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Multiple Content Types with a Single SobiPro Installation

SobiPro is an advanced Joomla component that was originally designed as a directory extension with CCK capabilities. Over the years, it has evolved into a powerful multi-content component.

SobiPro introduced a new standard for Joomla directory components with its multi-content architecture.

Thanks to its exceptional flexibility, SobiPro can be used to create almost any type of content. Since it is not limited to traditional directories, SobiPro uses the term section for content areas. You can create as many sections as required within a single SobiPro installation. Each section can be configured, styled, and managed independently. There is no need to maintain, update, or learn multiple extensions. Everything can be managed through a single component: SobiPro.

The multi-content architecture allows you to create various types of content on the same website, including:

• Business Directory
• Product Directory
• Restaurant Guide
• Real Estate Listings
• Member or Profile Directory
• Conference Programme
• Documentation System
• FAQ Section
• Download Management System
• Web Links Directory
• News Section
• Blog
• Showcase
• Articles (similar to Joomla articles)
• and much more

Manage all these different sections from a single administration interface. Each section has its own categories, entries, fields, templates, ACL rules, and advanced search and sorting options.

Experience Since 2006

SobiPro is the third generation of the Sobi family of components. Beginning with SOBI (Sobi1) in 2006, we developed a small business directory for Mambo, the predecessor of Joomla.
Later that year, we released Sobi2, which has been downloaded more than 500,000 times.

In 2011, we released SobiPro, the first multi-content directory component for Joomla.
In 2013, SobiPro 1.1 introduced a completely redesigned administrator interface based on Bootstrap.
In November 2021, we released SobiPro 1.6.5, the final release of SobiPro 1.
In 2022, we released the first version of SobiPro 2, marking the next major step in the evolution of SobiPro. It introduced a completely redesigned administrator interface based on Joomla's Bootstrap 5 framework, a completely new default SobiPro template, and many improvements throughout the system. SobiPro 2 also brought numerous new features, modernised technologies, and significant enhancements to performance, usability, and maintainability.

Under the Hood

SobiPro implements modern and widely adopted web development technologies and design principles. Its codebase follows the MVC (Model-View-Controller) architectural pattern, making it easier to maintain, extend, and customise.

SobiPro is built using object-oriented programming (OOP) principles and established design patterns to improve code reusability, maintainability, and long-term stability. SobiPro 2 is fully compatible with PHP 8.1 and newer versions.

SobiPro uses modern web technologies such as HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript, and XSLT to render its output. This gives designers and developers complete control over the presentation layer and makes it possible to customise the output extensively without modifying the SobiPro core.

Views - Present Your Content the Way You Want

Entries are the core content of a section. Preview versions of entries, known as vCards, are displayed in various listing views. A listing view is a collection of vCards that presents selected entries in different ways. The details view typically displays the full content of an entry. You can freely choose which fields are displayed in vCards and which are shown in the details view.

The entry form allows users to submit content, while the search form enables visitors to filter and find relevant information quickly.

All views can be fully customised using the integrated SobiPro template system.

Structured Content

SobiPro categories allow you to organise and present your content in an unlimited hierarchical category structure.
Entries can be assigned to multiple categories at the same time.

Need uncategorised content? Simply assign entries to a dedicated hidden category.

The integrated category field provides four different category selection methods: the well-known SigsiuTree, a multiple-selection list, a single-selection list, or a fixed category assignment.
It is even possible to use the category field multiple times within the same section.

Get the Right Content with Filters

Do you want users to enter only numbers, email addresses, or content in a specific format? SobiPro makes this easy. Built-in validation filters allow you to verify user input before it is saved. Choose from a range of predefined filters or create your own custom validation rules using regular expressions.

Fields to Structure and Classify Your Content

While it is possible to store all content in a single large text area, structured content provides far greater flexibility and control. SobiPro offers a wide range of field types that allow you to define exactly what information users can enter, how it is validated, and how it is displayed.

In addition to the standard input field for single-line text, SobiPro includes a textarea field, which can be used with or without a WYSIWYG editor.
Use single-selection lists and multiple-selection lists to provide predefined options.
Checkbox groups and radio buttons allow users to choose from predefined selections.
Specialised field types such as the email field, URL field, and image field are available for specific types of content.
The category field allows users to select one or more categories directly within the submission form.
The information field can be used to display instructions, descriptions, or informational text within forms, listing views, and details views.
The button field allows custom buttons to be displayed in listing and details views.

SobiPro includes 12 core field types out of the box.

Find Exactly What You Need

SobiPro's advanced search functionality is one of its most powerful features. Almost every field can be configured to appear in the search form, allowing visitors to find exactly the content they are looking for.
Search results can be refined and filtered using categories, addresses, field values, and many other criteria.
Depending on the field type, the search form can include:

• Single-selection lists
• Multiple-selection lists
• Checkbox groups
• Radio buttons
• Range searches
• General search boxes

Range searches allow visitors to search within specific numeric values, such as a price range between 100 and 200 Euros, a particular size, area, or any other numeric field.

The general search box provides a quick way to find entries containing a specific word or phrase. Category filters can be used to restrict searches to selected categories.

Another powerful feature is field weighting. Each searchable field can be assigned a priority value. Search results are then ranked according to the priority of the field in which the search term was found.

Alphabetical Filtering

SobiPro includes a flexible Alpha Index that allows visitors to filter entries alphabetically.
The filter is not limited to entry titles. Any input field or select field can be used as the filter criterion. Visitors can choose the desired filter field from a drop-down list displayed alongside the alphabetical index.

Control Access to Your Content

Need to restrict access to details views? Allow searches only for registered users? Let selected user groups publish their own entries? SobiPro provides comprehensive access control options for all these scenarios and many more.

SobiPro's ACL system is fully integrated with Joomla's native user group architecture. Rather than replacing Joomla's ACL, it extends it with additional permissions that can be configured per section and per user group.
This allows precise control over who can create, edit, publish, approve, search, view, or manage content. Permissions can even be configured for individual administrative actions, special fields, or payment-related processes.

Users can submit entries directly through the front end using fully customisable submission forms. Newly submitted entries can either be published automatically or require approval before becoming visible.

An Incredibly Flexible Template System

SobiPro features a powerful and flexible template system that supports different approaches to designing and customising your website. These approaches can be used independently or combined as needed.

- Customise Your Directory with CSS

SobiPro includes a highly flexible default template that automatically adapts to newly added fields. All output elements are assigned CSS classes, and additional custom CSS classes can be assigned to individual fields directly in the Fields Manager.
Using the integrated CSS editor, you can customise the appearance of fields and layouts across the various views of your directory without modifying template files.
This approach is ideal for beginners and requires only basic CSS knowledge.

- Flexible Template Design with XSLT

By creating your own SobiPro template, you can customise every aspect of your directories, from section pages and category views to search forms, listings, and details pages.
Every view in SobiPro is template-driven, allowing complete control over the output without modifying the SobiPro core.
SobiPro generates structured XML data and uses XSLT, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to render the final output.
Web designers can work directly with the template files to take full advantage of the flexibility provided by XSLT and standard web technologies.

- Advanced Customisation with PHP

Developers can extend template functionality by integrating their own PHP code directly into templates. This allows advanced customisations and integrations without modifying the SobiPro core code.

Each section has its own set of template files and assets, including separate CSS files. This allows every section to have a completely independent design and layout.
SobiPro also includes an integrated template editor in the administration interface, making it possible to edit template files directly without requiring external development tools.

Advanced Optimisation Techniques

To ensure excellent performance even with large amounts of data, SobiPro includes several integrated caching and optimisation mechanisms. These include an SQLite-based data accelerator, XML view caching, and separate caches for JavaScript and CSS assets.
All caching systems use intelligent cache invalidation mechanisms to automatically detect and respond to content changes.

SobiPro has been designed with performance and scalability in mind, allowing it to handle small websites as well as large content-driven projects efficiently.

Monetise Your Directory

SobiPro provides multiple ways to generate revenue from your website.

One of the simplest options is to charge for specific fields. For example, users can pay to display additional information such as website links, contact details, or premium content. Almost every core or additional field can be configured as either free or paid.

At template level, fields can be grouped into packages to create different pricing plans, such as Bronze, Silver, or Gold.
The SobiPackages Template provides an easy way to create and manage such packages.
SobiPro includes built-in support for PayPal payments and can be extended with additional payment solutions.

SobiPro can also be combined with Joomla subscription and membership extensions to provide paid access to content based on Joomla user groups.

And Many More Features

Applications, or simply apps, extend the SobiPro core with additional functionality and specialised features.

SobiPro includes an integrated application manager that allows you to install additional applications, field types, language packages, templates, and modules.
This extensible architecture makes it possible to adapt SobiPro to a wide variety of use cases and requirements.

Prefer one-click installation? Simply use the SobiPro repository. Browse the list of available applications, select the application you need ¹ , and install it directly from the administration interface.

Create Powerful Contact Forms

The Contact Form field ² allows you to create a wide variety of contact and communication forms.
Let visitors contact an author, report a listing, claim a listing, or submit enquiries through custom forms.
For example, a restaurant directory could include a reservation form, while a business directory might provide enquiry or callback request forms.

The Contact Form field can be used to create virtually any type of form and send submitted data by email to the listing owner, form owner, site administrator, or any other configured email address.

Context-Sensitive Help

SobiPro includes integrated context-sensitive help.
When you are working on a specific page in the SobiPro administration interface and click the Help button, you are automatically directed to the relevant documentation topics.
This makes it easy to find the information you need without having to search through the entire documentation manually. ⁴

Responsive Design for All Devices

SobiPro is fully responsive and designed to work seamlessly across desktops, tablets, and mobile devices.
The administration interface and the default front-end template are based on modern Bootstrap technology, ensuring a consistent and responsive user experience on all screen sizes.

The default SobiPro template is mobile-friendly out of the box and automatically adapts to different devices without requiring additional configuration or custom code.

This allows you to build modern directories that provide an optimal browsing experience regardless of the device being used.

Available in Your Language

SobiPro features native multilingual support. Content, fields, categories, and configuration settings can be translated directly within the SobiPro administration interface.
Visitors automatically see content in the language selected on the website, making it easy to manage multilingual directories from a single installation.

SobiPro has been translated into more than 30 languages.
If your language is not yet available, you are welcome to contribute and help expand the available translations.

SobiPro includes English language files by default. If translations are missing in another language, English texts are automatically used as a fallback language ³ .

SobiPro Is Open Source

Released under the GPL v3 licence, SobiPro gives you the freedom to use, modify, and extend the software according to the terms of the licence.

           ... and SobiPro is free of charge.

Want to learn more about SobiPro?
Visit our demo site or install SobiPro and explore its features yourself.
Most of the content on this website is powered by SobiPro, including the article you are currently reading.

Video: SobiPro Features

¹ Additional field types and applications are available with eligible subscriptions.
² Requires an additional application available with eligible subscriptions.
³ This feature requires the English Joomla! language pack to be installed.
⁴ An active subscription is required to access the documentation.