Question

Please provide me steps to update Joomla 1.5 component to Joomla 2.5 component.

Thank you in advance.

Answer 1

There is much to be learned at Adapting from 1.5 to 1.6, and from this DVLancer blog:

Global variables $mainframe and $option

Joomla 1.5

global $mainframe, $option;

Joomla 2.5 replaced with

$mainframe =& JFactory::getApplication();
$option = JRequest::getCmd('option');

or

$option = $this->option //If the code is in a controller class derived from JControllerForm

Get page title within a template*

Joomla 1.5

global $mainframe;
$mainframe = &JFactory::getApplication();
$page_title = $mainframe->getPageTitle();

in Joomla 2.5 replaced with

$app =& JFactory::getDocument();
$page_title = $app->getTitle();

Template Path

**Joomla 1.5

"templates/templatename/"

Joomla 2.5

$app= & JFactory::getApplication();
$template = $app->getTemplate();

or

"templates/".$this->template."/"

How to find out if you are on the homepage

Joomla 1.5

if( JRequest::getVar('view') == "frontpage" ) {
  // You are on the home page
} else {
  // You are not 
}

Joomla 2.5

$menu =& JSite::getMenu(); // get the menu
$active = $menu->getActive(); // get the current active menu
if ( $active->home == 1 ) { // check if this is the homepage
  // You are on the home page
} else {
  // You are not
}

Accessing Error Variables

Joomla 1.5

$code = $this->error->code;
$message = $this->error->message;

In Joomla 2.5 those variable are now private and have to be accessed via getter methods to avoid the following error:
PHP cannot acess protected property error

$code = $this->error->getCode();
$message = $this->error->getMessage();