Hello folks,
this page is still getting quite a few visits, even though Joomla 1.5 has shipped for some time now.

The title would need to be updated to the next major dot version: Joomla 1.6 is currently in Alpha 2 stage and includes great and long awaited improvements and features

• ACL (or Access Rights Control)
• (Unlimited? -needs to be tested..) nested categories
• upcoming article commenting
• extendable user profiles? haven't found where/how yet..

So stay tuned for some new screenshots, 1.5 vs 1.6 side-by-sides (keeping in mind that Alpha means lots of things may still be broken and or subject to change!)

Later.. ;-)

Compared to 1.0, the tabs in 1.5 are much nicer: using Mootools, these are now sliding tabs with a nice animated effect. Look for some small differences in those article parameters... sure you'll discover them.
I'd like to refer to a post by Louis Landry here about precedence of parameter settings, as these are found in 3! different places for an article (that is, content component item):

it is supposed to work as follows

You setup the base component configuration. This is default behavior for the component in any scenario.

A menu item allows you to define a specific configuration for a component. This at its core is the most basic principle of what a menu item is. A specific configuration for a component. Because of this you are allowed to override the base component configuration.

The last step in the cascade of parameters is the specific data model for that request. In the case you are talking about that is the article parameters.

The idea is that an article can override anything that it needs to over even the menu item configuration. You will find that the ability to use global is still present at this level of configuration. This will revert to the menu item configuration for the component if an Itemid is given or the component configuration if no Itemid is given.

Original post here.

Here's a side-by-side of the plugin type selection (filter) in the Manager:

left in red is 1.0: 4 types / Right and below that in blue is 1.5: 8 types, twice as many!

Notice:
the new authentication options,
the XMLRPC addition (now what I'd really like to know is how to use the Blogger API !!!),
the Legacy plugin which allows you to use 1.0.x extensions on 1.5
[Warning: users reported publishing this disables your site: only blank pages!]

Here's some side by sides of toolbars, you'll quickly notice major differences.
Red is 1.0, green is 1.5

Main Admin Menus:
much simpler: 7 items instead of 10!


Article edition/creation:
note the "upload" is no more,
as this is now handled in the image pop-up modal window directly!


Menu Manager toolbar:
a direct link back to the menus, the new "default" button as you now can use any item as homepage (no need anymore to move it to the 1st position of the mainmenu items)!

On May 4th/5th (depending on your timezone), the Joomla! dev' team finally released the much anticipated beta-2 of the upcoming 1.5 version. This release is more for designers and coders to adapt their code to the new framework, but everyone is invited to test and report bugs so as to speed up release of RC and stable versions. Check out the official announcement.

I'll post some of the new features and comparisions of 1.0.x and 1.5 side by side.

To start with, if you're a designer, you'll want to take a look at the default's Milky Way template parameters and how they are coded. In the administration backend, as you can see below, all the user has to do is set Color and or Background variation, Save, and the look of the site changes instantly!
Now I'd like a way to do this on a per-section/category/item basis.. (is there?)

Also note there's a second template, BEEZ, shipping with this release. Check it out, read the documentation provided for it, it is great for accessibility! (not shown)

Well, it looks like the dev's heard the people, and gave them what they asked for:
much better URLs as a core functionality!
It's a bit hidden, and you'll need two steps to see the effect:

1. activate SEF in Global Configuration (make sure .htaccess is ok)
2. Go to Plugin Manager => System Request Plugin, and set "Build with real names" to yes as per above.

Then, check out the com_content URLs on your test-site ;)

Thanks guys ;)

(read more in this thread)

Lacking a few explanations and improved layout (how can you expect a "normal" user knows what number to use for the max file size (in bytes!)?!, but:Media Manager config is back in Global!? Strange moving back'n'forth..

Very easy to change a wrong link to an article now:
click the button, in the popup, click the article title, save.

It's a small change in the interface, but a major usability improvement:
you are now able, thanks to the checkboxes you'll notice next to each file, to bulk delete media from Media Manager! Thanks Louis ;)

Global Config: only 2 submenus left here: site & server


Config for Content: all article-relevant settings moved into
the new style config pop-up, easily accessible.


Configuration settings for users right in the user manager.

Mambo 4.5.0.1.9


Mambo 4.5.2


Joomla! 1.0.11


Joomla! 1.5 beta

You could execute queries on your database right from the admin interface:
no need to access phpMyAdmin or another tool, very handy -if you know anything about writing your own sql queries that is.. :)

Backup functionality was very handy too.. still wonder why this
was completely removed from the code..?
Of course, backing up can be handled by extensions, but maybe
it would be better to be able to secure the content natively,
without having to install anything.

Soon in 1.5 (beta here): two views: details and thumbnail,
multiple file uploads, tree view to select folders..


Today: 1.0.11 is improved a bit layout-wise, but still lots
to do here..


Yesterday: Mambo 4.5.2 -doesn't look much different.


The Past: Mambo 4.5.1.0.9 -basic.

Mambo 4.5.1.0.9 - I don't even remember how / if in this version
you could add new menus (not item, menu) ?!


Mambo 4.5.2 - a few more options, same system.


Joomla 1.0.11 - many more options, even duplicates now.


Joomla 1.5 beta: a much simpler 3 clic system:
select type,
select layout,
configure (on the next screen).

Tomorrow: Joomla 1.5


Today: Joomla 1.0.11


Yesterday: Mambo 4.5.2


Before: Mambo 4.5.1.0.9 -the good old days where everything was
so simple the admin home screen was only a big flower graphic.. :)
I wasn't around before that.. send me some more if you have!

Native data export, aka backup functionality!


Check in only selected items and not everything at once!


The language manager, which allowed to
edit and create language packs right from admin!


Example of editing one of the language files:
just replace any variables value by your own content!

There were rumours about a new language manager for 1.5,
but so far, there isn't anything in SVN..

Template Manager with rollover preview thumbnail.
Notice the new "Default" button to select the main site/admin template.


Template Parameters are accessed by clicking a template name.
From here, you can set various params, as well as edit HTML and CSS files for this template. See next post.

I skipped Components Menu, which lists all installed components (with sub-links if available).
Here you can see the very simply Extensions Menu.
This provides single-click access to
* Extensions un/installation (for all types)
* 4 Managers for Modules, Plugins, Templates and Languages


The Tools Menu groups
* admin messaging (between admins),
* Mass Mail (to contact site members) and
* Global checkin.
Help Menu provides all the Help content,
which is currently disabled (beta one), and system info.

The template HTML Editor.
I have highlighted some of the new XML -style tags now used in template creation
(instead of PHP code, which can still be used though).


From the CSS Editor screen, you can select any of multiple template css files for editing, then click the "Edit" button. See screen below:


You then get to directly edit the selected CSS file from Joomla! admin, live!
(so: be carefull, and keep backups: copy all, paste into a text file before editing, give it a version number with current date, at the end maybe add some notes about your changes, just in case you want to revert later on..!)

Screen when you edit user settings in admin.
Notice the options on a per-user basis to select
* backend language
* frontend language
(depending on installed lang. packs)
* the WYSIWYG editor! this is often overlooked:
you install (as admin) a new editor plugin,
set it as default in global config, and nothing changes
when you edit an article? => enable in your own profile!
* Help site lets you access Help content in other languages.