New extensions approved for in-app installation

Three new extensions were approved this week for in-app installation, thanks to the generosity of extension developers and the hard work of volunteer reviewers.

The CiviCRM Extensions Directory is already filled with over 300 available extensions, many of which have passed the community review process and are thus available for in-app installation.

Take a look at the goodies that await you:

The the 

The new extension "The the" aims to solve sorting problems stemming from inconsistent inclusion of the article "the" in an organization's name. 

Is it "Association of Widget Producers" or "The Association of Widget Producers"? I can't recall. One will sort under "A"; the other will sort under "T".  More interestingly, "The Association of Widget Producers - Albania" will sort after "Association of Widget Producers - Zambia."

"The the" aims to resolve this problem by stripping the article "the" from the beginning of the organization's name -- but only in the context of sorting. The organization name is still displayed with or without the "the", no matter how it's entered, but "Association of Widget Producers" and "The Association of Widget Producers" will both sort under "A", and "The Association of Widget Producers - Albania" will sort before "Association of Widget Producers - Zambia."

Bonus: because the "the"-stripped organization name is stored in the "sort_name" field (which is never displayed but is available via API), dedupe rules that incorporate this field can more easily identify duplicates. For example, "Justice League" can be duplicate-matched with "The Justice League".

Double-extra bonus: Site admins can configure the extension to remove any string at the front, any string at the end, and/or any string in the middle of an organization name. So "The the" is not just for the "the".

To give it a try, just log into CiviCRM, visit Administer > Extensions, find "The the" under the "Add New" tab, and click "Install". Done.

SMS Provider for RingCentral/Telus

Want to send SMS messages from CiviCRM? Try using RingCentral or Telus. The SMS Provider for RingCentral/Telus extension was authored by the Physician Health Program of British Columbia and allows SMS integration with RingCentral as well as its partner Telus. 

RingCentral is a popular business communications service that is most well-known for its internet-based phone systems that include SMS messages as well as video, audio, and conference calls. With this extension, you can send SMS messages to your CiviCRM contacts, much as you might send single emails or mass emails with CiviMail.

To give it a try, just log into CiviCRM, visit Administer > Extensions, find "RingCentral SMS" under the "Add New" tab, and click "Install". Done.

GoCardless Direct Debit Payment Processor for CiviCRM 

Need to process direct debits in the United Kingdom? Try GoCardless. The GoCardless Direct Debit Payment Processor for CiviCRM is authored by Rich Lott at Artful Robot and allows GoCardless integration with CiviCRM to process direct debits from the UK. Although GoCardless does not support daily recurring contributions, it allows supporters to set up weekly, monthly, or yearly contributions and records all contributions and cancellations of direct debits through CiviCRM. 

To give it a try, just log into CiviCRM, visit Administer > Extensions, find "GoCardless Direct Debit Payment Processor" under the "Add New" tab, and click "Install". Done.

Lots more where that came from

One thing that makes CiviCRM stand out is the community members who come together to improve the experience CiviCRM users and to learn from each other.  All these extensions are contributed by developers who want to see that community spirit thrive.

Extensions can always be added to the directory; if you're an extension developer, I strongly encourage you to share your work with the community by listing it on the CiviCRM Online Extensions directory or by getting them reviewed for in-app installation. You never know -- someone else might have a use for that exact extension (or want to hire you to customize it for them), and other extension devs can learn a lot from your work. 

Reviewers needed

Finally, an appeal for more reviewers. Reviewing extensions is simple. New to CiviCRM development and looking for a good way to ease in? Try reviewing an extension. Got a couple of hours and want to help make CiviCRM better and easier? Try reviewing an extension. Want your own extension reviewed? Try reviewing an extension.

Reviews follow a standardized process, but it’s a much-needed and much-appreciated job. The time commitment is on a what-you-can-give basis, and your help is always appreciated - if you’re interested, please take a moment to learn more about being an extensions reviewer. 

Many thanks to our team of reviewers, and a special thanks to volunteer extension reviewer Doug Hardwick of Union Web Services for helping with the above reviews.