Every tool I create has a story, and XMLForm—my free Joomla plugin for custom fields—is no exception. From a single pull request in 2017 to a triumphant rebrand in 2025, I’ve poured my passion into this project. Let me take you back to the beginning and share my journey from the original SubForm plugin to the limitless XMLForm tool I’m releasing today.
The Spark: My 2017 Breakthrough
It all started on December 8, 2017, when I submitted Joomla pull request #19025. I saw a gap in Joomla’s custom fields system—launched just a year earlier with basic types like text, select, and SQL lists—that didn’t match the power of the JForm (now Form) system. To fix this, I proposed encoding custom field values as JSON in the database. When Joomla merged it, I knew I’d unlocked something big. That inspired me to create the SubForm plugin, using JSON to let me define XML-driven forms with nested fields and repeatable groups. It became my go-to solution, solving real problems on my sites and for my clients.
My 2018 Naming Battle
SubForm gained traction, but in late 2018, I faced a challenge. Joomla’s core developers started building their own subform field and eyed my "fields_subform" name! I thought their version was inferior, lacking the flexibility I’d built into SubForm. So, I fought back in pull request #22446 and somehow convinced them to rename theirs to "SubFields." That win felt like a validation of my work, and I was proud to keep my plugin’s identity intact.
My Joomla 4 Reckoning
Just when I thought SubForm was safe, Joomla 4—launched in August 2021—threw a curveball. Their native "Subform" field clashed with my plugin’s namespace, and two extensions can’t coexist in Joomla’s filesystem. I was “dead in the water.” The core version was functional but didn’t match SubForm’s depth, yet its official status made mine obsolete. Instead of quitting, I refactored SubForm into "XMLForm" as a personal workaround. It was crude, but it kept my workflows alive through Joomla 4 and 5. XMLForm stayed my raw, unpolished passion project.
My 2025 Revival
Now, it’s March 2025, and I’m excited to share the moment I’ve been working toward. After modernizing XMLForm for Joomla 5, I’m releasing it for free. This isn’t just nostalgia—it’s a polished tool I believe in, and I want the Joomla community to use it without barriers. XMLForm keeps the essence of SubForm: XML-driven forms, custom field support, multilingual readiness, and limitless output. Whether I’m building Twitter Card meta tags, 3D-rendered boxes, or JSON-LD for SEO, it delivers. I’ll soon add a growing library of examples from my sites, making it a cornerstone for Joomla customization.
Why It Matters to Me
My history with XMLForm is deeply personal—it’s about adapting and pushing boundaries. That first pull request, #19025, wasn’t just a technical win; it was my first Joomla pull request ever. When it was accepted, I earned the "contributor" label on Joomla’s GitHub pages. That day, I became a Joomla core contributor, and a piece of me is now part of the CMS I love. From that milestone to this free release, XMLForm reflects my Joomla spirit. For those who used my original SubForm, the rename to XMLForm marks a new chapter, driven by Joomla’s evolution and my determination. Unlike "Fields - Subform," which aligns with the core, XMLForm remains my sandbox for developers like me.
I hope you enjoyed the history lesson, and Fields - XMLForm now has a richer history for you.
