The blog feature of Helix3 in Joomla

07 April 2015

4 min read

I'm using Joomla 3.4, do I still need to install K2 extension to create a blog posts on my website? This question is quite often appears on Joomla forum. So I decided to solve that dilemma.

But let's start from beginning....

What is K2?

K2 from getk2.org - it's still very popular solution featuring several content forms for items (think of Joomla articles with additional fields for article images, videos, image galleries and attachments), nested-level categories, tags, comments, a system to extend the item base form with additional fields, a powerful plugin API to extend item, category and user forms, ACL, frontend editing, and sub-templates. Looks promising, yeah, I agree. Developers promised a new version which will integrate K2 with default Joomla 3.4 features (ACL) and appearance of back-end. So we all have to wait. But I guess here is not a problem, but somewhere else. Each time when I installed someone K2 I had 2x more work, not only with settings but also to describe why I installed and how to use it. Normal people, like your clients, do not understand why they need two separate extension for content and second for "blog" post. Of course sometimes you can use only k2, then problem should not appear.

Joomla 3.4 and Helix3 - Bothers in Arms

But I can guess in not all cases you will need all K2 features with extra loaded JS and CSS files - which came with it. Since JoomShaper team published Helix3 framework and there is available stable version of Joomla 3.4 - in most cases I decided not to use K2 anymore. This same move was made by our developers team in last Joomla templates. New Joomla have many features which before was not available without installing addcional extension, for example tags. Also Helix3 came with powerful Post Format system, which is similar to K2 options (Image, Media, Image gallery).

k2 feature tabs

Yes, we know Helix3 do not have "Extra Fields" and "Attachments" yet.

helix3-post-formats

But it have extra Audio, Link, Quote and Status formats which give them new features.

Comparison table

I’ve made small comparison table (advantages and disadvantages) of features of both K2 and Joomla 3.4 with Helix3 on board (installed template framework).

Feature	Joomla 3.4 + Helix3	K2 v2.6.9
Price	Free	Free
Commercial use	Yes	Yes
Import	No need	K2 has an import feature, which automatically converts the categories and articles to categories and K2 items, without any changes to your original content.
Export	No need	No option to export k2 items to standard articles
ACL	Default	Separate ACL for Users and their Groups - not fully compatibile with default
Comments System	Yes, but default is only social comments	Yes
Images & Quality	You can add images via editor or "Images and Links" or "Helix Blog Option". Your images will have this same quality as uploaded images.	Uploaded item images are auto-resized to 6 configurable dimensions, either globally or per category. You can also set quality of generated thumbs. Images are click-able to whole article.
Gallery	Yes	No, you have to install "Simple Image Gallery Pro" plugin
Media	Yes	Yes
Attachments	No, you have to install an extenstion	Yes
Quote style	Yes	No
Tags	Yes	Yes
Extra (Custom) Fields in the articles	No, you have to install an extenstion	Yes
SEO	Yes	Yes
Sub-templates for categories	Yes, basic	Yes, the possibility to manually create separate layouts per K2 category.
Social sharing	Yes	Yes
Profile page for authors	No, you have to install an extenstion	Yes
Front-end submission	Yes	Yes
Content Versions History	Yes	No

A summary

Decision of installing K2 depends only from you, if you need extra features like Extra (Custom) Fields or built-in comments system and you're too lazy to install addcional plugins leave K2 in your package, if not - Simplify your life and use only default Joomla features with Helix3 on board.

Carlos Rodrigues de Souza

9 years ago

A good comparison, and I never sympathized with K2 for finding full of features that almost or little use.

#516

farhad

good explanation and Comparison, Please in other blog post introduce extensions to complete helix3 and joomla 3.4 for extra field, attachments and others. Thanks

#517

pepperstreet

Overall I agree with you. I was pretty excited about the new K2 v3, but I have my concerns about the latest Dev build and the new user interface. IMHO, it should follow the J! backend design and features... and not re-invent the wheel again. It feels like a whole different application.

#521

Post Format System is great... but as far as I know, it does not work in frontend submission!?! A must-have, IMHO.

#522

Kawshar Ahmed

We will try to bring post formats in the frontend submission soon.Thanks

#523

7 years ago

BTW, why did you use the term "post"? This is a core WordPress wording, and confusing for Joomla people. (seriously, no kidding)

#831

shane

i think thats their point maybe, showing that they can bring blog functionality into mainstream for joomla users within their existing framework. it would actually set them apart from other frameworks. i havent explored the blog post format options. what i would like is their mega menu could add article links not just modules. unless im doing it wrong in mega menu. i can only refer to modules not other pages. it must be me

#836

MenuItems inside the menu-manager have certain ItemID's. A crucial element inside Joomla... for routing, module-assignment etc. Single articles can't/shouldn't be linked directly... they have their own MenuItem-type, or get their ItemID# from their parent blog/list MenuItem-type.

#839

www.webactioncentre.com.aui understand, i use a hidden menu to refer to articles i want to drop without showing them in a menu like Terms and conditions, FAQ, Enquiry Form etc.if you see my blog. i added Search and Categories which load out in the menu nicely without any effort. ( a normal mega menu function)..what frustrated me i think was that when for instance you see my services menu. i have many child items going vertically down the drop. so what i first tried to do was arrange these into 2 columns. i found that i could not split the child items in services menu through mega menu options in helix 3. im unsure if that is limit of all mega menu. but for me it seemed reasonable to expect i could at least divide sub menu items into columns that are child to a main parent > Services > child service items...you cannot split these up for designation to any other layout other than appearing in drop down grouped together

#841

Iron Bone

How can I disable adding comments for a given article, and enable them for other articles?

#526

8 years ago

Just noticed the little YET in your statement: "...Yes, we know Helix3 do not have "Extra Fields" and "Attachments" yet. ..."So, there is hope for more extra fields for J! core articles!? And file-attachments? ;)

#558

hi id like to know this. its like for a year this thing didnt get touched?

#823

Apart from Jform-fields and XML files that store data in "attribs" and "params"... "Custom-Fields" are coming!!! Based on "DPfields" by Digital-Peak. Read on over here: https://joomla.digital-peak.co...

#834

busa

Can we expect soon "Extra Fields" and "Attachments" ?

#559

love to know how they got the blog items with tooltip not to disappear on hover off... still cant work this outi really want to add these elements to my blog, but the darn things keep dissappearing, any solid link to sort this would be amazing, im using helix 3 atwww.webactioncentre.com.aui had to turn off tooltips on my fox form contact too. the support there at fox said i was another victum of bad joomshaper template. i love helix please tell me how to fix

#821

can someone please help me with this. i know that it shouldve been dealt with by now and i want to provide clients with blogs using helix 3

#822

As far as I know, this is not a general issue in Helix3. I have seen this with other template-frameworks and extensions since 2013. The effect is the same, but there were different causes... sometimes it has been fixed by JavaScript, sometimes CSS was enough. BTW, I remember a longer discussion over here: http://www.mintjoomla.com/supp...I guess, you have added some extensions on your site. Please, check ALL versions and occurrences of jQuery, Bootstrap, MooTools.

#832

Apart from checking your site's script libs and css... try this in your custom.css or make sure to load it last:*[data-toggle='tooltip'] {display: inline-block !important;}

#833

great news. this has worked for me, and now those elements not disappearing. i will call this answered and solved, im grateful. I did see a component button disappear with same effect but dont need that function right now lol. cheers.

#837

Glad it worked out for you. Which component-button are you referring to? Just curious...

#838

hey again. well i first made SHOW all things in my blog page, including print and email (this showed as a little drop down button)when mouse over it went! would you like me to leave it activated for a few days?

#840

BLOG SETUP and LAYOUT - RECOMMENDATIONS?Down below what module are they using to display further reading??, i'm interested to know and also how they would've shown article categories list in sidebar and blog search or archives. wheres the demo for that? i want to test it for what happens when you resize window all the way down to mobileAlso on JoomShaperscroll to bottom to see article suggestions..my workarounds upcoming >>>> i tried putting categories and search in right position alongside component housing the main blog pagei ran into probs cause if you go using the RIGHT or LEFT area within the COMPONENT SECTION - (i had already used it with contact page - enquiry form on right position and address details etc in the component area - the LAYOUT was setup as 7,5 for bootstrap designation respectively)so when you view on other devices like tablets in portrait or landscape mode. mainly portrait on tablet, you get blog component area that isnt suitable for reading big blog (7,5). and if you start making RIGHT or LEFT visible or not for such viewing in the LAYOUT area. then you mess with other bits you may have set up like CONTACT page for instance which is using its own layout for component and right sidebar. with me?I'm thinking i will have to Make the BLOG the Main Component > SIDE BAR USER and make up custom CSS modules to contain <blog search=""> <categories> appear on different view sizes in different area. and make COMPONENT for layout on TABLET and MOBILE VIEW (12) for bootstrap size allowing the whole screen to display text in blog.... if i do that, then ill have to set new positions above or below and drop the 2 new custom html boxes with categories and search there. and whatever else to make it look relatively spaced out and compact or whatevergod its late here. but does that sound right loli came here again to see how they did their blog with categories showing and search. low and behold. they show nothing. haha. maybe thats why.its a stuff around setting up the work around for responsive display, effectively having to make up some other modules to show the same content but where you want it. in new <positions>im going to bed.!! but thats what i have to do right. or i have i missed something completely. (its about having only one Component and Sidebar really. have to pick which part of your website is going to need it in the most functional position and stick to it with everything else being modular based and ultimately leaving and empty component are on some pages that you have to do something with. or leave a big white BOX where something like an article would normally be.i think maybe a few links to people that have setup blogs in helix 3 would be about the best i could hope for on this spammy like request

#843

Sorry, I don't get your issue and question... you have problems with a standard component+sidebar view? Actually, it works pretty well. Hence the demo site, submenu-items of "blog". For instance:http://demo.joomshaper.com/201...

#848

What do you mean by "further readings"? Related content?

#849

ok cool. thats what i wanted to see, and its showing me that the Component and Right Sidebar have a set configuration IE.. 7,5 or maybe even 8, 4 by look of that in the layout settings, so what im saying is that. if i was to use that configuration i have to stick with it, for any other use of component or sidebar... that doesnt always flow properly through the website. as for instance i want to show contact page with 7,5 not 8,4. i wouldve liked to be able to setup a component2 or 3 or 4 or 5 option (like a component ID POSITION) and direct some articles to load there instead that way i could use ARTICLE CONTENT in COMPONENT in a much great number ways of configuration so as not to bother other instances of COMPONENT LAYOUT.. im not explaining well. sorry lack of sleep.also in the demo.. .search and categoires (latest news) push to bottom. i will have to investigate some kind of pop out side menu for these or some other way to show them. as i would probablyone thing id love to know is how do they show article in full width mode after click READ MORE.. when on mine i did that on portrait view. i still end up with RIGHT SIDE BAR. hence content is very narrow. they seem to have dropped the sidebar after clicking on article read more. which is actually a thought i was hoping was possible but its not default!

#851

im going to leave my blog set up with the right side bar for search and categories for purpose of layout debugging, www.webactioncentre.com.au/blo...

#852

http://prntscr.com/bexx1iactually im hiding those bits cause its not right in the layout 7,5 which is how my contact page currently uses sidebar and componentwww.webactioncentre.com.au/con...so yea. i will definitely be ra arranging my contact page to work module based right? leave blog free to show sidebar at like 8,4 or something. then add some great tweaks you will magically know to make the read more button show blog in full page view and other stuff i dont even know i want to know yet

#853

Hello Shane, good points. Different LAYOUT per COMPONENT:As far as the HELIX3 framework and layout builder is concerned, you have to use Joomla's build-in template STYLE feature. Combine it with HELIX3 layouts ;) Create a new template style in template manager... open it and create a different LAYOUT with different column widths etc. Finally assign the template STYLE to one of your MenuItems/Component-Views ;)BTW, other Joomla template frameworks use the same method. e.g. T3, WARP etc. They just use different terms and add some special features.---HELIX3 DEMO – Why do Blog articles have no sidebar content? The Blog has only 8 articles. The Blog has its own ItemID and assigned modules in sidebar. Hence, ALL articles have also single MenuItems and therefor another ItemID! So, you can use the J! ModuleManager and remove any Modules ;)Another possible way for an unknown amount of articles: Choose a good and versatile Module, which has parameters to show/hide on a certain view! Hence J! core modules for articles. Some allow to choose the context where they should show/hide. ---If you don't want multiple J! template STYLES, you need to modify the main template INDEX.PHP and insert a dynamic switch/conditions. Some templates already store the current page context and other infos in variables... sometimes you have to add it on your own. You can check the current variables or sniff the current URL for any parameter. For instance, which Component or MenuItem you are on... then change your final output and structure accordingly. ---Hope this helps.

#854