README

Manifest-driven CLI for Joomla!® extension development:

jxt install builds the ZIP file and installs it on a local Joomla test server with the Joomla installer, run as the web server user – no backend, no root. Afterwards it lists leftovers that the Joomla installer keeps.
jxt sync copies the extension directly to the test server. Only the files listed in the manifest are copied, and files that no longer belong to the extension are deleted.
jxt bridge installs a small console plugin on the test site through which jxt sync writes the files as the web server user.
jxt build packages the extension as a ZIP file that can be installed in the Joomla backend.
jxt check checks the extension before a release: manifest, whitespace according to .editorconfig, CHANGELOG.md, asset versions and language files. With exit codes and GitHub Actions annotations for CI.
jxt config shows and changes the global and per-project configuration.

All commands run in the project directory of an extension, like vendor/bin/phpunit. They read the extension's manifest (mod_*.xml, templateDetails.xml, the XML file of a plugin or component), so there are no include or exclude lists to maintain.

Supported extension types: modules (site and administrator), templates, plugins, components and libraries.

Requirements

PHP 8.4+ with the extensions dom, libxml, simplexml, zip and posix
Linux or WSL; jxt install uses sudo to run the Joomla CLI as the web server user, or a command such as docker exec for test sites in containers

ext-posix is required: jxt uses it to determine the current user and, when started via sudo, the developer's home directory. Native Windows is therefore not supported; on Windows, use jxt in WSL.

Installation

Add it to an extension project as a development dependency:

composer require --dev smarta-lab/jxt

Add /dist/ to the project's .gitignore.

To work on jxt itself while using it in a project, a Composer path repository creates a symlink, so changes to jxt take effect immediately:

composer config repositories.jxt '{"type": "path", "url": "../jxt"}'
composer require --dev "smarta-lab/jxt:@dev"

Quick start

# once: tell the tools where the test server is
vendor/bin/jxt config set joomla_root /var/www/html --global

# once: allow running the Joomla installer as www-data without password
# (jxt install prints the exact line for your system if it is missing)
sudo visudo -f /etc/sudoers.d/jxt
#   user ALL=(www-data) NOPASSWD: /usr/bin/php8.5 /var/www/html/cli/joomla.php extension\:install *

# build dist/mod_example-1.0.0.zip and install it on the test server
vendor/bin/jxt install

# quick iterations: copy only the changed files (once: jxt bridge add, if the
# files belong to www-data)
vendor/bin/jxt sync

# only build the ZIP, or build it from a Git tag without uncommitted changes
vendor/bin/jxt build
vendor/bin/jxt build --tag v1.0.0

# check before a release (--release before tagging, --strict in CI)
vendor/bin/jxt check

Documentation

Usage (Deutsch): commands, configuration, warnings
Architecture: design decisions and code structure
Roadmap: open points and ideas

Development

composer install
./vendor/bin/phpunit
./vendor/bin/phpstan analyse
./vendor/bin/phpcs

License

MIT, see LICENSE.

jxt is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Joomla! Project or Open Source Matters, Inc. Joomla!® is a registered trademark of Open Source Matters, Inc.

smarta-lab / jxt

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