Configuration

All catalog behavior is configured in Content → Site Modules → RCA Product Catalog. Options group into product source, eligibility display, showcase layout, card fields, layout-specific tuning, and advanced module settings. One product source mode owns the list at a time; do not expect manual IDs and a Conditional Products rule to merge magically.

Product source

Product source selects how the module builds its list. Manual lets you enter J2Commerce product IDs in a textarea. J2Commerce category pulls products from selected J2Commerce-linked content categories. Content category uses Joomla content categories tied to shop articles. Conditional Products rule drives the list from an enabled RCA Conditional Products rule and requires CondProd installed.

Manual product IDs

Paste numeric IDs from J2Commerce product edit screens. Keep lists short and intentional. Manual IDs are honest curation for landing pages and comparison sets.

Category modes and ordering

When source is J2Commerce category or content category, ordering options include article ordering, latest, title ascending or descending, popular, and random. Limit caps how many products render, default eight, maximum one hundred. Cache product IDs can reduce repeated category queries when enabled.

Conditional Products rule mode

When source is Conditional Products rule, pick an enabled rule from the dropdown populated from #__rca_conditionalproducts_rules. Rule role controls whether the module shows grouped qualifying and dependents, all rule products, qualifying only, or dependents only. CondProd must be installed and rules enabled or the dropdown is empty and the module output is empty.

Eligibility mode and locked presentation

Eligibility mode Off disables Conditional Products styling integration. Eligible only hides or de-emphasizes products the current shopper may not buy yet depending on rule evaluation. Show all locked keeps dependents visible with lock styling when the shopper has not satisfied qualifiers.

When showing locked dependents, Locked mode chooses message, sign-in prompt, prerequisite link, details only, or no call to action. Prerequisite label and prerequisite URL appear when locked mode is prerequisite. Enable cart refresh refreshes eligibility when cart contents change, which matters when shoppers add a qualifying product and expect dependents to unlock visually without a full page reload.

Showcase layout and grid options

Showcase layout selects cards, compact, horizontal, featured, comparison, or carousel. Grid columns apply to cards and compact layouts. Image aspect supports natural proportions or fixed ratios such as 1:1, 4:3, 3:2, and 16:9. Image fit chooses contain or cover. Horizontal layout adds image position left or top. Comparison layout exposes comparison-specific image toggles. Carousel layout exposes visible slide count, autoplay, and navigation toggles.

Display fieldset

Toggle show image, title, intro text with intro length, price, SKU, view details, and view schedule independently. Show OSB duration and Show OSB availability pull booking context when RCA OSB to J2C Bridge sid_map maps the product. Availability slots controls how many upcoming slots preview when availability is shown.

Advanced module settings

Module class suffix passes through to layout for template CSS hooks. Module caching defaults to no caching in manifest advanced fields because eligibility and OSB previews go stale quickly on active shops. Adjust only when you understand what you are caching away.

J2Commerce Products module versus RCA Product Catalog

J2Commerce ships mod_j2commerce_products for general grids with optional inline add to cart. RCA Product Catalog adds rule selection, eligibility lock styling, OSB card fields when Bridge maps services, and layouts such as comparison and carousel. Many sites use both on different menu items. Storefront does not uninstall or replace the core module.