"If I want to write an inventory control program, I could save myself a lot of work starting with the Joomla platform," Dexter said.

The platform offers capabilities such as MySQL database connectivity (with support for other databases coming), input filtering, authenticating users, package upgrading, event logging, file system management, access control lists and dozens of others.

These capabilities could be used to build any number of Web applications, such as an e-commerce transaction system or a front-end Web interface to some aspect of a back-end scheduling system. "There are all kinds of things you can do," Dexter said.

Joomla is not the first open-source WCM system to separate out its core functionality for re-use in other endeavors. Developers behind the Joomla competitor Drupal to fit this model.

"On the plus side, you have the freedom to develop custom applications off the Joomla Platform, leveraging core services like security, database handling, logging, without having to use or getting tied down by the restriction of CMS layer," explained Sanjeev Gupta, an analyst with the Real Story Group, in . "On the down side, it means two different (albeit related) environments for the all-important Joomla add-ons ... to address. This could complicate compatibility going forward."