Table of Contents
3 Frontend modules
Overview
It is possible to enhance Áú»¢¶Ä²© frontend functionality by adding third-party modules or by developing your own modules without the need to change the source code of Áú»¢¶Ä²©.
Note that the module code will run with the same privileges as Áú»¢¶Ä²© source code. This means:
- third-party modules can be harmful. You must trust the modules you are installing;
- Errors in a third-party module code may crash the frontend. If this happens, just remove the module code from the frontend. As soon as you reload Áú»¢¶Ä²© frontend, you'll see a note saying that some modules are absent. Go to Module administration (in Administration → General → Modules) and click Scan directory again to remove non-existent modules from the database.
Installation
Please always read the installation manual for a particular module. It is recommended to install new modules one by one to catch failures easily.
Just before you install a module:
- Make sure you have downloaded the module from a trusted source. Installation of harmful code may lead to consequences, such as data loss
- Different versions of the same module (same ID) can be installed in parallel, but only a single version can be enabled at once
Steps to install a module:
- Unpack your module within its own folder in the
modulesfolder of the Áú»¢¶Ä²© frontend - Ensure that your module folder contains at least the manifest.json file
- Navigate to Module administration and click the Scan directory button
- New module will appear in the list along with its version, author, description and status
- Enable module by clicking on its status
Troubleshooting:
| Problem | Solution |
|---|---|
| Module did not appear in the list | If your module didn't appear in the list, make sure manifest.json exists in modules/your-module/. If it doesn’t, you might have unpacked the module to the wrong directory. If it does, the module might not be compatible with your Áú»¢¶Ä²© version. Also, check that the web server user has at least read-write access (+rx) to the module folder and all subdirectories, and read access (+r) to all files inside. |
| Frontend crashed | The module code is not compatible with the current Áú»¢¶Ä²© version or server configuration. Please delete module files and reload the frontend. You'll see a notice that some modules are absent. Go to Module administration and click Scan directory again to remove non-existent modules from the database. |
| Error message about identical namespace, ID or actions appears | New module tried to register a namespace, ID or actions which are already registered by other enabled modules. Disable the conflicting module (mentioned in error message) prior to enabling the new one. |
| Technical error messages appear | Report errors to the developer of the module. |
Developing modules
For information about developing custom modules, see Developer center.