Aliro

Aliro is written with a strong OO bias.  Hardly anything runs outside classes, and there are few static methods.  On the user side, there are three lines of code in global space before everything else is a class, apart from a couple of small functions.  The admin side is the same.  Although Aliro will handle old extensions (up to a point) from Mambo or Joomla, the best results will be achieved by writing to Aliro standards.  Not all old extensions will work.  Since nothing in Aliro runs in global scope, any extension that relies on globals being created automatically will fail.  All modules, mambots and templates have to be modified, although the transition is often quite easy.

The following are some general technical features:

• Aliro requires PHP5 and exploits its superior OO technology, along with other new features
• A smart class loader obviates the need for require or include statements
• Architeture is MVC but does not require a template system (such systems will be supported later, but are not necessary)
• Aliro is slimmed down to the point where there is no user visible code in the core
• There is minimal XHTML in the Aliro core, and what remains is purely semantic
• All output is buffered, enabling all types of extension to output CSS (or other tags) to the head section of the XHTML
• Control over XHTML details is taken out of the Aliro core and given to the more powerful template model
• A standard component framework is provided (and used by new Aliro extensions) making development quicker and easier
• Database table updates for the admin side can be created with a few lines of code
• Caching is fully supported both for objects and for output (XHTML)
• Aliro will run without any templates (using rudimentary non-CSS built in templates)
• The administration side of Aliro can be run without JavaScript
• Advanced database objects do not require fields to be defined in PHP, only by creating the DB table
• Session handling uses the database for session data, permitting operation in a load balanced environment
• Non cookie accepting bots are restricted in their use of resources
• Aliro uses best of breed classes from other open source project

People familiar with Mambo or Joomla will be able to relate to these points:

• Itemid is done away with
• Extensions are passed needed data - such as plugins being passed their parameters
• Menu construction is generalised by permitting components to nominate a class to present menu options - thus allowing every component to have access to the kind of features formerly limited to "content" etc.
• Extensions to Aliro can be upgraded, simply by installing with the "upgrade" box ticked - an upgrade routine will be run if present
• Multiple installation packages can be put together into an archive and installed as a single unit
• Strong external classes are used for mailing and XHTML validation
• The parameters mechanism is completely new, while retaining functionality