Extending the Functionality of the CMS

An Introduction to Plugins on Tribiq CMS 5

Since version 5.1, Tribiq CMS supports Plugins.

A Plugin is a piece of code that exists separately from the core CMS, yet still extends its functionality.

Tribiq CMS comes complete with at least twenty Plugins for important features. You can install additional Plugins or replace the default ones.

What Plugins can do

Plugins can add functionality to Tribiq CMS in a number of different ways. A Plugin might be capable of being placed on a visitor-facing web page, so as to add some visible (or invisible) functionality for a site visitor. Or it may add functionality to the administrative side of the CMS.

You can think of a Plugin as a building block for enhancing Tribiq CMS.

The 5.1 and later downloads of Tribiq CMS come with a number of Plugins pre-installed. Some also also pre-configured.

A few example Plugins

Here is a small list of example Plugins:

• Menu navigation
• Content area view/edit
• Breadcrumb trail
• Weather feed
• Newsletters
• Personnel Directory

The first three of the above examples could well be considered essential to the operation of a website. They are all to do with navigation and the business of navigating around a website.

Tribiq CMS has this functionality as Plugins rather than as part of its base CMS software because it enables you to replace these Plugins with different ones, therefore enhancing functionality, if you wish.

The last two example Plugins are more complex than the others. They implement specialist functionality which might only be required on certain types of website.

How do I get Plugins?

Plugins are available from the Tribiq Store. You will see some examples in the list on the right of this page.

Many are free under the GPL, some must be purchased under a commercial license. Many have been written by Tribiq, but there are also third-party contributed Plugins.