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Creating Catalogs/Books

The PDF Generator extension allows you to organize your files into catalogs or books for better management and presentation. Follow these steps to create catalogs or books:

Start a New Catalog/Book​

  1. Begin by logging in to your website's admin panel.
  2. In the admin panel, navigate to the Components menu and select PDF Generator.
  3. Click on Catalogs to access the catalog management section.
  4. Click on New to create a new catalog or book.

Catalog Details​

When creating a catalog or book, you'll need to specify specific details:

  • Title: (required) Assign a descriptive title to your catalog or book for easy identification.
  • Files: Select the files you want to include in the catalog or book.
tip

You can set up a catalog without any files initially, which can be particularly useful before configuring automations. This allows component tasks or Joomla scheduled tasks, to automatically add files to the catalog later. For more information, check the "Automations" section.

File Selection and Arrangement​

When selecting files, you will encounter a dual listbox interface that allows you to manage your files efficiently:

  • Search Bar: You can use the search function to filter both the available and selected options.
  • Available Options: Displays a list of available files sorted alphabetically. You can select multiple files using either the Shift + click or Ctrl + click combination to add them simultaneously to the selected documents list, with the help of the drag and drop system.
  • Selected Options: Lists the files you've chosen to include in your catalog or book. You can easily re-arrange the order of the files by utilizing the drag and drop system in the selected options list.

Configuration Options​

In addition to the catalog details provided in the "General" tab when creating or editing a catalog or book, the PDF Generator extension offers further customization options in the "Configuration" tab. These settings allow you to fine-tune the appearance and layout of your catalogs or books. Here's an overview of the configuration settings (more to come: e.g., TOC, pagination personalization options):

  • Pagination: Decide whether you want to include pagination in your catalog or book.

Save Your Catalog/Book​

Once you've finished creating your catalog or book, click Save to save your changes. You can also generate your catalog or book immediately by selecting Save & Generate from the "Save & Close" dropdown.

tip

After saving your catalog, you will gain access to the "Actions" dropdown button in the toolbar within the catalog editing view. This dropdown includes options for preview and debugging.