Supports Custom Fields
• Uses Bootstrap 5
• Uses vanilla JS instead of jQuery
• Provides SCSS files for CSS
• Allows to disable extension specific JS/CSS
• Uses class-based router
• Supports Joomla Event system
• Supports Tags, versioning, category system, workflow, email templates, update system
• Uses language files and layout files
• Compatible with PHP 7.2-8.0
• Supports both MySQL & Postgresql

The order of the list does not represent a priority of the individual items.

[anibalsanchez]

Thanks for the input.

Nowadays, the main issue is that we check the extensions manually with the JED Checker extension. So, the problem is not "what" we want to check. The problem is "how" we check the extensions.

I've written this idea to create a JED Checker CI, an online service to validate extension, as a way to step up what we could check in an automated way and provide a validation service for the developers to guide them:

• JED Extensions Checker CI MVP
• JED Checker Service Rules

[Hackwar]

This is specifically not to be filled out by JED moderators or an automated system, but to be answered by the developer themselfs.

[anibalsanchez]

This issue tracker is for JED issues. It is better if you contact extension developers to gather feedback in the forum: https://forum.joomla.org/viewforum.php?f=262&sid=369906a5c8d1cccc8fd844fd6f47f175

[Llewellynvdm]

@Hackwar thank you for posting this list here, it will be shared with the JED4 developers.

@JazParkyn, @mfleeson, @roland-d, @sanderpotjer this list is part of what production would like to communicate with the JED and I would like to encourage further collaboration as we move forward to a better JED.

[nibra]

Another thing to check:

• Properly uses database layer without verbatim SQL

[anibalsanchez]

From my experience in the quality management area, we have to take into account that in other fields quality is defined in terms of user experience and satisfaction.

We could argue that technical features are also part of the user experience. However, if we focus too much on technicalities, we lost contact with the common user.

[Llewellynvdm]

I think we can support the technical features as much, as we clearly have integrators downloading extensions who care about the technical details just as much. We are suppose to champion the Joomla way of extension development, and these technical details will prove that extensions are in fact build for Joomla, and will work better in Joomla then your average extensions.

[Llewellynvdm]

To me it is not an either or... but a both. We can support both... no reason not to.

[anibalsanchez]

Now that we are migrating to Joomla 4 the whole ecosystem, I'm surprised by the lack of documentation.

We can only demand a Joomla way of extension development if we provide the means to achieve the "way of extension development".

How can a developer achieve all of the above-detailed points without documentation, tutorials o sample extensions?

Can you document the process and the sample extensions that you distribute following these practices?

Without the proper guidance, people do the best they can.

[Llewellynvdm]

@anibalsanchez this remark should be made at the documentation team, since for most volunteers in the production department sees the code as the documentation, and so you can read over the content component and the banner component and even the weblinks component to see the new containerized approach of component development.

This tread is towards the JED4 development, remarks aimed at production do not really belong here... 😉

[anibalsanchez]

I completely disagree.

The production department is responsible for managing the whole product.

Hiding the responsibility of proper documentation between teams is not the way to solve the current problem.

The current situation is that someone changes the product changing code and there is no follow-up to ensure that the results are successfully delivered to the users (final users or Joomla developers). The overall results are very poor and most people are trying to figure out what to do with Joomla 4. There are no new users and only experienced Joomla users can deal with the current level of changes.