VirtueMart Latest Product Module Introduction: People often check stores for new products. Therefore, displaying a list of the latest products is one promotional tool to attract customers to your store. VirtueMart can display the latest products in the catalog. These latest products are displayed based on dates. The products are then added to the catalog. VirtueMart provides a module (mod_virtuemart_latestprod_1.1.5.j15.zip) in the complete installation package of VirtueMart. mod_virtuemart_latestprod_1.1.5.j15.zip: This module displays the latest products added to VirtueMart catalog. You can configure how many latest products will be displayed. This tutorial, explains how VirtueMart Latest Product module is implemented in VirtueMart. Install: To setup the VirtueMart Latest Product module in Joomla, login to Joomla as administrator, by simply entering the url_of_your_website/administrator in your Browser. Enter the appropriate username and password {which was provided while installing Joomla} and then click on Login as shown in Diagram 1. Diagram 1 1
After logging in as Joomla Admin, a Control Panel page opens as shown in Diagram 2. The Control Panel provides access to different Joomla functions and features. Diagram 2 In the top menu, locate the link Extensions. Click on Extensions from the drop down menu that appears click on Install/Uninstall as shown in Diagram 3. Diagram 3 An Extension Manager page opens. In the Upload Package File section, click the Browse button as shown in Diagram4. Diagram 4 2
After clicking on the Browse Button a file navigator window opens. Navigate from VirtueMart complete installation package folder to modules folder via the file browser that opens up. Select and Open the module zip file (mod_virtuemart_latestprod_1.1.5.j15.zip) from there as shown in Diagram 5. Diagram 5 The zip file name appears in the Package File text box as shown in Diagram 6. Then click the Upload File & Install button. Diagram 6 3
Once the file has been uploaded you will see the successful installation message as shown in Diagram 7. Diagram 7 In the top menu, locate the link Extensions. Click on Extensions, from the drop down menu that appears click on Module Manager, in order to activate the module on the frontend as shown in Diagram 8. Diagram 8 A list of modules in Module Manager is displayed. From the list of Module Name, locate the VirtueMart Latest Products module. Click on that module to edit the configuration as shown in Diagram 9. Diagram 9 4
On click of the link VirtueMart Latest Products module, the Module: [Edit] screen is displayed in the Browser as shown in Diagram 10. Diagram 10 Change the following configuration settings of module in this screen: Enabled: Yes Position: [desired location] (In this case the Position is Left) NOTE: You should have a position free in your template in which this module can display its output. Menu Selection: [desired main menu item when the module will display its output on the page] (In this case the Menu Selection is Home). NOTE: You can configure which menu items the current module display its output. Select All to display this module for all menus. Select None for not displaying in any menu Select Menu Item(s) from the list to make it visible for specific menu items. 5
The following are the list of options provided in the Module Parameters of VirtueMart Latest Products Module: Number of displayed products: This defines the number of products which will be displayed in the module. Show Product Price?: Defines whether the product price is displayed or not. Show Add-To-Cart Link?: Defines whether the Add-To-Cart Link is displayed or not. Display Style: Here you can decide whether the products are shown in a horizontal, vertical or table list. Products per row: Only when Table is selected: The Number of columns per row in the table for the product snapshots. Category ID: Here you can set a category_id so that only products from this special Category are displayed. Just leave blank if you want to display from all categories. Enable Cache: Select whether to Cache the content of this Module Module Class Suffix: A suffix to be applied to the css class of the module (table.moduletable), this allows individual module styling Menu Class Suffix: A suffix to be applied to the css class of the menu items Now you're done. Just click on Save/Apply, to make sure the changes are stored as shown in Diagram 11. Diagram 11 6
The VirtueMart Latest Products Module will be successfully activated (enabled) as shown in Diagram 12. Click on Preview in order to view the VirtueMart Latest Products Module on your website. Diagram 12 The VirtueMart Latest Products Module would be displayed on the specific location of website, in this case it is displayed on the homepage of your website as shown in Diagram 13. The Latest Products display the products which have been added most recently to the catalog. Diagram 13 7
Uninstallation: To uninstall the VirtueMart Latest Products Module, click Extensions -> Install/Uninstall, Click on Modules tab, a list of modules are displayed. Select the check-box adjacent to mod_virtuemart_latestprod and then click the Uninstall icon at the top-right hand corner as shown in Diagram 14. This will successfully uninstall the module. Diagram 14 The Uninstall Module Success message is displayed as shown in Diagram 15. Diagram 15 8