Having as a common point the code revision and updates regarding compatibility with Joomla version 5 and – possibly – upcoming versions, below are some fairy old software packages which have thus been modernized a bit.
By a peculiar coincidence, I came across this effect on the home page of a website built with Joomla! 3. Something undefined about it caught my attention and so I started investigating the possibility of using it within Joomla! 5.
A complete overhaul of the entire code proved to be necessary, but in the end the module became perfectly functional and compatible with Joomla! 5. Some fine display details have even been corrected, other fine details may still require some adjustments in the legacy code, but as it stands now the module is stable and can be used with full success.
The weirdest thing I happen to found during the code conversion, however, is related to the module naming.
Before anything else: because of the contradictory * YOOtheme Proprietary Use License on which the Widgetkit was originally published, I prefer to NOT provide here the Widgetkit package for download. Instead, I will only provide this version as an update for those websites that are still using the original old Widgetkit 1.5 version once purchased and therefore where the Joomla! version itself is still old, such as 2.5 or 3 and who thus want it to upgrade, while still keeping the exact effects setup provided by the original Widgetkit 1.5 version.
Specifically, the Polaroid ** pictures effect. More info in the article below.
* Contradictory, because once it says “The Software is licensed under the GNU General Public License (GPL)” and then it states that “These Terms of Service do not grant you any right, title or license to copy, reproduce, sell, or otherwise distribute any part of the intellectual property”, a statement which effectively breaks the GPL license terms.
** Addressed to those who still know what a “Polaroid” picture is :)
Just recently I had to fix a technical trouble to an old Joomla! based website. That web site used a picture layout effect called “Polaroid” (as I found out from the page code), that turned out to be part of an old version of an extension called “Widgetkit”, developed by YOOtheme GmbH.
While I was trying to convince the owner of that website about the need to update Joomla! to the latest version (which in the end I didn’t succeeded), I investigated the availability of that extension in terms of compatibility with the latest Joomla! versions. So I found out that the Widgetkit extension still exists and is actively maintained, but to my surpise I also found out that the Polaroid effect was removed many years ago, inspite of a few random user requests for this effect to remain available in the newer versions.
The template on which this web site is based on was made years ago by the JoomlaShine company, which at some point it Officially Closes Its Door. Because of this, the development of their otherwise high quality Joomla! templates remained frozen in time at Joomla! 3 version level.
There was a lot of fuss from customers who suddenly saw themselves abandoned, many complained in various ways, but strangely no one seems to have taken any part of their original products to continue development – at least in the meaning to ensure compatibility with newer Joomla! (and PHP) versions.
Because I found myself faced with a combination of factors – such as trying to stay in line with the most recent Joomla! core development, combined with the fact that it proved quite difficult to find another actively supported Joomla! template that could be easily adapted to look just like my existing web site – I decided to take the hard way: I converted the old template code (generation 1) for Joomla! 3 and its required template framework (also generation 1) to become compatible with Joomla! 5.
Notes:
In principle, the JSN Solid PRO template provided here may be compatible also with Joomla! 4, but if it’s going to be a hassle anyway, then let it be all the way :) Maybe one day I will find time to do the same with JSN Epic PRO and possibly also with JSN Ventura PRO templates, but most likely not anytime soon.
Installing the JSN Solid PRO template provided here makes sense rather for web sites that are still using it with Joomla! 3 and must inevitably be updated to Joomla! 5, while keeping the same look and feel *.
* However, some minor tweaks within the template’s css files may be then required – therefore, not only for backup, but also for reference and comparison, it is strongly advised to have the old site reproduced separately in either way.