Configuration

Are there things you plan to offer configurable? Then this part is important for you. Here I show you how to add a configuration to your component in the Joomla typical way. We create the global configuration for our component!

For impatient people: View the changed program code in the Diff View[^codeberg.org/astrid/j4examplecode/compare/t8...t9] and copy these changes into your development version.

Step by step

New files

administrator/components/com_foos/config.xml

We add the config.xml file. This implements the configuration parameters. In this XML file you can use all standard form field types[^docs.joomla.org/form_field] as usual or implement your own types analogous to the already created modal field FieldFoo.

We use a selection field of type type="list". We minimise the translation work by using the global language strings JNO and JYES. All texts that Joomla translates in the file language/en-GB/joomla.ini can be used globally.

administrator/components/com_foos/config.xml

<!-- https://codeberg.org/astrid/j4examplecode/raw/branch/t9/src/administrator/components/com_foos/config.xml -->

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<config>
	<fieldset
		name="foo"
		label="COM_FOOS_FIELD_CONFIG_INDIVIDUAL_FOO_DISPLAY"
		description="COM_FOOS_FIELD_CONFIG_INDIVIDUAL_FOO_DESC"
		>
		<field
			name="show_foo_name_label"
			type="list"
			label="COM_FOOS_FIELD_FOO_SHOW_CATEGORY_LABEL"
			default="1"
			>
			<option value="0">JNO</option>
			<option value="1">JYES</option>
		</field>
	</fieldset>
</config>

Modified files

administrator/components/com_foos/foos.xml

The addition in the foos.xml file ensures that the config.xml file is copied during installation and Joomla can thus access it later.

administrator/components/com_foos/foos.xml

 		</submenu>
 		<files folder="administrator/components/com_foos">
 			<filename>foos.xml</filename>
			<filename>config.xml</filename>
 			<folder>forms</folder>
 			<folder>language</folder>
 			<folder>services</folder>

administrator/components/com_foos/src/View/Foos/HtmlView.php

The line $toolbar->preferences('com_foos'); ensures that the button `Options' is inserted at the top of the administration area. This way, the configuration is easily accessible later in the backend.

administrator/components/com_foos/src/View/Foos/HtmlView.php

 		ToolbarHelper::title(Text::_('COM_FOOS_MANAGER_FOOS'), 'address foo');

 		$toolbar->addNew('foo.add');

		$toolbar->preferences('com_foos');
 	}

 }

components/com_foos/src/Model/FooModel.php

The populateState method ensures that the State object is correctly filled and available to all code. We add the new parameter here for the site part.

populateState() is called automatically when we use getState() for the first time. If we need something special in the method, we override it in our own model - as in the following code example.

You may wonder which populateState() method is called when nothing is implemented in our own extension. Quite simple: FooModel (components/com_foos/src/Model/FooModel.php) extends BaseDatabaseModel (libraries/src/MVC/Model/BaseDatabaseModel.php), which in turn extends BaseModel (libraries/src/MVC/Model/BaseModel.php). The latter implements StateBehaviorTrait (libraries/src/MVC/Model/StateBehaviorTrait.php) in which you find the method protected function populateState() {}. This method is empty and does nothing. But: It is callable. It is extremely helpful to follow up on such questions. This is how you get to know Joomla.

components/com_foos/src/Model/FooModel.php

 		return $this->_item[$pk];
 	}

	protected function populateState()
	{
		$app = Factory::getApplication();

		$this->setState('foo.id', $app->input->getInt('id'));
		$this->setState('params', $app->getParams());
	}
 }

components/com_foos/tmpl/foo/default.php

Finally, we replace echo Text::_('COM_FOOS_NAME') . $this->item->name;. We only show the label if in the status the parameter is set to true or 1.

components/com_foos/tmpl/foo/default.php

 use Joomla\CMS\Language\Text;

echo Text::_('COM_FOOS_NAME') . $this->item->name;
if ($this->get('State')->get('params')->get('show_foo_name_label'))
{
	echo Text::_('COM_FOOS_NAME');
}

echo $this->item->name;

Test your Joomla component

1. install your component in Joomla version 4 to test it: Copy the files in the administrator folder into the administrator folder of your Joomla 4 installation. Copy the files in the components folder into the components folder of your Joomla 4 installation. A new installation is not necessary. Continue using the files from the previous part.

2. open the view of your component in the administration area and make sure that you see the button Options in the upper right corner.

3. click on Options and adjust the display of the label according to your wishes.

4. open as last, the view in the frontend. Does the display of the label behave as you have set it in the administration area?