Chapter 1. Overview

This document describes the Macrotone Consulting Issue Tracker component. It covers installation and usage of the component, along with suggested configuration options.

The planning, design and creation of the Joomla Issue Tracker component for Joomla! 2.5/3.x is available in a separate document. The component has its origin in a ‘Problem Management System (PMS)’ developed many years ago on an Oracle Database using Oracle Forms. It migrated to an Oracle Application Express (APEX) based application and incorporated ideas from a sample APEX application. This version takes the sample and implements it upon a MySQL database using Joomla 2.5/3.x as the interface. As time and circumstances permit some of the original program features may/will be re-implemented on toe new platform.

The completed Issue Tracker component is available on the Macrotone Consulting Ltd Website:

http://www.macrotoneconsulting.co.uk/index.php/Macrotone/joomla-extensions.html

Wikipedia defines an Issue Tracking system (ITS, trouble ticket system, support ticket or incident ticket system) as a Computer Software package that manages and maintains lists of Issues (computers), as needed by an organisation. Issue tracking systems are commonly used in an organisation's Customer Support / Call Centre to create, update, and resolve reported customer issues, or even issues reported by that organisation's other employees. An issue tracking system often also contains a Knowledge Base containing information on each customer, resolutions so common problems, and other such data. An issue tracking system is similar to a "bug tracker", and often, a software company will sell both, and some bug trackers are capable of being used as an issue tracking system, and vice versa. Consistent use of an issue or Bug Tracking System is considered one of the "hallmarks of a good software team".

This light-weight implementation is suitable for a small or medium sized organisation to record and efficiently respond to reported problems / issues.

Where ever possible the development tries to lever the supplied features provided in the Joomla core. This enables the same ‘look and feel’ as supplied by the standard Joomla components, ensuring user familiarity and making for easier implementation.