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Fabrik, by Team Fabrik - Joomla Extension Directory

Introduction

Graphs and Charts, Calendars & Events, Forms, Content Construction, Maps & Locations

Fabrik is THE open source Joomla! application builder component.


Fabrik gives you the power to create forms and tables that run inside Joomla! without requiring knowledge of mySQL and PHP. Then feed your data into Google Maps, Charts or an AJAX based calendar.

With Fabrik you can create CCK applications that range in complexity from simple contact forms to complex applications such as a job application site or bug tracking systems.

After twenty eight years of IT experience, from small shops to one of the largest holdings corporations in the U.S.; on every imaginable platform, OS, programming language, whatever; in every imaginable job title, from Fiel Engineer and Application Support Specialist to Systems Architect, responsible for some very large projects, there are not very many things in IT that amazes me these days. This extension does. Also, I have used many others and they don't come close.



I have not looked at any documentation, whatever and I have had very few problems implementing this extension. Granted, there are a few items fully documented on the Fabrik Forum during installation. I had no problem finding these an implementing them.



Once in the package, there are plenty of helpful tooltips, etc. When used with the forum search, it is rather easy to use. But, I speak from a different perspective and if I was an end-user with minimal to average skill sets the package has a steep learning curve. If you do not understand enough to further research how to Create tables in a database, specifically, MySQL, then you will need to learn from Joomla tables as you can create simple, database-driven applications from them.



If you want to create powerful applications with this extension, the following minimums are essential:



1. Create tables in a MySQL database, using the Joomla database is okay and the Joomla tables may be used to enhance your application.

2. Be familiar with the basics of creating and using Cascading Style Sheets(CSS).

3. Understand basic concepts of HTML.

3. Know the basics of JavaScript to customize event handling.

4. Be familiar with the rudiments of the Document Object Model.





I would say this is not eyond the scope of a super-user. Developer skills are needed to use some of the advanced concepts such as using CURL and PHP, etc.



In short, a truly amazing extension that answers my issue of needing tools like this, with my arsenal of tools to enhance it, to cut down my application development time to weeks instead of months, using traditional methods, without the Joomla framework.



KUDOS to Rob Clayburn and anyone else on the Project Team that may have been involved.

Poor Support



Posted on 18 July 2007
I went through the trouble of installing this component, only to have issues with the adding form elements. So, I went to the fabrik support forum, which only allows download of 'fixes' if you pay to register. No Thanks. Bad business on the part of Fabrik developers; if you're going to offer a free component, you cannot expect to be paid for support unless it's extraneous, and fixes for bugs is not something I would consider to be worthy of charge.



I've installed FacileForms, and am very happy with the results. Not a fan of Fabrik, not at all.
Owner's reply: All downloads of the core component, modules and mambots are freely available on the site, registration (even the free version) is not required.
paying 20 to get the bug fixes is a bit steep and out of character for a Joomla developer.

If the fix is available they need to publish it!



I have an undefined variable allElementData. Searched the fabrikar.com forum. Same type of problems turn up several times over several months but no answer or fix given.
Owner's reply: just to be clear - you dont need to pay to get the bug fixes - the code in the SVN is available to everyone and releases are released to everyone at the same time.
Subscription gives you priority support, which will get any issues you have dealt with before non-subscriber issues
I read the reviews and was concerned with the comments about documentation and felt this shold not be an issue as I really only had some simple stiff to do. On the face of it Fabrik did it well. Linked to other data sources and gave me the form I needed. Problem is it will not email and if I turn error log to on a vast swag of errors are displayed. I am using 1.0.12 Joomla and 1.3 of Fabrik, I would have assumed it would be stable and functional. the information offered for free was not helpful for these bugs. If paying the 20 pounds is to solve the bugs, then I prefer to use someting else. I do the website as a volunteer for a not for profit org and was disapointed with the product. Avoid the hassel.
I thought this was an excellent product but only once I work out how it all worked. It took ages to figure out how easy the product is to use even for a NEWBEE like me. Its only once you know these three things that you find out how easy the product is to use.

1) When you install the component when it asks you to continue STOP!!! there will be an option to install example data. DO IT. this will give you something to play around with

2) To see a published form you have to link to the table. to do this go to edit your table and in the 'link to menu' tab select a menu and then enter a menu name, click to link to menu. This will publish the item so you can see it in your preview.

3) In creating a new form you have to create your table using MySQL before you can attach your form to it.

The rest is really easy to figure out :O)
When they said it didn't require any knowledge of MySQL and it would all be in the familiar atmosphere of the Joomla backend, I figured, what the heck? As long as I didn't blow up my webhost's server, I desperately needed to set up a database for a genealogical society website. But that was easier said than done. Let me be honest here--I can't even SPELL SQL, let alone program in it...Excel causes me to break out in hives and we won't even go to the hysteria I've suffered from Access!



Installation was super easy. The set up of the forms stymied me at first--mainly because I was dealing with unfamiliar territory. Truly the first errors were mine and I couldn't find answers quickly on the Fabrik forum. I will admit that you have to really comb the forum, but even if you can't find them, you can find helpful users always willing to assist. (It also helps if you read Rob's READ ME FIRST in the forums--which I didn't...and after I had torn a headful of hair from my old gray head, I did go back and read it and found my answer). Duh.



But within three hours I had a BEAUTIFUL database and my users (who are all usually confounded by anything electronic) were happily inputting their data. I then went on to create another form by importing (using the nifty keen Import function within product) from Excel an ENORMOUS database. Once I had figured out that spaces in Excel headings are not happy things from the information in the forum, my data input to perfection with me having to change only a couple of things to get the form just the way I wanted. I didn't even have to mess with templates--they come with the product.



As for improvement: 1) On the extension: though you don't have to know MySQL or PHP functions, it really would help if the terms and functions were more fully explained; 2) a few more information buttons to help "on the fly" would also be great; 3) I really do think that there should be a Wiki page or PDF so that poor Rob won't have to be dealing with the likes of me asking questions he's already answered in his READ ME FIRST!



All in all though, this is a FANTASTIC product and when you're dealing with tons of information which needs to be organized, especially in a genealogical database, this product fits like a glove.
After making the support forum available only to subscribers, Fabrik has taken on the road to make it as good as it get.



Simple the beat database/form tool on the market right now

Error on line 1036



Posted on 28 May 2007
Hi there,

I would like to start with giving my complements for this component! It is a very nice and complete tool. To make a form the way you want it isn't easy but with some help out of the forum pages... yeah it works!



After installing and setting up my first form I tried to use it. The form shows up quite nice but after filling it out and press the send button... Oeps... An error on line 1036 in fabrik.class.php made the use of the component useless...



Because I couldn't find any solution on the web (also not in the forum), I decided to make the line invisible by putting the line between /* and */ in the php script.



After that...

It works!



I do not know if this solution will help you out but at my site it works quite well.



Kind regards,

Norbert

Fantastic



Posted on 10 May 2007
Fabrik has really matured from its previous incarnation as MosFroms. It's easier to install, easy to use, more powerful and is packed with features. It has so far been able to handle all the curly questions I've asked of it.

Well done team!

Documentation Held Hostage



Posted on 16 April 2007
Unless you're willing to pony up some hard earned cash for the documentation then don't even bother. Looks like a promising component but not very intuitive.

Fabrik

Version:
4.5
Developer:
Team Fabrik
Last updated:
Dec 20 2024
1 month ago
Date added:
Jan 19 2007
License:
GPLv2 or later
Type:
Paid download
Includes:
c m p
Compatibility:
J4 J5 (b/c plugin)
Download

Uses Joomla! Update System

Score:


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