The default installation of Joomla includes a variety of features which are available for your use at the click of a mouse. Without installing any additional software, you can manage banners, set up surveys and polls, syndicate your content, and do many other common tasks.

The tools that make these functions possible are called Components, Modules and Mambots.

• You can consider a Component as a full application that runs inside Mambo. Components extend Mambo and give it extra functionality. The output of a component is displayed inside the main content area.
• Modules are smaller, generally “helper” applications. Some run autonomously, others work in cooperation with Components. They are generally displayed around the edges of the main content area, in places defined inside the templates (called “module positions”).
• Mambots are small pieces of code that enable a new feature across the entire site. There are two types of Mambots: Those that have a visual effect (like ), and those that affect the way Mambo behaves but without adding any true visual impact (like the search Mambots).

Just to make things a bit more confusing, sometimes a function will require a combination of these tools. For example, the Banners and the Polls functions include both a Component and a Module.

While the technical distinction between these items is useful information, the most important points concern what they can do, and how you can use them. To assist with that, we have provided below a quick summary of the Components and Modules bundled in your Mambo package.