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Layout overrides

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Trombinoscope Contacts
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Since v2.4, some visual elements are displayed through layouts, allowing template overrides. These layouts are created for:

  • the trombinoscope view search and clear fields (tcpsearch.php),
  • the trombinoscope view alphabet index (tcpalphabet.php),
  • the trombinoscope view category index (tcpcategoryindex.php),
  • the trombinoscope view tag index (tcptagindex.php),
  • the trombinoscope view sort filter (tcpsort.php),
  • the trombinoscope list view column sort (tcpcolumnsort.php),
  • individual tags (tcptag.php),
  • the contact/trombinoscope views print/edit/vcard/download icons (tcpicons.php - previously called teicons.php),
  • the modals (tcpmodal.php),
  • v3.0 the contact information details,
  • v4.5 the trombinoscope view custom field index (tcplistfield.php),
  • v4.6 the trombinoscope view display number (tcpdisplay.php).

You can find the layouts under components/com_trombinoscopeextended/layouts.

As best practice, it is recommended to create overrides of those files rather than update them. That way, the next component update won't dismiss the changes you have made.

BEFORE creating layout overrides

Overrides are NOT updated when you perform an extension update. As such, they can soon become out of sync with the extension. You are not getting new features, bug fixes, security updates... Therefore, every time you update an extension you should make sure you check those overrides and keep them up to date. So, before you create an override, make sure:

  • the changes you need cannot just be accommodated with CSS
  • the Bootstrap compatibility of the extension is properly set (in the advanced tab, set the Bootstrap compatibility parameter to match your template's)

Creating layout overrides

Go to the layouts section of your template's Create overrides tab, select the com_trombinoscopeextended extension and then click on the desired layout folder (find detailed explanations about the content of those folders below).

The layouts ready for override
The layouts ready for override

Go back to the Editor tab. You will find the layout overrides under /html/layouts.

The created layouts overrides
The created layout overrides

Content

Holds the icons, modal and tag layouts.

  • tcpicons.php shows the icon selection (print, edit, vcard, download as csv)
  • tcpmodal.php has the code to show the modals
  • tcptag.php represents the tags

The module and the component views share the tag and modals layouts. Any override made will be used throughout.

Details

Contains all layouts that create the contact details' outputs.

  • tcp_detail_address.php outputs the address
  • tcp_detail_empty.php outputs an empty field
  • tcp_detail_editor.php for all data that include html tags
  • tcp_detail_generic.php for all data that has no specific layout
  • tcp_detail_link.php for all generic links
  • tcp_detail_mailto.php for mailto links
  • tcp_detail_name.php outputs the name
  • tcp_detail_phone.php outputs all phone numbers
  • tcp_detail_social.php outputs all social media links
  • tcp_icondetail_link.php for all generic links shown as icon only
  • tcp_icondetail_mailto.php for mailto links shown as icon only
  • tcp_icondetail_phone.php for phone numbers shown as icon only
  • tcp_icondetail_social.php for social media links shown as icon only
v4.1
Third party custom fields

You can specify which third party custom fields you want to make available in the extension as detailed information. Go to the Shared options tab of the global configuration of the extension.

The fields will not show in the extension's outputs unless you add specific layout overrides for them. In the /details folder, add the layout tcp_detail_jfield_[field plugin element name].php, which will represent the field type. If the field should also be used as link field (where information is represented as a clickable icon), add the layout tcp_icondetail_jfield_[field plugin element name].php. It is easier to just copy one of the other detail layouts, renamed and modified.

Tutorial Learn how you can add a third-party telephone field.

Pagination

Contains all the pagination-related layouts (sort, alphabet, category and tag index).

  • tcpalphabet.php outputs the alphabetical index
  • tcpcategoryindex.php outputs the category index
  • tcpcolumnsort.php deals with arrows for column sort (list view only)
  • tcpdisplay.php outputs the display number select box
  • tcplistfield.php outputs the custom field index
  • tcpsearch.php outputs the search field
  • tcpsort.php outputs the sort filter
  • tcptagindex.php outputs the tag index

v4.5 The new custom field index layout (tcplistfield.php) allows you to use any custom field of list type as index for the contacts. In the event you do not use a label, an invisible label is still required for accessibility purposes. The label is present in the layout but requires that you translate it by creating a language override for the key COM_TROMBINOSCOPEEXTENDED_FILTERFIELD_[field name]. Create a key for every custom field you are using as index filter.

AFTER creating layout overrides

Modify the files at your will. They will have precedence over the extension's files. Therefore, if you want to go back to the original outputs, you should delete the overrides that you have created.

Tip When clicking on a folder, all layouts are copied over to the [current_template]/html/layouts/com_trombinoscopeextended template folder. This happens even if you just want to only change one layout. Only keep the layouts overrides that need modifications. Delete all other layouts. This will help you down the road for maintenance (you will know that the files present have been modified for sure).

v4.1

The layout suffix

You can use different overrides of the same layout for the directory view. Just set the advanced parameter Layout suffix. By doing so, you are giving priority to the layouts that will contain that suffix in the name of the override.

For instance, you can override tcpcategoryindex.php but also have another menu item using a slightly different output. Just add the layout suffix (for example 'xyz') in the menu item's advanced parameters to give priority to the override tcpcategoryindex.xyz.php.

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