5.0.3 Overview
System - NicePanel is a Joomla system plugin that adds sliding top and bottom tabbed panels to your site. Modules assigned to specific positions are rendered as collapsible tabs, styled with Bootstrap 5 and powered by pure JavaScript. Fully integrated with Joomla’s core, it offers flexible tab styles, alignments, and positioning options—all while keeping your template’s design in control.
Installation
- Download: Obtain the latest package from richeyweb.com (#) or the update server.
- Install: In Joomla Administrator, go to System > Install > Extensions, upload the package, and install.
- Enable: Navigate to System > Manage > Plugins, search for "System - NicePanel," and enable it.
How It Works
NicePanel transforms Joomla modules into tabbed, sliding panels at the top or bottom of your site:
- Assign modules to custom positions (e.g., nicepaneltop or nicepanelbottom).
- Module titles become clickable tabs.
- Clicking a tab toggles the panel open or closed, revealing the module content.
- Customize appearance and behavior via plugin settings.
The plugin hooks into Joomla’s rendering process, injecting panels into the <body> and loading minimal CSS/JS from /media/plg_system_nicepanel/.
Configuration
Configure NicePanel in System > Manage > Plugins > System - NicePanel. Settings are split into three fieldsets:
Basic Settings
- Hide in Template(s)
- Select templates where NicePanel should not appear. Useful for excluding specific layouts or mobile views.
Top Modules
- Module Position
- Enter the position (e.g., nicepaneltop) for top panel modules.
- Tab Type
- Choose between Bootstrap 5 tabs or pills for tab style.
- Align Tabs
- Set tab alignment (Bootstrap 5 classes: justify-content-*, nav-fill, nav-justified).
- Panel Position
- Define the CSS positioning. Sticky or relative recommended; fixed/absolutemay need extra styling.
- Panel Margin
- Toggle a margin around the panel content.
- Useful for instances when a module might not display correctly if given a margin.
Bottom Modules
Identical to top settings. For Module Position, choose the correct position (e.g. nicepanelbottom)
Usage
- Create Module Positions: In your template or module manager, define positions like nicepaneltop or nicepanelbottom.
- Assign Modules: Go to Content > Site Modules, create or edit modules, and assign them to your chosen positions.
- Set Titles: Each module’s title becomes its tab label.
- Configure Plugin: Adjust tab type, alignment, and positioning in the plugin settings.
- Test: View your site—click tabs to toggle panels open/closed.
Notes
- Panels won’t appear in the administrator backend, non-HTML pages, the component template (popups), or if the template is excluded.
Dependencies
- Joomla 5
Customization
- CSS: Override styles in your template’s stylesheet—NicePanel uses minimal CSS by design.
- Guide coming soon
