Users and organizations alike lack the resources, knowledge, and manpower to build custom data management solutions, regardless of whether the need involves managing the family photo collection or a manufacturer's inventory. Accordingly, numerous open source projects have emerged attempting to solve this problem by offering an easily installable, well-designed, and flexible content management framework. Of these efforts, Joomla! (http: //www.joomla.org/) has emerged as one of the most popular options.

But while it is simple to install Joomla! and use its base features, many users will want to customize it to their specific needs, tweaking the design templates and extending its capabilities. Beginning Joomla! is the most up-to-date guide available for users seeking to resolve the many common yet confusing questions surrounding these tasks. Along the way, the book takes special care to focus on implementing many of today's most desired website features, such as MySpace-like user profile management, photo galleries, and e-commerce.