Admin view - Edit/Create Site View - modify layout (edit.php)

[SAP74]

Hello, everybody!
I would be very grateful for any advice on how I can modify or overwrite the layout of the Admin Edit Site View (edit.php) that is created automatically. I am happy with the functionality that Admin Site View provides, but I would like to be able to control the layout of the edit form. I have watched a lot of tutorials, but unfortunately my level of knowledge is quite low, so I didn't figure it out :( Also, my application requires lots of edit forms, so I want to save time by using the automatically created controllers and models and only working with the layouts. Using Joomla's override feature is not an option, as I want everything to be inside my compiled component.
I'm using JCB Version 6.1.4 on Joomla 5.4.3.
Thank you all in advance!
Sergiy

[TLWebdesign]

I would like to have some discussion about this too. I've always wanted a way to override this in JCB. But i have not found a good way to do it yet. I've done layout overrides in the template. I've built my own edit site views but if i could just edit the edit view that is generated that would be easiest. What i miss most about editing those pages is being able to hide the other tabs. So let the end user only edit the details or other tabs but hide publishing and rights tab.

[SAP74]

Thanks for supporting my question! As I said, I'm not a coder – it is just a kinda hobby for me – so it might be silly, but I was thinking of this approach: when creating a link to the automatically created Admin Site Edit View, add a parameter, such as "layout=custom", to the link, and then place the custom.php file into the /com_mycomponent/tmpl/admin_view_singular folder (where edit.php is). In this case, we would need JCB to create that custom.php file and put our code in it (at the same time edit.php remains and serves as an example). I suspect this can even be done using existing tools, but I haven't studied that yet. Perhaps more experienced JCB users could offer some advice?

[lemuelvdm]

@SAP74 There is quite a few ways to accomplish this in JCB for different areas.

We would recommend using the File Includes functionality provided by Joomla Component Builder (JCB) for this use case.

JCB allows you to include external files and folders directly into your component package without modifying or overriding core-generated files. This approach keeps your custom logic clean, maintainable, and fully under your control.

How it works

• You maintain your custom files separately within your own codebase.

• These files are written and updated manually, independent of JCB's generated structure.

• Within JCB, you simply reference the file or folder path, and it will:

  • Automatically include those files in the build
  • Package them with your component during compilation

Where to configure this in JCB

• Navigate to your component in JCB
• Click on the "Component Files & Folders" section (the suitcase icon)
• Add the path(s) to the files or directories you want to include

Additional Notes

• This approach is already demonstrated in the JCB demo component, which can serve as a practical reference.

• It is ideal for:

  • Adding custom libraries
  • Including helper classes or scripts
  • Extending functionality without interfering with generated code

Why this is recommended

• No overrides required - avoids conflicts with regenerated code
• Clean separation of concerns - generated vs custom logic
• Easier maintenance - you control and version your files independently
• Safe for updates - JCB rebuilds won't overwrite your custom work

---

For this type of requirement - where you want to extend functionality rather than override existing behaviour - this is the most stable and maintainable approach.

[SAP74]

Dear @lemuelvdm, thank you very much! This is it! Earlier, I had somehow overlooked the 'Advanced' tab in 'Adding Custom Files & Folders'. Everything is now clear and it looks like it's working just fine. In case anyone else needs it, here's what I did:
I created a folder called "tmpl" in "administrator/components/com_componentbuilder/custom", where all the custom templates will be stored (this location was chosen just to keep the existing pattern). Then I created a subfolder for the particular controller ('client' in my case) and placed the custom template file ('custom.php') there. Finally, I added that file to my component (the path in my case is 'components/com_radio/tmpl/client').

I just noticed that the placeholder [[[Component]]] doesn't work in 'Target Path', but it's not a big deal.
Thank you very much again for your swift help!

With best regards,
Sergiy

[lemuelvdm]

@TLWebdesign Tabs in both the Administrator and Site Edit views are conditionally displayed based on user permissions, allowing precise control over which interface elements are visible to each user group.

A working example of this setup can be found here in a admin view template.

Concept

Tabs are conditionally displayed based on whether the current user has specific permissions.

• Example: Publishing Tab

<?php if ($this->canDo->get('city.edit.created_by')|| $this->canDo->get('city.edit.created')|| $this->canDo->get('city.edit.state')|| ($this->canDo->get('city.delete') && $this->canDo->get('city.edit.state'))
) : ?>

If the user has any of these permissions, the Publishing tab will be shown.

• Example: Permissions Tab

<?php if ($this->canDo->get('core.admin')) : ?>

If the user has the core.admin permission, the Permissions tab will be shown.

Recommendation

Control which tabs are visible to users by configuring the appropriate permissions for each user group. This gives you fine-grained control over the interface without needing additional overrides or custom logic.