JomSocial 1.6 Powerful New API: Controller Creation Override

I want to talk about 1 particular trigger point that we added to JomSocial 1.6, that is so simple, yet massively powerful.

We are talking about "onBeforeControllerCreate" trigger point. This trigger allows any plugins to override the controller object creation with any other object type. To put it simply, plugins now have the ability to redraw or control access to any JomSocial page easily, without hacking any of our core files.

Let me perhaps paint a picture of what is possible.

1. A plugin easily block access to any page, for example, it might want to block certain user with a particular custom profile data from using the photo gallery.
   
   
2. A plugin can introduce new 'task' for any existing view. It might want to introduce a new "random" photo layout within the current photo gallery by using "option=com_community&view=photos&task=random" . This is now possible!.
   
   
3. You can write a plugin that can intercept group creation. It might allow each user to create 1 plugin, and it can request for payment (via paypal pehaps?) for each additional group to be created.
   
   
4. If you are not happy with the "invite members" page for example, a plugin can be written to completely override the invite page. A 3rd party invite tools for example, can now completely replace the built-in invite tools while maintaining the existing URL.
   
   
5. Some of you might want to re-implement our advance search feature. By overriding the controller, you no longer have to reapply your hack to the core files whenever a new version of JomSocial is available.

This could go on and on... With 1.6, we can expect some pretty powerful plugin created to take advantage of this new API.

For website developers, you can now create a reusable plugin that you can simply install for your various clients. This will allow you to offer a customized JomSocial experience for your client while still allowing you to upgrade to any new version of JomSocial easily with minimal work.