Joomla Component Review: eXtplorer Joomla File Manager

I finally tried the Joomla file management / FTP component, eXtplorer: it’s awesome and I intend on making it part of my default list of Joomla extensions I install when I build a new Joomla site.

For several years now, I have resisted trying one of the Joomla file management extensions, for several reasons. One, I use DreamWeaver FTP and FileZilla FTP for all of my website file management needs. And two, I use cPanel’s excellent file manager. I simply didn’t need eXtplorer:.

But a situation just came up that required a Joomla file manager / FTP component. A client was having problems with the jCalPro Latest Events module. Apparently, it won’t work with Joomla 1.5.6, so I needed to update Joomla to 1.5.15. Unfortunately, the client’s host had forced a password change and the client did not have the password. As a result, I could not access the site via FTP.

While waiting for the client to find out the password information, I decided to try eXtplorer:. Installation was fast and flawless, and once installed, it allowed me to upload the Joomla upgrade file. What’s more, it also allowed me to extract the .tar.gz Joomla upgrade file. eXtplorer is essentially duplicates all the functions you find in the standard cPanel File Manager, all from the Joomla administration screen.

The following is a list of functions you can perform with eXtplorer:

• upload files
• download files
• compress / archive files into zip, tar, tar.gz
• move files
• copy files
• change permissions on files
• search files
• rename files
• delete files
• create and edit files

I can see a few potential problems with giving an inexperienced user access to eXtplorer: the user could accidentally delete Joomla Core files and take down the site. Or they might add files, such as images or PDF files, in with the Joomla core files. But as long as you make the user aware of the dangers, this shouldn’t be a big problem.

I highly recommend eXtplorer for Joomla.