Frontend

On the front end, RCA Product Catalog renders a grid or alternate layout of product cards using J2Commerce product data and linked Joomla content where applicable. Links follow your shop’s normal product routing. Add to cart and checkout remain J2Commerce responsibilities unless your template adds its own buttons beyond what the module outputs.

Card content and layouts

Each card can show image, title, trimmed intro text, price, SKU, view details link, and view schedule link depending on module toggles. Showcase layout changes structure: cards and compact use responsive columns with mobile stacking improvements from package 1.2.1 onward; horizontal lists place image left or top; featured emphasizes one product; comparison builds a feature-style table; carousel rotates visible products with optional autoplay and navigation controls.

Images and fallbacks

Product images prefer J2Commerce product images. The library falls back to article intro or fulltext images when product images are empty, with Media Manager path normalization from releases around 1.1.2. Image aspect Preserve original plus image fit contain or cover arrived in 1.2.0 for sites that care about consistent card geometry without cropping logos into nonsense.

Eligibility styling shoppers see

When eligibility mode integrates with RCA Conditional Products, dependents may appear locked with message, sign-in, prerequisite link, details-only, or hidden call to action depending on locked mode settings. Unlocked appearance after the shopper satisfies rules may update when cart refresh is enabled and the shopper adds qualifying products. Visual unlock does not prove checkout enforcement; it only proves the module received updated eligibility state.

OSB duration and availability on cards

When Show OSB duration or Show OSB availability is on and RCA OSB to J2C Bridge sid_map includes the product, cards may show booking duration or upcoming slot previews from OS Services Booking data. Incomplete sid_map may still show view schedule links consistently even when duration is missing, per library behavior noted in 1.1.1 release fixes. Do not enable OSB fields expecting data when Bridge was never configured.

CSS load order and templates

Storefront enqueues product-catalog CSS through the library Web Asset Manager so template custom.css overrides win without !important escalation. SP Page Builder pages required document fallback loading in 1.2.4; if you host catalogs inside builder pages, stay current on package version. Missing styling on builder pages is usually asset routing, not missing products.

Access levels and empty output

Module Access and product visibility respect Joomla view levels. A Super User may see products guests cannot, which looks like “it works for me” bugs. Test with the same access level your customers use.