ACL Technique in Joomla!

A technical overview of how Access Control is implemented in Joomla!.

The #__assets table

TODO: describe the Assets database table. Fields, layout and purpose.

Also see: Fixing the assets table

JTableAsset

TODO: describe the methods of JTableAsset, a JTableNested.

Also see:

• http://docs.joomla.org/JTableAsset and subpages
• http://api.joomla.org/Joomla-Platform/Table/JTableAsset.html

JAccessRule and JAccessRules

TODO: describe the methods of AccessRule and JAccessRules

Also see:

• deprecated http://docs.joomla.org/JRule, http://docs.joomla.org/JRules and subpages
• http://api.joomla.org/Joomla-Platform/Access/JAccessRule.html and http://api.joomla.org/Joomla-Platform/Access/JAccessRules.html

JAccess

TODO: describe the (static) methods and (static) properties of JAccess

Also see:

• http://docs.joomla.org/JAccess and subpages
• http://api.joomla.org/Joomla-Platform/Access/JAccess.html

Users, Usergroups and View Access Levels

Used tables and classes

Also see: http://docs.joomla.org/Access_Control_System_In_Joomla_1.6

JUser authorisation methods and properties

TODO: describe the authorisation methods and properties of JUser: authorise(), authorisedLevels(), getAuthorisedCategories(), getAuthorisedGroups(), getAuthorisedViewLevels(), $_authActions, $_authGroups, $_authLevels

Also see:

• http://docs.joomla.org/JUser and subpages
• http://api.joomla.org/Joomla-Platform/User/JUser.html
• http://api.joomla.org/Joomla-Platform/User/JUserHelper.html
• http://api.joomla.org/Joomla-Platform/User/JAuthentication.html and http://api.joomla.org/Joomla-Platform/User/JAuthenticationResponse.html
• http://api.joomla.org/Joomla-Platform/Table/JTableUser.html and http://api.joomla.org/Joomla-Platform/Table/JTableUsergroup.html

JTable methods and properties for storing access permissions

TODO: describe the JTable methods and properties for storing access permissions: getRules(), setRules(), etc.

http://docs.joomla.org/JTable is only for 1.5 and lacks those new methods and properties

Also see:

• http://api.joomla.org/Joomla-Platform/Table/JTable.html

access.xml

TODO: describe the use of the access.xml file

How it all comes together

TODO: describe how the above parts are used together in a workflow

Further reading

More information on Joomla!'s Access Control can be found on the following pages:

• General information and use: Access Control List/1.6-2.5/Tutorial
• Tutorial how to use it in your component: Developing a Model-View-Controller Component/2.5/Adding ACL

Contributors

• Herman Peeren