03. Extract Single Page Content from External Source

This page is used to add a new or edit an existing Single. To create a new single, click on "New" and then select the type of Single. To edit an existing Single, click on the title from the list of Singles.

You can extract and import content items to Joomla articles or other core components from multiple sources or any external URL. First, you need to add grabbers and processors. Then, you can add rules on how to extract content for a single record or page to the database table.

A. Source Types

The component supports following six types of sources of content:

  1. DOM: To get content from any external Url with html code using document object model.
  2. API: To get content from Joomla Web Services or any other API.
  3. CSV: To get content from CSV (or Excel) files.
  4. FILE: To get content from text or any other type of file.
  5. EMAIL: To get content from emails.
  6. DATABASE: To get content from database tables.

B. Destination Types

You can import data to Joomla articles or other core component - categories, tags, contacts, users.  The component also supports importing content to other TF extensions.

1. Link Tab

Content Source: Select the type of Content Source.

Resource: After saving other options, enter the resource Url or Id (depends upon type of source) and click on the Preview or Process button in the toolbar.

Saved Resource: Automatically saved. This is also used for automatic importing using Task Scheduler plugin.

Destination: Select the type of destination.

Joomla Category: In case of Joomla articles, select the category where you want to import data.

Enable Updates: If record with the same alias already exists, then it will be replaced.

Last Created: Date on which this single was last processed.

2. Options Tab

Published: Select Yes for the content or record to be automatically published after import.

Access: Select the default access level of the imported record.

Language: Select the default Language. If you are not sure about this, select All.

Auto Schedule Frequency: You can automatically schedule Joomla articles to be published in future. Here, enter the frequency of article publishing in days. Enter 0 to disable.

3. Title Tab

These settings determine how the title and alias are generated.

Grabber: Select the Grabber from the list to get the title.

Processor: Select the Processor from the list for the title.

Alias Type: There are three options for saving the alias:

  1. From Title: Alias will be generated from the article title.
  2. From URL: Alias will be generated from the last part of source URL.
  3. From Grabber: Alias will be created from one of the Grabber rules.

Add Random Number: In case the alias is same, add a random number to the alias to create a new record. If disabled, existing record will be updated.

4. Content Tab

These settings are for getting article text and images within the articles.

Enable Intro Text: The content will be imported as the intro text. This is above the "Read more".

Enable Full Text: The content will be imported as full text.

Grabber: Select the Grabber from the list.

Processors: Add one or more processors to modify content before importing. 

Enable Multiple Images: You can disable this to import only images.

5. Image Tab

These settings are for importing intro and full text images. There are two aspects while importing images - image Url and actual image file.

5.1 Intro Image

Enable Intro Image: Select Yes to import image.

Grabber: Select the Grabber from the list to get the image Url.

Processor: Select the processor from the list.

Save Images Folder: Select the folder to save the images.

Prepend Image URL: This is used if the source Url uses relative paths for the image.

Save Image: Enable this option to save image to the server.

Resize Image: Select Yes to resize the main article image.

Image Width: Enter the new width of the image.

Total Pixels: Enter the total pixels (w x h) of the image. Height will be calculated based on the total pixels.

5.2 Full Image

Enable Full Image: Select Yes to import full text image.

Same as Intro Image: Select No to import different full image. Other options are same as Intro Image.

6. Tag Options Tab

Enable Tags: Enable or disable adding tags to Joomla articles.

Content Tags: Add the Grabber and Processor combination to extract tags.

7. Images Tab

These settings are used to get multiple images. For example, gallery images.

Grabber: Select the Grabber from the list to get the array of image Urls.

Processor: Select the processor from the list.

Save Images Folder: Select the folder to save the images.

Prepend Image URL: This is used if the source Url uses relative paths for the image.

8. Tag Tab

These settings are used to add tags to Joomla content. It will not create new Tags, only add existing tags to the content items.

Smart Tagging: Select Yes to enable Smart Tagging. This feature will add tags automatically based on the title.

Content Tags: Select Grabber and Processor rules to get the tags.

9. Custom Tab

Enable Custom Fields: Enable or disable extracting content for the custom fields.

Custom Fields: For each custom field name, add the Grabber and Processor combination to extract content for the custom fields.

10. Auto Tab

Auto Processing: Select Yes to automatically process using Task Scheduler plugin.

Frequency Type: Select the duration type: Days, Hours or Minutes.

Auto Frequency: Enter the number of days, hours or minutes.

Next Date: Date on which next processing is scheduled. This is calculated automatically.