DJ-Classifieds users. We are bringing you the important update of your favorite Joomla classified ads extension. For sure, you will enjoy these changes and improvements. Ready to find out what you’re getting in the version 3.8 stable?
After the recent updates to 3.8 Beta and Release Candidate, we’ve been working relentlessly. This time we want to bring you the most feature-rich and complete extension for a modern Joomla ads portal.
We have added the field groups support, conditional fields, and more improvements in the latest version. We hope, like all other updates before, you will enjoy DJ-Classifieds 3.8. Let’s have a look at the new features.
Let's see the most important new features
A full field groups support for all custom field types
The field groups feature finally complete, supporting not only the Profile/Registration fields but also all the other types of fields:
Group fields support now two types of access:
- User group access - setting multiple Joomla! user groups to limit the access to fields for users creating/editing data (Post ad, Profile edit, etc.)
- Viewing access - setting Joomla! Viewing Access Level to limit viewing access to fields for users browsing the site (Single ad, Ads lists, Profile, etc.)
All this gives you great opportunities to set up DJ-Classifieds for different levels of access and content management. This solution works especially well in combination with the existing group option, allowing users to be assigned to selected user groups during registration.
The possibilities can be expanded even more when using the additional Subscription Plans app, allowing assigning users to specific user groups after purchasing a plan's subscription.
Learn more about Field groups and extra fields
See how the field groups in DJ-Classifieds work.
Conditional fields plugin (free App)
The conditional fields feature was already introduced in the DJ-Classifieds 3.7.8.6 Beta version.
Now we've released the application (plugin): “DJ-Classifieds - Conditional Fields” (that requires a separate installation.) Using the app allows you to manage and use the conditional field feature.
The conditional fields App is free to download for all active Joomla template (using DJ-Classifieds extension) subscribers.
The plugin does not bring any extra settings. It is required to enable, and as a result, the new tab "Conditional fields" in the custom field settings will appear.
How conditional fields work?
During the custom field editing, you can decide and set a dependency when that field is displayed. After the successful configuration, you can expect the custom field (you created) to show only if a specific condition is met in another custom field.
How to use Conditional fields in DJ-Classifieds
Conditional fields: trigger field icon in admin fields
When using the Conditional Fields plugin, the special icon is displayed after the custom field’s name, informing the field is a conditional field:
The icon can be hovered to check which custom field it depends on quickly.
The refreshed layout of the admin Field edit page with new params
The Field & Field group admin views have been rewritten, introducing improved layout and form fields:
New parameters for text custom fields are also available - "Placeholder" (supporting language constants) and "Input type," for setting the text "type" HTML5 input attribute:
Discover available HTML Input Types
Recurring payments option for Subscription Plans App
The subscription plans App brings a brand new "Recurring payments" feature. Now each new subscription plan can be set a "Recurring."
Recurring payment for such a plan will be performed every X days, defined by the standard "Expiration time" parameter (available in the "Params" tab).
This new feature works for two DJ-Classifieds payment plugins (each plugin works a bit differently.)
The DotPay payment plugin is free to download for all active Joomla templates (using DJ-Classifieds extension) subscribers.
The Subscription Plans App has the option of allowing to cancel the recurring payment.
How to use the recurring payments option?
Plans expiration notification
The new parameter is available in Plans, similar to the DJ-Classifieds component core "Expire notification" parameter, for sending emails to the user X days before their Plan's subscription expiration:
A corresponding email template is available in the component:
Learn more about email templates
Restructured SEO configuration tab with new params
The SEO tab in the component's configuration has been restructured to be easier to manage:
New SEO parameters have been also added:
- "Use core 'Site Name in Page Titles' param" - to support the Joomla! "Site Name in Page Titles" parameter
- "Profile title" - to allow changing page title of the Profile page.
- "Advert title" and "Profile name" - for choosing the heading tag (h1/h2) in Advert/Profile pages
SEO item page title new tag support
The new tag can be used in the “Item title” SEO param to display the Advert’s type in the browser tab:
Improved AJAX App
The configuration panel for AJAX App was refreshed and redesigned. App settings are now divided into four tabs.
The latest AJAX App version is free to download for all active 12 Apps bundle subscribers.
We've added the new setting: Enable On Mobiles. You can now select whether the AJAX functionality needs to be enabled on mobile devices.
Another new setting is the "On Search" option. You can now disable dynamic AJAX calls when using the Search module.
See how to configure and use Ajax App
Places API support in registration
The Places API (either from Google or Leaflet/OpenStreeMaps maps provider) is now also available on the Registration page (in addition to the previous Post ad and Profile edit pages support).
SVG support in category icons
Images with a .svg extension can now be uploaded as category icons.
Note that additional front-end styling might need to be applied to change such icons' size (there is no small thumbnail version available as in other image formats.)
Regions empty selector text override option
The "- - -" default text can now be overridden using the new "Subregions list's header" Region's option so that each Regions level can have its own empty selector text:
More layouts were added for image management
DJ-Classifieds users can manage and use various thumbnail sizes in different views.
We've added a few new views to the list. See the example with all available views for the small image usage (the same views are available for the medium and big image settings).
How to manage image sizes in DJ-Classifieds
New [[advert_link_url]] email template tag
The [[advert_link_url]] new email template tag can be used on all email templates that support the other advert tags:
It might be handy when adding your own button/anchor link in the email template with custom class or styling.
Learn more about email template tags
"Facebook comments metatag" new parameter
This new option allows to choose "Fb:app_id" instead of the default "Fb: admins" as a source of the value provided in the "Facebook ID" parameter (applies to the Single ad page):
Learn more about Facebook comments integration
"VAT information" & "Max image size" parameters change to allow any number
These parameters had a list of options before. It's been changed to allow any number, as some users reported insufficient available options.
VAT information
Max Image size (MB)
"Account type" filter in the Search module
"Account type (Fields groups)" option can be enabled in Search modules to allow users to filter adverts depending on the Profile/Registration group of ads' authors:
See the example on the front-page (Private and Company are field groups):
"Hide empty categories" option in DJ-Classifieds Category Tree
The DJ-Classifieds Category Tree module contains a new option. All empty categories can be hidden. For this purpose, it's required to set the new option as "Yes."
"Chosen" Joomla! script support in DJ-Classifieds Regions Select
The new "Select field layout" parameter in the DJ-Classifieds Regions Select module allows to change the default select field to the specially scripted one, for easier finding the right region:
Yandex Maps support
We've updated the “Yandexmaps” maps plugin, which now brings full support for the component’s global “Maps & Locations” params, especially the missing option to show the map in edit forms (Post Advert, Profile Edit, Registration pages):
Additionally, the plugin now allows to use of Yandex maps in the DJ-Classifieds Maps module:
See the DJ-Classifieds map module with Yandex Maps example at the single advert view:
The Yandex Maps plugin is free to download for all active Joomla template (using DJ-Classifieds extension) subscribers.
The content of the blog post comes from the DJ-Extensions website: DJ-Classifieds 3.8 update: Full field groups support, Conditional fields, and dozens of other new features and fixes
Active subscribers of the Joomla-Monster template, which uses DJ-Classifieds can download the latest version of the Joomla ads component.