In the previous post about Joomla, I listed some extensions that address the category limitation issue. However, installing third party extensions runs into the issue of updating your original CMS software. Before you decide to expose your Joomla site to the Update Dislocation Blues, you might want to look at the upcoming 1.6 release.

http://developer.joomla.org/coordinator-blog/304-joomla-16-alpha-2-released.html

New improvements/features since alpha 1 include:

• ACL: access management for global permissions as well as content item specific permissions, variable usergroups, users member of more than one usergroup, permissions are inherited, really fast
• Extendable user profile, profile view in frontend, extendable user parameters
• Tableless com_content layouts
• Improved com_content modules (mod_articles_archive, mod_articles_latest, mod_articles_popular)
• Article linker plugin for editors

Other Joomla 1.6 improvements that existed in alpha 1:

• * Nested Categories and category parameters
• New views in frontend: categories, category

If your Joomla site was extensive enough to run into the category limitation issues, then before you try to marry Joomla to K2 or one of the other programs, it might be worth the effort to download the 1.6 alpha and try it out to see if it will address your issues. It does require a test site with PHP 5.2, and while the update is not ready for production, if the new version improvements will keep your site within the Joomla core, it might be worth waiting for it.

If you use Joomla, you are familiar with some of it’s benefits, and short comings. The built in banner mechanism supports banner rotation (useful if you wish to attract advertisers), and the user/contact manager, while not as deep /flexible as some of the other CMS, is relatively simple and has several levels of control. and the end user interface seems relatively simple. Among the designer drawbacks, has been the necessity to delve into the core to alter some of the layout, and the section/category limitations.

The category issue has been addressed by a large number of extension and programs which list some form of unlimited levels, nested, or many to many categories as part of their features.

Joomla-knowledgebase.com
mightyextensions.com
www.vistamedia.fr
Accordian Menu for virtuemart
joomanager.com
K2

There are other extensions and other ways to add category depth, and the links above are not an inclusive list or recommendation, merely a starting point.

However, if you sure one of these programs, remember that open source (Joomla, WP, Drupal) CMS cores are constantly in flux. When an outside extensions or custom interfaces are used to modify the main CMS software, when it is time to update, there is a chance that the extension based modifications will fail. You have to hope that the extension maker has updated his software to accommodate the CMS update, or that there are no CMS structural changes that break the hooks used to make the two pieces of coding work together.

If you work within the core components, the upgrades usually let your site survive without major revisions. To my mind, that makes a single db, with a single install & ability to upgrade better than heavily altered cores with custom extensions.

Before you create custom interfaces, install third party hacks, or pay for custom coding, check out what is being developed by your core CMS. The major open source programs are supported by large and active developer bases, while most extensions are the work of one or two people. Unless the extension has a long track record, and is dedicated to working with the CMS, you are
risking the Update Dislocation Blues.