What should I know to create a component that adds new user profile fields?

[Saoshyant]

Howdy,

I'm just starting to learn how to program for Joomla, and my, isn't it huge?

Here's what I want to do: I want to extend the user profile in registration and probably everywhere else.  That means I would like to hard code some new user fields.

I was pointed to CB, but I have to confess that it seems pretty much overkill when I just want to do something this basic.  So I decided to write a component that would extend the user profile, but I have no idea how to connect with what already exists and by that I mean Joomla's own user management components.  Joomla seems so modular that is very complex in my eyes, and I don't know where to start.

I already know how to program basic modules, but this time I have to do a component and one that may conflict with the existing com_user.  This is not my intention.  I wish to extend it, but without editing it directly, or otherwise my changes would be gone upon the next upgrade.

I'm having a difficult time while trying to read Joomla's source code.  It's heavily optimized and object-oriented, and PHP doesn't help with its ackward syntax.

Tips, code, links, or advice very much appreciated.  I'd love to dig deeper into the Joomla API, but in due time.  Right now I'm somewhat in a hurry to get this one stage over with.

[ianmac]

http://forum.joomla.org/index.php/topic,202727.0.html

[Saoshyant]

Thanks for the link and all.  It's really great that 1.5 development is planning to make this task much easier.

Right now, however, I'm forced to work on 1.0, so any help to understand how to write a component to extend the user profile in Joomla 1.0 will be much appreciated.

[ianmac]

ahhh...  my apologies...  we generally focus on 1.5 here at Joomla! Coding 101 and I no longer really develop for 1.0.  I would recommend checking out com_user_extended.  I'm not sure if it is still on the extensions directory or not.

Ian

[macadelic]

There is such a component that can do this without using community builder, but it is commercial, which I have no problem paying for.  it's called JUser - Extended Joomla Registration