Easy Docman List 5.0.0 is a Joomla content plugin from JoomlaX with an optional site module. It displays Joomlatools DOCman categories and documents in polished front-end layouts.

You can publish lists in two ways: {docmanlist} shortcodes inside articles, or the Easy Docman List site module in template positions. Both share the same layout files, modern edl- CSS, and plugin default settings.

What you can do

• Show documents from one or more DOCman categories (with optional subfolder depth)
• Choose from 24+ layouts: flat and nested tables, lists, simple file lists, image galleries, dropdowns, carts, and category browsers
• Toggle columns: file size, added date, download count, description, category links, file type icons, modal view links
• Control ordering by title, alias, publish dates, created/modified dates, or filename
• Expand or collapse nested category trees with chevron toggles
• List specific document IDs only with listSpecificDocuments
• Cache output per shortcode for performance
• Override any setting per shortcode keyword or per module instance

Who it is for

Sites that already use DOCman and need better-looking download lists in articles, sidebars, member areas, product spec pages, and nested folder archives. Easy Docman List does not replace DOCman: it is the presentation layer on top of your existing library.

Package contents

• plg_content_docmanlist (required): content plugin for shortcodes
• mod_easy_docman_list (optional): site module for positions

Built for modern Joomla

• Joomla 5.x
• PHP 8.1 or later recommended
• Web Asset Manager for CSS, JS, and Font Awesome
• Grouped custom form fields and namespaces
• DOCman 5 compatibility (NULL publish dates treated as published)

Before you install

• Joomla: 5.0.0 or newer
• PHP: 8.1 or newer recommended
• DOCman: Joomlatools DOCman (com_docman) installed, licensed, and working
• Content: at least one DOCman category with published documents
• Access: a Super User account to install extensions and configure plugins

DOCman setup checklist

1. Install DOCman from Joomlatools and complete its installer
2. Create categories under DOCman administrator
3. Upload and publish documents in those categories
4. Confirm visitors can download files through normal DOCman pages
5. Note category IDs (visible in the module picker or DOCman category list)

Helpful but optional

• Font Awesome already loaded by your template (the plugin registers FA if needed)
• A module position for sidebar or footer lists
• Template layout overrides under html/plg_content_docmanlist/

Not required

• jQuery
• A separate document database (Easy Docman List reads DOCman tables)
• Both plugin and module (plugin alone is enough for shortcodes)

Step 1: Download

Email: After you buy from the JoomlaX store, you receive a download link by email.

Store: You can also open the Downloads section with the same email used at checkout.

File name: EasyDocmanList_UNZIP.zip

Step 2: Unzip on your computer

1. Extract EasyDocmanList_UNZIP.zip.
2. Inside you should see:
   • plg_content_docmanlist_5.0.0.zip (install first)
   • mod_easy_docman_list_1.0.0.zip (optional module)
   • ReadMe.txt

Step 3: Install in Joomla

1. Log in to the Joomla administrator.
2. Go to System > Install > Extensions.
3. Upload plg_content_docmanlist_5.0.0.zip and wait for success.
4. Optionally upload mod_easy_docman_list_1.0.0.zip.
5. Clear cache: System > Maintenance > Clear Cache.

Step 4: Enable the plugin

1. Go to System > Plugins.
2. Search for Easy Docman List or docmanlist.
3. Click the plugin name and set Status to Enabled.
4. Review default settings on the plugin tabs (Layout, Source, and so on).
5. Click Save & Close.

What the package installs

• Content plugin: plg_content_docmanlist with layout PHP files under plugins/content/docmanlist/docmanlist/layouts/
• Site module: mod_easy_docman_list (if you installed the module zip)
• Assets: edl.css, edl.js, and UI helpers under the plugin folder

Updates

Install newer zips the same way. Both extensions use method="upgrade" so settings are preserved. Configure the update server in the store when available.

Follow these steps in order the first time. Allow about 10 to 20 minutes after DOCman is already working.

1. Confirm DOCman content

1. Open Components > DOCman (or your DOCman menu).
2. Verify categories exist and documents are Published.
3. Open a normal DOCman front-end page and confirm downloads work.
4. Note one category ID that contains files (for example category 2).

2. Set plugin defaults

1. Go to System > Plugins > Content - Easy Docman List.
2. On the Layout tab, pick a default layout (Table is a good start).
3. On Source & Filters, set Limit if needed (default 9999).
4. On Documents & Columns, choose which columns visitors see.
5. Click Save & Close.

3. Add a shortcode to an article

1. Go to Content > Articles and open or create an article.
2. In the body, add: {docmanlist 2} (replace 2 with your category ID).
3. Save and publish the article.
4. View the article on the front end. Clear cache and hard-refresh (Ctrl+F5) if needed.

4. Optional: create a module

1. Go to Content > Site Modules > New.
2. Select Easy Docman List.
3. On Source, select one or more DOCman categories.
4. On Layout, pick a DOCman layout (or leave empty to use the plugin default).
5. Set Position, Menu Assignment, and Status to Published.
6. Save and check the assigned page.

Student tip

Change one setting at a time, save, then refresh the front end. If a parent category looks empty, enable Include subfolders or pick a child category that holds files directly.

Easy Docman List ships as a content plugin and an optional site module. Both render the same DOCman output through the same layout engine.

Content plugin (required for shortcodes)

• Name: Content - Easy Docman List (plg_content_docmanlist)
• Use when: documents belong inside an article body, landing page copy, or blog post
• How: type {docmanlist} shortcodes with category IDs and optional keywords
• Defaults: plugin parameter tabs apply to every shortcode unless overridden

Site module (optional)

• Name: Easy Docman List (mod_easy_docman_list)
• Use when: lists belong in sidebars, footers, home page positions, or demo pages
• How: create a module instance, pick categories, assign to menu items
• Inheritance: empty module fields mean use plugin default for that setting
• Wrapper layouts: Default, Card, and Bare module chrome (Joomla module layout, not DOCman layout)

Important naming note

The module stores DOCman layout in docman_layout so it does not clash with Joomla module layout (layout for Default/Card/Bare wrappers).

Both on one page

Version 5.0.0 supports a shortcode block and one or more modules on the same page. Each instance gets its own .edl-root wrapper. CSS and JS load once per page.

Which should you use?

• Articles only: install and enable the plugin
• Sidebars and global download boxes: add the module
• Large sites: use both; set sensible plugin defaults, then override per module or shortcode

Shortcodes use the form {docmanlist ...}. The plugin replaces each tag with rendered HTML when the article is displayed.

Basic category list

{docmanlist 123}

Show documents in category ID 123 using plugin default layout and columns.

Multiple categories

{docmanlist 34|56|78}

Pipe-separated category IDs in one list.

Include subfolders

{docmanlist get_subfolders 2 123}

Walk subfolders up to 2 levels deep starting from category 123. Use nested layouts for tree-style output.

All subfolders (high depth)

{docmanlist get_subfolders 99 0}

From the root or a deep tree when you need maximum depth (use with care on large libraries).

Labelled subfolder groups

{docmanlist get_subfolders 3 102:Subcommittees|123:Agendas,Minutes}

Specific documents only

{docmanlist listSpecificDocuments 43,87,80}

Layout keywords

• useTableLayout
• useNestedTableLayout
• useListLayout
• useDropdownLayout

Example nested table:

{docmanlist useNestedTableLayout autoExpandTwoLevels get_subfolders 3 123}

Display toggles

• showCollapsed / expand keywords
• hideSize, showAddedOn, showLastUpdatedOn
• showUploadedBy, showUsersActualName

Ordering keywords

{docmanlist orderByName orderAscending 123}

{docmanlist orderByDate orderDescending 123}

Copyable examples in admin

Open System > Plugins > Content - Easy Docman List and go to the Shortcode Examples tab. Each example has a copy button for quick paste into articles.

Student tip

Start with {docmanlist 2} and one known category. Add keywords only after the basic list works.

The Easy Docman List module renders DOCman lists in module positions without shortcodes.

Create or open an instance

1. Go to Content > Site Modules.
2. Click New and select Easy Docman List.
3. Set Title, Position, Status, and Menu Assignment.
4. Configure the parameter tabs below.
5. Click Save.

Source tab

• Categories: multi-select DOCman categories (labels show IDs)
• Include subfolders: include child categories in the query
• Subfolder levels: depth when subfolders are enabled
• Specific documents: comma-separated document IDs (optional, overrides category selection behaviour when set)

Layout tab

• DOCman layout: grouped dropdown (same options as the plugin)
• Show expanded: start nested trees open or closed
• Auto expand level: how many levels open automatically
• Image columns: 2 to 5 for gallery layouts

Display tab

Each toggle offers Use plugin default, Yes, or No for category links, description, size, file type icons, download count, added date, and modal view links.

Ordering tab

Order field and direction, or leave empty for plugin defaults.

Performance tab

Cache on/off and cache lifetime, or inherit from plugin.

Advanced tab

• Module layout: Default, Card, or Bare wrapper (not the DOCman layout)
• Module class suffix and standard Joomla module cache

loadposition

Publish the module to a named position and embed it in an article with {loadposition downloads} if your site uses the loadmodule plugin.

Layouts are PHP templates under plugins/content/docmanlist/docmanlist/layouts/. The admin dropdown groups them into Flat tables, Nested tables, Flat lists, Nested lists, Galleries, and Special layouts.

Flat tables

• table: standard download table
• table_with_preview: table with preview column
• table_labels_in_columns: labels in separate columns

Nested tables

• nestedtable and variants with preview or column labels
• Best for folder trees with files listed under each category row

Flat lists

• list: card-style rows with title, download actions, and meta (2026 UI)
• simplefilelist: compact filename list
• simplefilelist_css3_columns: multi-column CSS columns layout

Nested lists

• nestedlist, nestedsimplefilelist, and CSS column variants
• Chevron expand/collapse for subcategories

Galleries

• imagecolumns: responsive thumbnail grid (set image columns 2 to 5)
• imagelist: vertical image list
• Nested variants: nestedimagecolumns, nestedimagelist

Special layouts

• dropdown: compact select menu of documents or categories
• cart / standalonecart: DOCman cart integration layouts
• categories / nestedcategories: category tree without listing every file

Choosing a layout

• Single category, flat files: table or list
• Multi-level folders: nestedtable or nestedlist with Include subfolders
• Image-heavy library: imagecolumns with 3 or 4 columns
• Navigation hub: nestedcategories (files appear after visitors open a category in DOCman)
• Minimal sidebar: simplefilelist or dropdown

Template overrides

Copy any layout file to templates/YOUR_TEMPLATE/html/plg_content_docmanlist/layoutname.php. Overrides appear automatically in the dropdown.

Plugin defaults live under System > Plugins > Content - Easy Docman List. Shortcodes and modules inherit these unless overridden.

Layout tab

• Default layout (grouped dropdown)
• Show expanded, auto expand level
• Custom table column widths (overall, filename, description)
• Iframe height/width for preview layouts
• Image columns (2 to 5) and simple file list columns
• Enable new CSS (modern edl- UI, recommended on)

Source & Filters tab

• Document limit
• Filters for published state and access (respects DOCman rules)

Links & Menu tab

• Category link behaviour
• Menu item integration options where applicable

Categories tab

• Default category handling for shortcodes without IDs
• Subfolder-related defaults

Documents & Columns tab

• Show category links, description, size, file type icons
• Show download count, added date, modal view links
• User name display options

Ordering tab

• Default order field: title, alias, publish_on, created_on, storage_path, and more
• Default direction: ASC or DESC

Performance tab

• Cache enabled
• Cache lifetime in seconds

Shortcode Examples tab

Copyable shortcodes with descriptions. Use this tab as your cheat sheet when editing articles.

Version 5.0.0 introduces a scoped design system so DOCman lists look modern on any template.

edl- class prefix

All front-end styling lives under .edl-root. Each plugin or module output wraps in .edl-root.edl-root--{layout} so rules do not leak into your template or vice versa.

Font Awesome icons

File types and folders use Font Awesome icons instead of legacy PNG sprites. The plugin registers Font Awesome through the Web Asset Manager when your template does not already provide it.

SVG placeholders

Documents without thumbnail images receive inline SVG placeholders with unique gradient IDs so multiple lists on one page render correctly.

List layout structure

The list layout splits each item into:

• .edl-list__head: title and primary link
• .edl-list__actions: download and view buttons
• .edl-list__meta: size, date, and secondary details

Gallery grid

Image column layouts apply CSS grid to .docmanlist_image_row with responsive breakpoints. Set columns on the Layout tab or with the image_columns parameter.

Nested expand/collapse

edl.js toggles nested rows and swaps chevron icons. No jQuery required.

Module wrappers

• Default: standard module chrome with edl wrapper
• Card: bordered card container for sidebars
• Bare: output only, no extra chrome

Disable legacy look

Keep Enable new CSS on in plugin Layout tab. Turn off only if you rely on very old custom CSS that targets pre-5.0 class names.

JoomlaX hosts a live demo hub with eight layout variants so you can compare structures before configuring your site.

Demo hub

demo.joomlax.com/demo/content-display/easy-docman-list

Variant pages

• Table: /edl-table (flat table, single category with files)
• Nested Table: /edl-nested-table (tree with expand/collapse)
• List: /edl-list (card-style rows)
• Simple List: /edl-simple (compact filenames)
• Gallery: /edl-gallery (image columns grid)
• Nested List: /edl-nested-list
• Dropdown: /edl-dropdown
• Categories: /edl-categories (category tree only, no file rows)

How demos are built

Each variant is an Easy Docman List module instance assigned to a demo page (com_dmod) with a variant navigation menu. You can replicate this pattern on your site with multiple module instances and different docman_layout values.

Sample DOCman structure on demo

• Demo Documents (parent category)
• User Guides, Product Specs, Legal (child categories with sample files)

Common uses

• Download page in an article: {docmanlist 2} with table or list layout
• Member document library: nestedtable with subfolders and access-controlled DOCman categories
• Product specifications: list layout with size and added date visible
• Photo or PDF gallery: imagecolumns with 3 or 4 columns
• Footer quick links: module with simplefilelist in a footer position
• Department folder tree: nestedlist with show expanded on first visit
• Resources hub landing: nestedcategories so visitors pick a folder first
• Inline specific files: listSpecificDocuments in release notes or changelog articles

Content planning tips

• Keep category names short for nested table first column
• Upload DOCman thumbnails for gallery layouts
• Use child categories when one parent folder would mix unrelated files
• Match layout to density: table for many columns of meta, simplefilelist for long filename lists

With other JoomlaX products

Easy Docman List complements content modules such as Easy Articles Grid on the same site: articles for news, DOCman for downloads. No shared dependency.

Plugin (defaults)

• Layout, show expanded, auto expand level, image columns, simple file list columns
• Custom widths, iframe dimensions, enable new CSS
• Limit, link/menu options, category defaults
• Column toggles: description, size, icons, downloads, dates, modal links
• Ordering field and direction, cache and lifetime

Shortcode (per tag)

• Category ID(s) or listSpecificDocuments IDs
• get_subfolders depth and labelled groups
• Layout keywords: useTableLayout, useListLayout, useNestedTableLayout, useDropdownLayout
• Display keywords: hideSize, showAddedOn, showCollapsed, orderByName, orderByDate

Module (per instance)

• category_ids (multi-select), include_subfolders, subfolder_levels, list_specific_documents
• docman_layout, show_expanded, auto_expand_level, image_columns
• Display toggles with Use plugin default option
• ordering, orderingdir, cache, cache_time
• Module layout: default, card, bare; class suffix; menu assignment

• Shortcode appears as plain text

  • Enable the Content - Easy Docman List plugin under System > Plugins.
  • Confirm the article is published and viewed on the front end (not only in preview without plugin context).

• Nothing displays / empty list

  • Verify the category ID exists in DOCman and contains published documents.
  • Parent categories without direct files need Include subfolders or a child category ID.
  • Check DOCman access levels for the visitor role.
  • On DOCman 5, ensure documents are published (NULL publish dates are supported from 5.0.0).

• All module layouts look the same

  • Set DOCman layout on the module Layout tab (docman_layout), not only the Joomla module layout.
  • Clear cache after changing layout.

• Nested layout does not expand

  • Enable show expanded or set auto expand level.
  • Confirm edl.js loads (check browser console). Hard-refresh after cache clear.

• Gallery shows one column

  • Set image columns to 2 to 5 on plugin or module Layout tab.
  • Use imagecolumns or nestedimagecolumns layout.

• Styles look broken or unstyled

  • Keep Enable new CSS on. Clear Joomla cache.
  • Check for template CSS with very broad table or list rules; edl scoping usually isolates this.

• Plugin and module clash on same page

  • Update to 5.0.0+. Each instance should have its own .edl-root wrapper.

• Category picker empty in module

  • Confirm DOCman is installed and categories exist in #__docman_categories.
  • Install or update the content plugin first (module fields depend on it).

• Old look after update

  • Save plugin settings, clear cache, hard-refresh (Ctrl+F5).

• Does this replace DOCman?

  • No. DOCman stores and serves files. Easy Docman List only displays lists and links using DOCman data.

• Which file do I install?

  • Unzip EasyDocmanList_UNZIP.zip, install plg_content_docmanlist_5.0.0.zip, optionally mod_easy_docman_list_1.0.0.zip.

• Can I use only the module?

  • The module delegates to the plugin engine. Install and enable the content plugin even if you only use modules.

• How do I show documents from a category?

  • Article: {docmanlist 2} with your category ID. Module: pick categories on the Source tab. Enable Include subfolders when child folders should be included.

• How do I show a nested tree with files?

  • Use nestedtable or nestedlist, enable Include subfolders, set depth, and optionally Show expanded. Example: {docmanlist useNestedTableLayout autoExpandTwoLevels get_subfolders 3 1}.

• How do I list only specific documents?

  • Use {docmanlist listSpecificDocuments 43,87,80} or the module Specific documents field.

• How do I change layout for one list only?

  • Shortcode keywords such as useListLayout or useTableLayout. Module: set DOCman layout on the Layout tab (docman_layout), not only the Joomla module layout.

• How do I find category IDs?

  • DOCman administrator category list, or the module multi-select labels such as User Guides (ID: 2).

• Can I override a layout in my template?

  • Copy a layout PHP file from plugins/content/docmanlist/docmanlist/layouts/ to templates/YOUR_TEMPLATE/html/plg_content_docmanlist/. Overrides appear in the layout dropdown.

• What is nestedcategories for?

  • Category folder tree without listing every file. Visitors browse categories first.

• Does it need jQuery?

  • No. Vanilla JavaScript only.

• Where can I get help?

  • Visit support.joomlax.com. Include Joomla version, PHP version, DOCman version, page URL, category IDs, and shortcode or module settings.

Demo: demo.joomlax.com/demo/content-display/easy-docman-list