Joomla / OCS / OJS Plugin

[jamief]

I have a working tested version of a Joomla - PKP integration available at very low cost through my website: http://www.campusconexion.com

In the next few days I will create and begin publishing a blog / series of articles about how I have been editing OCS/OJS to integrate as seamlessly as possible into an existing joomla website. A support forum will also be published at the same time.

This plugin assumes users already have existing knowledge about a typical Joomla and OCS/OJS installation.
As explained in previous posts, any proceeds beyond my programming costs for these plugins will be divided equally between PKP and JFusion http://www.jfusion.org (the Joomla component for upon which the plugins are based).

[ramon]

Hello Jamief,

Is there anyway we can test this plugin before purchasing, or do you provide support if anything goes wrong?
Are you planning to integrate with all the PKP suite?
If I'm not mistaken, the PKP WAL has centralized all the login controls, simplifying this process. Is this plugin integrated with OxS 2.3 already?

Could you send the URL for testing?

[jamief]

Is there anyway we can test this plugin before purchasing, or do you provide support if anything goes wrong?

Yes. But as I didn't plan on making an elaborate and secure user demo (front-end back end) demo site as this would require serious effort and maintenance on my part, and I'm not even sure 5 people want the plugin! My support commitment is the following:

1) All the information about the installation and configuration of the plugin within the JFusion component.
2) Run and maintain parallel support on issues NOT related to the plugin itself, but rather, to the day to day integration of Joomla/OJS and OCS. That is, a forum and some blog type articles explaining how I have implemented it, allow others to give their tips and tricks create a seamless visual integration of OCS and OJS into Joomla.

Are you planning to integrate with all the PKP suite?

Well, at the moment what else? I don't see, from my quick look at it, how harvester can be better managed using a Jfusion plugin. But perhaps I am mistaken. From what I have seen Harvester doesnt need hundreds of authors and readers any login priviledges. But I might be wrong, I just haven't look at that application at all. If there were a need, I would consider creating yet another plugin, yes.

If I'm not mistaken, the PKP WAL has centralized all the login controls, simplifying this process. Is this plugin integrated with OxS 2.3 already?

I am running OJS: 2.2.3.0 (julio 7, 2009 - 09:32 ) and OCS 2.1.2.1 (agosto 26, 2009 - 07:12 ) in my demo site. As it is a login plugin, as long as other versions of OxS don't change the system, the plugin should work just fine. As it is imperative I have a working plugin for myself for future versions of OCS/OJS, then if necessary, I would have a new plugin built in the case that it doesn't work under 2.3. In this case, I could make a "free upgrade" available.

Could you send the URL for testing?

As I mentioned, I don't want a lot of unrelated traffic to a demo site unless its a serious request. So if you contact me, Ill direct you to it, and let you have a try.

[newone]

Can you send me the demo link for the plugin?

Does the plugin work if you have enable subscription on the OJS website? Or would subscription need to be handled with Joomla?

Would it allow users to register with all the journals that is hosted on a single OJS installation? Currently, with OJS you have to register for each individual journal.

Also, is it possible to create a similar plugin for Gallery Menalto and OJS?

[jamief]

Ill treat each question in turn.

Can you send me the demo link for the plugin?

I only have a Spanish demo up and running this morning. I am building up an English version today. Once I have it up, I can send you - privately - the link. I don't want traffic on that site, only serious interested users. I still have to find out how to CRON the dbase every hour or so to ensure a stable demo.

Does the plugin work if you have enable subscription on the OJS website? Or would subscription need to be handled with Joomla?

Yes, the plugin works with the subscription, because the plugin merely creates simultaneous sessions, and creates the complementary users in both platforms upon initial registration. Of course, applying the plugin for the first time, one needs to synchronise the user dbases. (For example, you might have already 300 registered users in OJS and only one, admin, in Joomla. After synchronisation, you would have 301 in each (Joomla admin would map over to OJS.)

Second part of your question, is no, joomla does not handle the subscriptions. Because you are simultaneously working with both platforms, Joomla picks up the user rights based on the platform you are working with. For example. the Admin in JOOMLA has enormous powers, but in your OJS this person might only be Journal Manager. Also, you control, through the joomla interface, the links to the appropriate pages of OJS. Think of the Joomla as a FRAME wrapping the OJS installation only.

Would it allow users to register with all the journals that is hosted on a single OJS installation? Currently, with OJS you have to register for each individual journal.

At the beginning, upon activating the Joomla plugin, the admin decides which journals are included in the registration. After that, you're going to use the OJS as is, so everything is the same. This means Joomla does not perform user actions that are not available to OJS. Joomla does NOT take over OJS functions. It runs in parallel with OJS.

Also, is it possible to create a similar plugin for Gallery Menalto and OJS?

This question is a bit confusing, because you are asking for a OJS/Menalto plugin. I work only with Joomla Plugins to other applications. So let me put it this way. It is possible to create a Joomla plugin for Gallery Menalto as well. Having done that, in the initial setup, the admin decides which plugins are active, so in your case it woud be:
install and activate the OJS plugin
install and activate the Menalto plugin
What that would mean is that every user who logs into your Joomla site, would automatically be logged into and acquire their rights to OJS simultaneously with those of Gallery Menalto. i.e. They can navigate seamlessly through all three applications. A plugin just between Menalto and OJS is not something I can comment about, because my work entails running everything under joomla.

I should add I had to pay a developer to build my plugin. I did that out of my pocket. I am offering it to the community at a price I think to be "symbolic" of the time and money I had to invest just to get the plugins for the PKP. To develop a plugin for Menalto would create the same scenario, i.e. a huge investment up front, but without, I imagine, the possiblility of recovering much if any of the investment: how many people would find that plugin necessary? For me the OJS/OCS is absolutely necessary because there a lot of related content areas that these 2 platforms don't perform well under, as they are now, and that Joomla (or drupal) is exceptional for. That said, I understand that there is the possibility of getting some kind of simple BRIDGE (which is not a plugin) between two independent platforms, which might work between Joomla and Menalto, but of course, doesn't synchronize the user database across platforms.

There is a free plugin for a software called Gallery2 - I don't know this programme, if it could do what you are doing with Menalto, it might be a way to go.

There are currently plugins already available and free to use for programs such as:
moodle, phpBB, magento, vBulliten. There are others that have developed more plugins. I want to develop a plugin for Dokeos, as I prefer that platform to moodle for e-learning.

Hope that clarifies your questions!

[newone]

I only have a Spanish demo up and running this morning. I am building up an English version today. Once I have it up, I can send you - privately - the link. I don't want traffic on that site, only serious interested users. I still have to find out how to CRON the dbase every hour or so to ensure a stable demo.

Is the English demo up?

Second part of your question, is no, joomla does not handle the subscriptions. Because you are simultaneously working with both platforms, Joomla picks up the user rights based on the platform you are working with. For example. the Admin in JOOMLA has enormous powers, but in your OJS this person might only be Journal Manager. Also, you control, through the joomla interface, the links to the appropriate pages of OJS. Think of the Joomla as a FRAME wrapping the OJS installation only.

This is a good idea that you can limit access for Joomla users to particular areas of OJS. If you have multiple journals, can you also limit access to journal as well?

At the beginning, upon activating the Joomla plugin, the admin decides which journals are included in the registration. After that, you're going to use the OJS as is, so everything is the same. This means Joomla does not perform user actions that are not available to OJS. Joomla does NOT take over OJS functions. It runs in parallel with OJS.

Can the admin modify which journals are included after the plugin is activated for old users. For example, can the admin in Joomla change which journals already synch users will have access to?

This question is a bit confusing, because you are asking for a OJS/Menalto plugin. I work only with Joomla Plugins to other applications. So let me put it this way. It is possible to create a Joomla plugin for Gallery Menalto as well. Having done that, in the initial setup, the admin decides which plugins are active, so in your case it woud be:
install and activate the OJS plugin
install and activate the Menalto plugin
What that would mean is that every user who logs into your Joomla site, would automatically be logged into and acquire their rights to OJS simultaneously with those of Gallery Menalto. i.e. They can navigate seamlessly through all three applications. A plugin just between Menalto and OJS is not something I can comment about, because my work entails running everything under joomla.

A point of clarification, when I refer to Menalto Gallery, I am referring to Gallery 2. And yes, I was asking for a plugin between OJS and Gallery 2. Is there a way to modify the Joomla plugin to work with Gallery 2?

I want to use Gallery 2 to publish a multimedia library, which I would like to offer both institutional and individual subscription. My only reason for thinking about OJS for this project is that it can handle IP authentication. Is there a way to use Joomla to control access to Gallery 2 with your existing plugin script without creating another plugin?

I should add I had to pay a developer to build my plugin. I did that out of my pocket. I am offering it to the community at a price I think to be "symbolic" of the time and money I had to invest just to get the plugins for the PKP. To develop a plugin for Menalto would create the same scenario, i.e. a huge investment up front, but without, I imagine, the possiblility of recovering much if any of the investment: how many people would find that plugin necessary?

What is the cost of developing the Joomla plugin? Can you share?

For me the OJS/OCS is absolutely necessary because there a lot of related content areas that these 2 platforms don't perform well under, as they are now, and that Joomla (or drupal) is exceptional for. That said, I understand that there is the possibility of getting some kind of simple BRIDGE (which is not a plugin) between two independent platforms, which might work between Joomla and Menalto, but of course, doesn't synchronize the user database across platforms.

If there is a way to offer institutional subscription via registration page in Gallery 2, I will not need OJS. Actually, I prefer to do the project with Gallery 2, rather than OJS, which is not suitable for pictures and videos. Embedding does not count. I might just setup Gallery2 for individual users for now.

There is a free plugin for a software called Gallery2 - I don't know this programme, if it could do what you are doing with Menalto, it might be a way to go.

There is a module for G2 and of course, Mehdi's Coppermine Bridge. Which plugin are you referring to?

[nasimjafari]

Dear Jamief,
You mentioned in your post that "There are currently plugins already available and free to use for programs such as:
moodle..." . Can you please let me know where I can find the free OJS plugin for moodle?

Thanks in advance,
Nasim

[hanspan]

Hello, I've been following your posts to this point. Thank you for not giving up on getting some sort of 'integration' to work.I would be interested to see some sort of demo - even if you could provide screen shots for the moment? I think your price is reasonable and if my journal site gets out of manual control then I will certainly be looking to purchase your mod/component.

[jamief]

I've just come back to this thread and thought I should clarify some of the thoughts above.

When I talk about PLUGIN, im not referring to OJS or OCS plugins. Those are plugins specific to PKP software.

All of the above references to PLUGINS are concerned ENTIRELY with Joomla and more specifically, JFusion.
JFusion is a Joomla component that creates "dual" login without changing the user databases of the platforms themselves.

A "plugin" therefore is an extension of the JFusion component which links Joomla with another PHP driven platform (moodle, phpBB, Elgg, Ecommerce, dokuwiki, Galley2, etc.)

JFUSION does not offer a plugin for PKP software, so I have one made. Therefore all we are talking about is linking or "synchronising" the users so that a login in Joomla simultaneously logs the same user into OCS and OJS maintaining their distinct "roles" in each platform.

What we are not talking about, for example, is a plugin providing dual login between OJS and phpBB, for example. The intermediary software has always to be a Joomla installation.

That said, and not to make things too complex, one could creat a Joomla/OJS/phpBB system, and merely NOT introduce the user to the Joomla that is running it, and voila, you have OJS / phpBB synchronised.

If that sounds confusing, feel free to ask for more info.!

[dancyamc]

I was wondering if any additional progress has been made with this? We are a company that works primarily with non-profit nursing organizations and this would be an amazing feature to have. All of our clients sites are Joomla so being able to integrate OCS/OJS with Joomla is a big deal for us. Can I see a demo site? And what is the pricing for the plugin?

Thanks
Terry Carter