Install Joomla component without manifest file

Question

I have taken over a joomla project from another consulting company, and I have made several improvements and changes to one of the components. Now my client is asking me to migrate this component to a similar project. Unfortunately, the component is missing its manifest file! As a bit of a Joomla newbie, I'm a bit worried I will get it wrong if I try to recreate it from scratch.

Is there a way to regenerate a manifest file from an installed component? Alternatively, is there a way to copy a component from one Joomla site to another one without having a manifest file?

Answer 1

On my opinion you should create the package to install that component, it's quite easy to do. Create a folder named as your component (com_name) with 2 folders and the manifest inside:

• admin : all files from /administrator/components/com_name/
• site: all files from /components/com_name/
• com_name.xml : manifest file

In the manifest file add just the meta information and the folder/files structure as explained in this article and this other one.

Zip the folder and try to install it on a clean joomla to test it, you can add database tables (if needed) manually to get things simple.