Planning and organizing JReviews setup
Contents
Listing Types
The Joomla content system provides only one texarea field for all articles and it can be split into two: Intro Text (summary) and Full Text (description).
With JReviews, you can define Listing Types for different types of content. Each listing type can have a different set of custom fields and different rating criteria.
Listing Types are assigned to Joomla Categories so all listings withing a category will have the same listing type.
Directories, Sections & Categories
Since JReviews uses Joomla’s content system, it is required to create Joomla Sections and Categories for JReviews listings.
Joomla 1.5. provides only two levels of categories: Sections and Categories. JReviews gives you a third level: Directory - which becomes the top level: Directory -> Section -> Category.
Examples how to organize Directories, Sections and Categories
| Directories | Sections | Categories |
|---|---|---|
| Listings | Products | Computers, Smartphones, TVs, Cameras ... |
| Entertainment | Books, Movies, Games, Comics | |
| Software | Windows Apps, Mac Apps, iPhone Apps, ... | |
| Articles | News | Business, Entertainment, Sport, ... |
| Tutorials | Programming, Design, ... |
When planning your category structure, you also need to think about which Listing Type will be used for each category.
Whenever you need a different submit form for listings in a certain category, you need to create a new Listing Type.
For example, you can create a "Product" Listing Type that will have custom fields like Brand, Model, Price, ..., and this listing type can be used for all product categories which means the same submit form would be used for all product listings.
But if you want additional custom fields for Computer listings only, than you will need to create a "Computers" listing type with additional custom fields like CPU Type, Memory,..., so a different submit form would be used for computer listings only.
Here is an example of the Listing Submit Form for Games listing type.
Using JReviews Custom Fields for additional categories
In some cases it is not easy to find the best Section/Category set-up because of Joomla limitations:
- It is not possible to use the same category in more than one section.
- It is not possible to add categories on the fly while submitting a listing.
- It is not possible for one article/listing to be published in more than one category.
JReviews can be helpful to overcome some of these limitations through the use of custom fields (Single select, Multiple select, Checkboxes) that will be used for categorization. Use Multiple select or Checkbox fields if you want to put listings in more than one subcategory.
For example, if you want additional categorization for Computer listings, create a custom field with options Desktops, Laptops, Netbooks, Tablets, ...
If you enable Click to Add in the field's preferences, you will be able to add new category options while submitting a listing.
Steps to Setup JReviews
- Creating Joomla Sections & Categories - before setting up JReviews, create Joomla Sections and Categories
- Field Groups Manager - create field groups that will contain listing or review custom fields. You will assign field groups to different listing types in the Listing Types Manager.
- Fields Manager - create listing or review custom fields and assign them to field groups.
- Listing Types Manager - create different listing types and assign field groups and rating criteria for designated JReviews editors and users to rate the listings.
- Directories Manager - create directories that will be assigned to Joomla categories.
- Categories Manager - select the Joomla categories that will be used with JReviews and associate them with a Directory and Listing Type.