A long-awaited version 4 of one of the most popular CMS of the world is around the corner. The beta release of Joomla 4 is available for download and ready for testing. All new features of Joomla 4 are there and while we are waiting for the stable version, the Joomla core team will keep fixing bugs reported by users. So, the time has come to test Joomla 4 in a real environment with the first premium Joomla template equipped with demo data.
The Hot Business is our first Joomla template based on the and Joomla 4 and the Sparky Framework 4. It comes with full demo data (pages, menus, modules, etc.) and all the features from Joomla 3 are now available for Joomla 4.
The Sparky Framework 4
The first step we had to make is to re-develop our template framework and make it compatible with Joomla 4. It was a huge task because of several major changes in the Joomla administrator template. Also, the fact that Joomla is now based on the latest Bootstrap 4 required a lot of code changes in the framework's template settings page.
This is all completed and after all, we can say that the new Sparky Framework works faster. It doesn't mean that we removed some features or changed the UI. You don't need to learn how to use it again because it looks and works the same way as on Joomla 3. Now, it's ready for adding new options reserved for Joomla 4 only.
The Hot Business Template on Joomla 4
The Hot Business is the most popular template between our newer templates. Therefore, we decided to start the transition of our templates to Joomla 4 with this template. When the framework is ready, this task is not too complicated. Since the automated update procedure between Joomla 3 and 4 is not released yet (will be available soon for sure), it requires to be done manually.
However, shipping a template with demo data is much easier in the fourth iteration of Joomla. The template developers can simply include a SQL file with demo data new Joomla 4 installer script will do the rest automatically.
Extensions
This template was using several extensions on Joomla 3 platform (Swipe Carousel, Slicebox, Maps, Responsive Lightbox, and Rapid Contact). All these extensions are tested with Joomla 4 and they are working without problems. We had to make some slight code changes in some of the extensions to make them compatible. However, the overall functions and UI are the same, and work fine.
New Editor
The TinyMCE editor that comes with Joomla is also enhanced and now more intuitive, cleaner, faster, and more user friendly. All the demo pages that are available in our Business template can be edited using this editor.
Joomla 4 Beta is not for Production Use
Joomla 4 is still in the Beta phase and although it works just fine, you should not use it for your production website yet. However, feel free to test and experiment on your local server or a hosting account dedicated for testing purposes. Now, the Hot Business template with demo data allows you to test Joomla 4 in a real environment.
No doubt, Joomla 4 is the best Joomla version so far! It brings a lot of new functions and makes the management of your website easier than ever. The new administrator interface is intuitive, fast, easy to understand and learn. The users who don't have any experience with Joomla should start with version 4. It will allow them to learn most of the Joomla features much easier compared to Joomla 3.
The release date of the stable version is not announced yet. However, it should not take too long because the Beta version works just fine. You can test it for yourself with our template.
How to Download the Hot Business based on Joomla 4?
The Hot Business Joomla template based on Joomla 4 with all extensions and demo data included are available for download for all our members with an active membership account. Start or renew your membership today and test the Hot Business with the Sparky Framework 4 on Joomla 4.
When you download the template files, please learn how to install Joomla 4.