Button - EDocman Category Shortcode Plugin

Overview

The Button - EDocman Category Shortcode plugin adds a button to the Joomla article editor for inserting category shortcodes.

Plugin Group: editors-xtd
Purpose: TinyMCE editor button to insert category shortcodes via modal selection
Output Shortcode: {edocmancategory ID} where ID is the category ID

Configuration

No configurable parameters - plugin provides simple modal category selector.

Features

  • Visual Category Selection: Modal popup with category tree
  • Hierarchical Display: Shows parent-child category relationships
  • Quick Insertion: One-click shortcode insertion
  • Preview Information: See document count per category
  • No Manual Syntax: Avoid typing shortcode manually

How It Works

  1. Click button in article editor
  2. Modal opens with category tree
  3. Select category from list
  4. Plugin inserts shortcode: {edocmancategory 15}
  5. Content - EDocman Category plugin processes shortcode
  6. Full category document listing displays in article

Usage

Enable Plugin

  1. Navigate to Extensions → Plugins in Joomla admin
  2. Search for "Button - EDocman Category Shortcode"
  3. Enable the plugin
  4. Save

Insert Category Shortcode in Article

  1. Edit article in Joomla
  2. Position cursor where category should appear
  3. Click EDocman Category Shortcode button in editor toolbar
  4. Modal window opens with category tree
  5. Browse category hierarchy
  6. Click category to select
  7. Shortcode automatically inserted: {edocmancategory 42}
  8. Continue editing article
  9. Save article

Modal Category Selection

The selection modal displays:

  • Category Tree: Hierarchical list with indentation
  • Document Count: Number of documents per category
  • Search/Filter: Find categories quickly (if available)
  • Parent Indicators: Visual tree structure
  • Select Button: Choose category and close modal

What Gets Displayed

When article is viewed, shortcode renders:

  • All documents from selected category
  • Document list with thumbnails (if configured)
  • Sorting and filtering options
  • Pagination (if category has many documents)
  • Layout matches component settings (list, grid, table, etc.)

Use Cases

  • Category Landing Pages: Create custom article introducing category content
  • Resource Collections: Combine multiple categories in single article
  • Topic Pages: Display all documents on specific topic
  • Department Pages: Show department-specific documents
  • Course Materials: Embed all course documents in course description

Multiple Categories in One Article

Insert multiple shortcodes to display several categories:

{edocmancategory 10}

<h2>Technical Documentation</h2>
{edocmancategory 15}

<h2>User Guides</h2>
{edocmancategory 23}

Each category displays as separate section with its own document list.

Shortcode Processing

Requires Content - EDocman Category plugin to be enabled. This content plugin:

  1. Detects {edocmancategory} shortcodes in articles
  2. Retrieves documents from specified category
  3. Renders document list using component layout
  4. Replaces shortcode with formatted output

Editor Button Location

Button appears in TinyMCE toolbar alongside other content insertion buttons.

Button icon: Usually folder or category icon

Comparison with Other Plugins

vs Button - EDocman Document Link:

  • Category Shortcode: Embeds entire category (multiple documents)
  • Document Link: Single document link only

vs Button - EDocman Document Shortcode:

  • Category Shortcode: All documents from category
  • Document Shortcode: Single document full display

Choose based on whether you want single document or category listing.

Find Category ID (Manual Method)

If you need to manually edit shortcode:

  1. Go to Components → EDocman → Categories
  2. Note the ID column for desired category
  3. Edit shortcode: {edocmancategory ID}

Troubleshooting

Button Not Appearing:

  • Verify plugin is enabled
  • Check editor is TinyMCE
  • Clear browser cache
  • Refresh page

Modal Not Opening:

  • Check JavaScript errors in browser console
  • Verify jQuery loaded
  • Test with different browser
  • Disable conflicting plugins

Category Not Displaying:

  • Verify Content - EDocman Category plugin is enabled
  • Check category ID is correct
  • Ensure category has published documents
  • Review category access permissions

Empty Category Display:

  • Category may have no documents
  • Documents may be unpublished
  • User may lack permission to view documents
  • Check "Show Empty Categories" setting

Layout Issues:

  • Review component display settings
  • Check article template doesn't conflict
  • Verify custom CSS doesn't interfere

Tips

  1. Use category shortcodes for dynamic content (updates automatically when documents added)
  2. Combine with article introductions for better context
  3. Choose categories with reasonable document counts
  4. Test category display before publishing article
  5. Use multiple categories to organize content logically
  6. Preview article to verify layout matches expectations
  7. Set category sort options in category settings for consistent display

Advanced Usage

With Custom Introductions:

<h2>Training Materials</h2>
<p>Access all our training resources below:</p>

{edocmancategory 50}

Multiple Sections:

<h2>Beginner Resources</h2>
{edocmancategory 100}

<h2>Advanced Resources</h2>
{edocmancategory 101}

<h2>Expert Resources</h2>
{edocmancategory 102}

Updated: January 2026