In the world of web development, where languages are updated annually and frameworks are reborn every few months, there's a quiet corner occupied by developers who swear allegiance to a mighty CMS: Joomla. Often overshadowed by WordPress and overlooked by Laravel-powered sites, Joomla stands as a pillar for flexible, scalable websites—and powering these sites are plugins, many of which are tailored, tweaked, and backed up to the point of obsession. Enter the Joomla developer, and their paradoxical digital shrine: 47 slightly different backups of the same plugin.
The Importance of Version Control—Joomla Style
At first glance, having 47 backups of the same plugin might seem excessive, inefficient, or even a sign of development anxiety. But dig deeper, and you uncover a story marked by trial and error, triumph and heartbreak—and above all, evolution.
In conventional software circles, developers use version control systems like Git to manage project changes. But Joomla plugin development, often taking place in freelance offices/home-desks around the world, doesn’t always follow conventional methods. Instead, many developers rely on:
- Manual file versioning with numbered folders like plugin_v1, plugin_v1_final, plugin_v1_FINAL_final, and so on.
- ZIP archives of previously deployed versions stored in local folders marked “Archive” or “Do Not Delete.”
- Multiple iterations saved on external drives, cloud storage, and yes—occasionally—on thumb drives with labels like “JPlugin Masterpiece.”
This unconventional method of preservation becomes less about functionality and more about emotional attachment.
The Sentimental Value Behind Each Backup
Each backup version isn’t just a zip file—it’s a snapshot in time. A reminder of a past hurdle, a breakthrough moment, or a design pattern finally mastered. For a Joomla developer, backups accumulate organically after:
- A successful deployment after hours of debugging a stubborn database query.
- An interface customization that finally made the plugin admin panel “feel right.”
- A moment of inspiration at 2 AM that turned into a viable feature after weeks of stagnation.
Over time, these backups become a kind of changelog, albeit an unofficial one. Although tools exist to manage these changes more elegantly, there’s a unique charm—and unspoken necessity—in scrolling through the cluttered project folder to revisit plugin_v3_workingTEST_new_ajax_fix_final_OK.zip.
Why Not Just Use Git?
This question hovers overhead like a dark cloud. And while many developers have certainly adopted Git in some form, the Joomla ecosystem often involves:
- Solo developers working on plugins for personalized client needs.
- Custom project scopes where updates may be infrequent and files tightly coupled with Joomla's framework.
- A need for quick iterations without the complexity of full repository setups.
As a result, a folder with subfolders named by date or significant bug-fix markers becomes the de facto method of versioning. Efficient? Maybe not. Effective? Surprisingly, yes.
The Dance of Debugging and the Comfort of Old Versions
Every developer has experienced it: the gut-wrenching realization that something which once worked… no longer does. Whether it’s due to:
- A new Joomla version update causing conflicts with deprecated functions.
- A shift in PHP versions breaking custom code logic.
- Changes in MySQL queries returning empty datasets or worse—errors—on live sites.
In these moments, those 47 backups become a developer’s safety net. There’s always one that still works. Stored like digital fossils, these versions preserve sanity. They are ready to be reintroduced, recycled, or dissected for spare parts.
It’s not uncommon for Joomla developers to operate multiple plugin folders side-by-side, just to cherry-pick configurations or snippets from their own legacy builds. It’s a reverse form of archeology—digging backward through time, not to admire, but to restore.
Plugin Personalities: When Code Becomes a Companion
Some plugins grow so intertwined with their creator’s workflow and mental model that they almost take on personalities. A developer may affectionately refer to a particular version as:
- The One That Finally Fixed That Blasted Cache Bug
- My Improved Form Handler
- Pretty, but Slow
This anthropomorphizing reveals the deep connection Joomla developers feel with their work. Backups aren’t just storage—they are memory. They’re chronicles of victories and near-misses, of lessons learned and features forgotten.
Client Projects and the Legacy Trap
Freelancers, especially those in the Joomla ecosystem, frequently revisit projects months—even years—after their initial deployment. Fast forward 18 months, and a client suddenly wants a “small change” to a plugin. The original repo may be lost, the notes long gone—but a local folder named plugin_v12_sandbox_good_for_clientA probably has everything they need.
This long-term commitment to backups avoids total rework and can save entire projects. However, it also leads to the legacy trap: depending on aged code that you’re afraid to touch, much less refactor. And yet, it lives on—because it still fulfills its purpose.
The Backup Ritual in Developer Culture
Among Joomla developers, maintaining these backup versions becomes something of a ritual. Before making a significant change, the routine is almost subconscious:
- Copy the entire plugin folder.
- Append a suffix or timestamp like _testSept6 or _ajaxRemoved.
- Zip it if it's stable; nest folders if it’s still experimental.
This process is rarely questioned. It's an embodied safety behavior—like checking for your wallet before leaving home. The irony? Many of these backup versions will never be used again. But that doesn’t make them any less valuable.
Embracing Minimalism? Not So Fast
The ongoing trend in software development promotes clean code, minimalism, and efficient practices. And yet, in the nostalgic corners of Joomla plugin rooms, developers thrive in controlled chaos. Is there a better way? Sure. Is it likely these developers will change any time soon? Probably not. And that’s okay.
Because the backups, all 47 of them, do more than protect code—they capture progress. They reflect creativity, experimentation, and, above all, the quiet joy of building something functional for the web.
The Future: Platforms Will Evolve, Habits May Not
Even as Joomla gets modernized with new releases and third-party plugin ecosystems mature with better documentation and tools, the era of zip backups is far from over. Newer developers may lean on GitHub or GitLab, but seasoned Joomla devs trust the backup folders sitting comfortably next to their project files.
It’s not about resisting change—it’s about honoring a practice that, for all its informal quirks, has stood the test of time.
Conclusion
In the end, the bond between a Joomla developer and their 47 plugin backups is not a flaw—it’s a feature. It represents a legacy of development before CI/CD pipelines, before auto-backups and seamless IDE integrations. It’s intimate, analog, and hauntingly beautiful.
So the next time you stumble upon a developer with 10 slightly different folders of the same plugin, don't scoff. You're witnessing the endearing survival strategy of someone who’s seen Joomla through its many phases—and has the backup files to prove it.
