An Opus module is one layout: a few rows, blocks placed in them, and in each block a stack of elements. Everything is set in the module's Layout tab.
The module's tabs
| Tab | What it holds |
|---|---|
| Module | The presentation of Opus and the version number. No settings. |
| Layout | The rows, the blocks, their elements, and the choice of a starting layout. |
| Custom CSS | A stylesheet for this module only, the list of classes it writes, and the fill gauge (chapter 7). |
| Icons | The icon sheet and your own icons (chapter 7.1). |
| Menu Assignment, Advanced, Permissions | The usual tabs of any Joomla module. |
Three words to know
- A row is a horizontal band of the layout. It has one, two or three columns (chapter 4).
- A block sits in a row and a column. It says what it draws: simple block, cards, gallery, carousel, tabs or timeline (chapter 4.1).
- An element is the basic piece: a heading, a text, an image, a button, a list, and some fifteen others (chapter 4.2). Every block, card, tab and timeline step carries its own stack of elements.
The controls of a line
Every row, block and element is shown on a line that carries the same controls:
- the handle, on the left, to drag the line to another place. From the keyboard, the up and down arrow keys on the handle move the line;
- + to add a line right after, − to remove it;
- Duplicate, to start again from a copy;
- the eye, on a block, an element or a card: the crossed-out eye removes the content from the page without erasing what was typed. It is the way to set content aside for a season;
- the cog, which opens the Row settings panel: the settings you need one time in ten (class, ID, image format...) live there so as not to clutter the screen;
- the fold arrow, to fold a block down to its title. One button folds or unfolds every element at once.
Every field carries an ⓘ badge: it shows the field's help, on click or from the keyboard.
If a field is filled in wrongly when you save (an email without @, for example), a The module has not been saved window lists the fields to correct. Go to the field opens the right panel and puts the cursor in the field, where the message shows in red.
What will be output
On the right of the screen, the What will be output panel draws the layout as the visitor will see it: the rows, their columns, the blocks and their elements. It shows what will be output, not what was typed: an element with a crossed-out eye is not in it, nor is a button without a label, and a row without blocks is flagged "will not be shown".
It answers the question you ask yourself while setting things up: "where will this block land?".
Up to date for Opus 1.5.930.