MageBridge FAQ

Is MageBridge open source?

MageBridge is partly open-source, partly proprietary. Our intend is to release a product which offers a solid integration between Joomla!^TM and Magento^TM, and because of the amount of work put into this product we want to make money out of it as well.

MageBridge^TM connects two applications (Joomla! and Magento) which us very different licenses. We had to deal with this licensing conflict. Joomla! is released under the GNU/GPL, which requires our Joomla! extensions also to be placed under the GNU/GPL. Therefor we allow Subversion-access to these sources.

However, Magento allows us to choose our own license, which guarantees the technical flexibility of open source but still protects our intellectual property. We call this commercial open source. Our Magento sourcecode is only available to paying customers.

MageBridge is useless if you use only one part (for instance the open-source Joomla! code). You need both parts for it to work. So, actually the GPL used on the Joomla! part doesn't give you free usage of the MageBridge solution.

Is MageBridge free?

No, it's not. The sources of MageBridge^TM (both the Magento^TM extension as well as the Joomla!^TM extensions) are only available against a small fee.

More information on purchasing MageBridge

What kind of tax do you charge?

The tax that is charged on top of our Yireo^TM extensions is dependent on the address details you enter during checkout. In general, people from outside the EU are not charged any tax at all.

For people within the EU, the situation is a bit more complicated: We charge you tax, while there is a EU regulation that excludes businesses from paying tax (and instead pay the needed tax to their own government). But because tax should still be paid in European business-to-consumer transactions, the EU has setup very strict rules regarding the checking of tax-numbers and book-keeping.

When selling software online like Yireo does, it is nearly impossible to implement these strict rules. However, you can deduct the paid tax through your local tax agency. See the European Commission site for more information.

Is MageBridge for me?

Setting up a Magento webshop is not easy, and combining Magento^TM with Joomla!^TM isn't either. It requires work - both on the configuration-level as well as on the theming-level - and we need you to realize this before jumping ahead.

While MageBridge can be promoted as the competitor of VirtueMart, it should be noted that the functionality of MageBridge^TM and Magento is much more advanced than VirtueMart. With the functionality, the complexity also grows. We offer many tutorials to guide you through the implementation of MageBridge, but you need to it yourself.

Still, we welcome you to join us, because we believe that MageBridge and Magento will outrun any other open-source e-commerce system on various levels. It's a rush.

Is MageBridge all I need to connect Joomla! with Magento?

With MageBridge^TM you can integrate Magento^TM into Joomla!^TM easily. You don't need any other integration software like JFusion. But getting the bridge up and running is only part of the job.

MageBridge doesn't add theming to your webshop - you need a Magento theme for that. MageBridge will just pick up the theming that is currently in use in the Magento store and dump it in the Joomla! layout. It is your own responsibility to choose or create a Magento theme that matches your Joomla! template.

When combining the Magento theme with the Joomla! template, you might run into problems: Double HTML-elements, weird CSS-layouts and even conflicting JavaScript frameworks. If you want to create a beautiful combo-site, you will need to be a webdesigner to solve these problems. However, MageBridge doesn't require you to hack into PHP-code. Also with our help on the support-forums and the information found in our tutorials, you have the right tools to make your site to a success.

Can I still use MageBridge after the license expires?

Yes, you can. A MageBridge license gives you the right to download all MageBridge extensions for usage with the domains beings licensed. This means that you can download or upgrade the MageBridge extensions until the license expires. After this, you can still use the software but updates will not be available anymore. Also access to the support forum is withdrawn after the license expires.

What's the difference between MageBridge and other bridges?

MageBridge has the same functionality as other bridges, but is capable of doing much more. Other bridges only offer a cross-application user authentication. MageBridge^TM can do that too, but also allows you to show Magento^TM content inside Joomla!^TM - whether it be the main component or modules on the left or right.

While other bridges are already planning visual integration, MageBridge is ahead of the wave with its visual integration being complete, multi-lingual and search integration being available and extra plugins for Community Builder and JomSocial coming up soon.

Another difference that has to be pointed out is that MageBridge is sold commercially while other bridges may be downloaded for free.

For how many domains can I use MageBridge?

MageBridge is a suite of multiple extensions, which can be used on either Joomla!^TM or Magento^TM. One MageBridge license allows you to install MageBridge^TM (either the Joomla! or Magento extension) on 6 different domains.

Our recommendation is to use this licensing scheme to setup one pair (Magento, Joomla!) for a production environment, testing environment and development environment. But you're also allowed to setup 5 different Joomla! sites pointing to 1 Magento instance. You're free to decide this yourself.

Can I change the source code of MageBridge?

Yes, but the license strictly forbids redistribution of the Magento^TM extension.

The Joomla! extensions are distributed under the GNU General Public License, but the source code can only be accessed through our Subversion server. Downloadable packages of the Joomla! extensions are only made available to members. However, this makes it completely legal for somebody to compile the sources and re-distribute the Joomla!^TM extensions again. The only limitation is that the source code has to remain under the GPL and our name has to be remained within the source code comments.

The Magento module is a different case. The Magento module is not open source, but available under a specific EULA, which makes unautorized redistribution of the source code by anybody except Yireo^TM illegal. The EULA gives you the right to change the source code, but it is illegal to distribute your changes without our authorization.

Can I remove the MageBridge copyright?

The MageBridge copyright is mentioned in the backend of both Joomla! as Magento, and it is not permitted to remove this copyright notice. Also the source code of all extensions includes a copyright notice, which can also not be removed. In the frontend of both Joomla! and Magento the name MageBridge is not mentioned, so you can integrate Magento in Joomla! without people knowing that MageBridge was used for this.

Does MageBridge support multiple stores?

Yes and no, it depends if we are talking about the same thing. Within Magento^TM the multi-site mechanism is implemented through three different store-types: websites, store groups and store views.

MageBridge^TM itself only allows you to configure one Magento website in one Joomla!^TM site. In most cases this is just fine. For multi-lingual content, MageBridge supports Joom!Fish and Nooku out-of-the-box and allows them to connect to different store views. Support for store groups through customizable plugins is under way.

Can I resell MageBridge?

No. You are not allowed to re-sell any of the MageBridge extensions. However, you can buy a MageBridge^TM license for a customer. In that case the license is belonging to you, and you can configure which domains the license belongs to.

How can I pay?

In the Yireo^TM Shop we offer two methods for you to pay: PayPal and MultiSafePay. The latter is a payment provider giving support for VISA, Giropay, Carte Bleue, iDEAL, DIRECTebanking, Maestro, MasterCard and Mister Cash.

If the payment through our website fails, your order will be set to Pending. You can still complete your order by completing the transaction through your PayPal account.

It is possible to transfer money directly to us (PayPal manual transfer or a bank transfer), but we still require you to place an order through our Yireo Shop. Only with a valid order, a money transaction can be made legit.

Do you offer a trial for MageBridge?

No, we do not. In respect with open source, giving away a trial version is equal to giving away a free version. We have done so in the past, but were forced to give that much support that it was costing us a lot more than we actually got out of it.

Instead, you can learn what MageBridge^TM is about - and we provide you with excellent help on our Yireo^TM site: You can read our extensive documentation, check out screenshots, and visit our MageBridge demo websites or real-life customer websites. Also, if you have further questions, don't hesitate to place your question on our forums.

Can I get a refund?

The features and functionality of MageBridge^TM are clearly described on this site (both FAQ as online tutorials) and you are free to take a look at our demo websites to see if our product is something you need.  If you have any questions or uncertainties, feel free to ask our help on the pre-sales forum.

MageBridge is not a tangible and/or revocable good. Also the source-code is open and is easily copied. For theses reasons, we offer no refunds as a matter of policy.

However, at our option and discretion, exceptions can be made under special circumstances. Note that we also maintain a list of Known Issues for which we do not offer refunds. Also, if just don't like Magento^TM and/or MageBridge, we can not held responsible unless there are actual MageBridge software-bugs that keep you from reaching your goals.

Will I be charged every year?

A license or membership will need to be renewed after a certain amount of time - for instance a year. The exact amount of time is dependant on the period for which the license or membership was granted. But we will not recharge you. Renewing a license or membership is your own responsibilty - we work with one-time only fees.

Can I get a printed invoice?

Nowadays, electronic invoices are as good as printed invoices. There's no requirement anymore to send invoices through physical mail. Because our entire sales mechanism runs through the web, Yireo^TM only sends out invoices electronically. These invoices can be printed out by yourself if you have a paper-based bookkeeping.

If you want us to print-out the very same electronic invoice and send it to you, this is ofcourse possible (while it makes not much sense). However, we will need to charge you an extra € 30 for the administrative costs involved.

Can I extend the MageBridge behavior?

The MageBridge-module in Magento catches Magento events and wraps objects related to these events in arrays and sends these arrays through XML-RPC to Joomla!, where the MageBridge XML-RPC plugin converts these calls into Joomla! events. In effect, this process of "event forwarding" causes Magento^TM events to be used in Joomla!^TM, and offers a clean generic way of extending MageBridge. With this concept other products like Community Builder or Anahita can be integrated more easily with MageBridge^TM and Magento.

Unfortunately this "event forwarding" has to enabled for each event manually. The reason for this is that every event is shipped with some objects, but in many cases these objects do not offer the full information needed to extend the functionality. For instance the event that is fired when an order is saved, includes an order-object but doesn't include any details on the products of that order. That's why we try to extend that event with usefull information before sending it to Joomla!.

Check out the development-FAQ

My license expires. How do I renew it?

If the license expires, you need to purchase a renewal. At the moment we are still working on the implementation of this renewal, which will be available in the Yireo^TM Shop in July 2010.

Can you help me with the implementation of my site?

Setting up a MageBridge-based website requires a good knowledge of Joomla!^TM, Magento^TM and MageBridge^TM. We can help you setup the best website. Also if you need custom modules or plugins, you can contact us.

For now, as Yireo, we only concentrate on MageBridge and the Yireo Tutorial Club. If you want our help with implementations or custom development, feel free to contact us through Jira ICT (the Dutch company behind Yireo^TM). Please see the Jira ICT website for more information.

To www.jira.nl

Does MageBridge involve any hacks?

No, it doesn't. MageBridge^TM doesn't modify the core of either Joomla!^TM or Magento^TM. Most features are implemented by using the available APIs and event-systems.

A warning has to be issued regarding the Magento-extension. Magento allows core-classes to be overridden by third-party-classes, and MageBridge uses this trick to fetch data needed from Magento which could normally not be fetched. For instance, the breadcrumb-class only allows for fetching HTML, not the data-array that lies underneath. The MageBridge override adds a method to the class that does fetch this data-array. Note that these modifications are not core-hacks, but adaptions of the override-technology offered by Magento.

Is multi-currency supported by MageBridge?

Multi-currency is totally independant from the multi-site mechanism, and
is configured per store. Because one Magento^TM store is brought to one
Joomla!^TM site, this just works - just like many other Magento features.

Recommended reading

To understand MageBridge^TM fully, you need to know the difference between Websites, Stores and Store Views (or the GWS-system) as they are defined by Magento. This is explained in the Magento Designers Guide and the Magento^TM Wiki-pages.

For Joomla!, you need to have a solid understanding of Joomla!^TM templating for which docs.joomla.org is a good starting point. Besides that, we also recommend taking a look at our MageBridge tutorials - they range from the basic level to the most advanced, but provide important clues on how to implement MageBridge properly.

To the Yireo Tutorials

Doesn't MageBridge add extra overhead?

Yes, it does because the bridge is running over HTTP, which costs extra bandwidth. But because only those parts that are needed for the MageBridge page are fetched from Magento, a lot of times a MageBridge site gives the same performance as Magento^TM stand-alone. There are even circumstances in which MageBridge^TM will perform better!