Phoca Download Source (EN)
Brings documents and categories from Phoca Download into the YOOtheme Pro page builder as a dynamic content source · Version 1.7.3 · Stand 07.09.2026

Phoca Download Source at a glance
Phoca Download Source connects the download manager Phoca Download with the page
builder of YOOtheme Pro. Your documents, files and download categories thus become
available as a dynamic content source in every builder element — in grids, lists, sliders, cards or
headlines, however you want to design your download areas.
  
The screenshots in this manual were taken on a German Joomla installation. The extension follows
  the language of your installation, so the labels appear in English on an English backend.
What the plugin does
  
Three source types: a single document, a document list (compiled by hand or
  built automatically from categories) and a category list.
  
All relevant fields: title, description, version, file name, file size
  (formatted), file type icon, author, licence, images, download and detail link, hit counts, tags —
  and all custom Joomla fields you have created.
  
Automatic subcategories: category queries include up to four levels of
  subcategories on request.
  
Sorting and limit: by title, date, popularity or manual order, with a freely
  chosen count.
  
Download counting is preserved: the download links produced go through Phoca
  Download — hit counts, permissions and direct-link settings of the component apply
  unchanged.
  
The plugin only reads data from Phoca Download and offers it to the builder. It changes neither
  your downloads nor the component itself — you can disable it at any time without losing
  content.
How it works
After the installation the plugin registers the source "Phoca Download" with the YOOtheme builder.
In the dynamic content of an element you choose one of the three source types, make your selection
(document, categories, sorting, count) and map the fields to the element's areas. The output updates
automatically as soon as your downloads change — new files appear in the layout without any further
action.
How to use the source in the builder is shown in the article
Using the Phoca Download source in the builder.
Applies to version 1.7.3.
Deutsche Fassung

Requirements and installation
Requirements
  
Joomla: 6.0 or newer
  
PHP: 8.2 or newer
  
YOOtheme Pro: installed and active as the site template
  
Phoca Download: version 6.x — available free of charge at
  phoca.cz
  
Install Phoca Download first. The installation of Phoca Download Source checks
  whether the component is present and stops with a notice otherwise — without the download manager
  the plugin would have no data to offer.
Installation
  
Download the installation package 
plg_system_ytp_phocadownload-x.y.z.zip from your
  customer account on graup-it.de.
  
In the Joomla backend, open System → Install → Extensions.
  
Drag the ZIP file into the upload area or select it via Browse.
On a first installation the plugin is enabled automatically. You will find it afterwards under
System → Plugins as System - Phoca Download Source.
The panel after the installation names the installed version and leads to the three things now
due: selecting the source in the builder, storing the download key for updates, and the manual. After
an update, the changelog takes the place of "Getting started".
After the installation
  
Clear the YOOtheme cache: YOOtheme → Settings → Advanced → Clear Cache.
  
Open a page in the builder — the dynamic content of the elements now offers the group "Phoca
  Download" with the three source types.
  
Enter your download key for automatic updates — see
  Download key and updates.
Updating from version 1.6 or older
An update is installed like a fresh installation via the ZIP, or conveniently through the Joomla
updater; your settings are preserved. Version 1.7 automatically cleans up the files of older plugin
versions and converts a download ID already stored to the current key format — you do not have to do
anything further.
Uninstalling
Under System → Manage Extensions, select the plugin System - Phoca Download
Source and uninstall it. Your downloads and categories in Phoca Download remain fully intact;
only the source in the builder is gone. Phoca Download sources used in layouts show no content
afterwards.
Applies to version 1.7.3.
Deutsche Fassung

Download key and updates
Phoca Download Source receives updates through the official Joomla update mechanism. To allow your
website to fetch them, enter your personal download key once.
Entering the download key
  
Create your download key in your customer account on
  graup-it.de (menu item
  Download IDs). One key applies per website and covers all extensions obtained through it.
  
In the backend, open System → Update → Update Sites.
  
Open the entry Phoca Download Source Updates and enter the key into the field
  Download Key.
  
Save.
  
Make sure to paste the key without leading or trailing spaces. A space copied
  along with it makes the update fail with an error message ("URL rejected" or "Package download
  failed").
Installing updates
  
Open System → Update → Extensions.
  
If a new version is available, Phoca Download Source appears in the list. Select it and click
  Update.
  
Joomla downloads the package using your download key, verifies the checksum and installs the
  new version. Your settings and your builder layouts are preserved.
If Joomla finds no update although a new version exists, click Check for Updates first to
refresh the cache.
The manual route
You can also install any version by hand: download the ZIP and install it via System →
Install → Extensions, just like the first installation. An update through the package overwrites
the existing installation and keeps your settings.
Applies to version 1.7.3.
Deutsche Fassung

Using the Phoca Download source in the builder
The Phoca Download source is available in every YOOtheme element that supports dynamic content —
grid, list, slider, cards, headlines or buttons, for instance.
Selecting the source
  
Open the page you want in the YOOtheme builder.
  
Add an element (a grid, for example) or open an existing one.
  
Switch to the Content tab of the element and enable the source under Dynamic
  Content.
  
In the source selector you find the group Phoca Download with three entries:
  Single document, Documents and Categories.
  
The source does not appear? Clear the YOOtheme cache (YOOtheme → Settings → Advanced → Clear
  Cache) and reload the builder. Also check whether Phoca Download and the plugin are
  enabled.
Assigning fields
Once the source is chosen, you map the Phoca Download fields to the areas of the element: on a
grid, for example, title → field "Title", image → "Image (full view URL)",
link → "Download link". Every field can additionally be filtered (shortening text or
formatting a date, say) — those are the standard filters of the YOOtheme builder.
Preview and publishing
The builder shows the real content in the preview right away. New or changed downloads appear
automatically — the layout stays in sync with Phoca Download without you having to edit the page
again. Unpublished or unapproved documents are never output.
Which settings the three source types offer is described in the article
The three source types.
Applies to version 1.7.3.
Deutsche Fassung

The three source types
Phoca Download Source offers three source types. All three return published content only (and, for
documents, approved content).
Single document
Outputs exactly one document — ideal for a highlighted download, such as the current version of a
product on the home page.
  
Document: chosen from all published downloads.
Documents
Outputs a list of documents. The mode determines how the list comes about:
Mode "manual"
  
Documents: multiple selection; for orientation the entries show the category in
  square brackets (for example [Manuals] User guide).
  
Sorting: "manual selection order" keeps the order of your selection;
  alternatively by title, date, popularity or the Phoca order.
Mode "automatic"
  
Categories: one or more categories — or all categories.
  
Include subcategories: includes up to four levels of subcategories (see
  Categories and subcategories).
  
Sorting and count (default 20, upper limit 500).
  
Automatic mode is the choice for "living" download areas: new files in the selected categories
  appear in the layout immediately, without anyone having to touch the page.
Categories
Outputs download categories — as a tile overview linking to the respective category pages, for
instance.
  
Mode "manual": a fixed selection of individual categories.
  
Mode "automatic": all categories, or the subcategories of a chosen parent
  category.
  
Show empty categories: by default, categories without files are hidden.
  
Sorting (order, title, popularity) and count.
The sorting options at a glance
  
Manual selection order (document list in "manual" mode only)
  
Order — the sorting defined in Phoca Download
  
Title A–Z / Title Z–A
  
Newest first / Oldest first
  
Most popular first — by download counts
Applies to version 1.7.3.
Deutsche Fassung

Fields and properties
Once the source is chosen, the following fields are available for assignment in the builder.
Fields of a document
Basic information
  
Title, alias, project name
  
Description, features, changelog, notes — the four text areas from Phoca
  Download
  
Version
File
  
File name, file extension (for example 
pdf)
  
File size — raw in bytes or ready-formatted (for example "2.4 MB"). The size is
  determined from the file itself and is therefore correct even after the file has been
  replaced.
  
File type icon — as an icon key (for example 
pdf,
  
zip) or as a ready-made icon URL from the Phoca Download component; more than 60 file
  types are recognised.
Links
  
Download link — goes through Phoca Download; hit counting and permissions stay
  active
  
Detail link — the document's detail page
  
External link, mirror 1/2 (each with link, title and target window)
Images and media
  
Image (file name, full view URL, thumbnail URL)
  
Extra image 1 and 2 — the special images from Phoca Download 6
  
Download button image, video file, play/preview file
Metadata
  
Author (name, email, website), licence (name, URL)
  
Date, publish up/down
  
Hits, direct-link flag
  
Category (ID and title)
  
Tags — as a comma-separated list (for example "Software, Open Source,
  Free")
  
Meta keywords, meta description
Custom fields
All Joomla fields you have created for Phoca Download documents appear automatically as additional
builder fields — under the name of the respective field. A field 
manufacturer is thus
available in the builder without any further configuration.
Fields of a category
  
Title, alias, description
  
Image (file name and URL)
  
File count — including subcategories; handy for badges such as "12 files"
  
Parent category (ID and title), order, hits
  
Link — the category page of Phoca Download
  
All fields can be post-processed with the builder's standard filters — shortening text ("Limit")
  or formatting dates ("Date"), for instance.
Applies to version 1.7.3.
Deutsche Fassung

Categories and subcategories
Phoca Download organises files in categories nested to any depth. Phoca Download Source mirrors
that structure in the builder — for document lists as well as for category overviews.
Subcategories in document lists
If the option include subcategories is active for the source type Documents
(mode "automatic"), the plugin searches up to four levels:
  
main category (level 1)
  
→ subcategory (level 2)
  
→ → sub-subcategory (level 3)
  
→ → → fourth level
All documents from all levels flow into the result list and are sorted and limited together. If
you disable the option, only the category selected directly counts.
Category overviews
With the source type Categories you build overview pages: in automatic mode you choose a
parent category and the element shows its direct subcategories — each with title, description, image,
file count and a link to the category page. Without a parent category, all published categories are
output.
  
The field file count counts the published and approved documents of the category
  including its subcategories. Categories without files are hidden by default — the
  option show empty categories changes that.
Example: a download centre
A proven layout for a download centre combines both types:
  
At the top a grid with the source type Categories — one tile per area (for
  example "Manuals", "Software", "Forms") with image and file count.
  
Below it a list with the source type Documents, sorting "newest first", count
  5 — the most recent downloads across all areas.
Applies to version 1.7.3.
Deutsche Fassung

Practical examples
Three practical examples show typical field assignments. You find the field names in the assignment
list of the respective element area; the examples name the field labels with the technical name in
brackets.
Download grid with cards
Element grid, source Documents (mode "automatic", category "Software"):
  
Title → title (
title)
  
Meta → for example "Version 2.1 • 4.7 MB" from version (
version)
  and formatted file size (
file_size_formatted)
  
Content → description (
description), shortened with the
  Limit filter
  
Image → image (full view URL) (
image_full) — or the file type icon
  (
file_icon_url) for a plain icon look
  
Link → download link (
download_link)
Download button
Element button, source Single document:
  
Text → title (
title) or a fixed text such as "Download now"
  
Link → download link (
download_link)
  
The download link goes through Phoca Download: hits are counted, and the component's permissions
  and direct-link settings apply unchanged. If you would rather link to the document's detail page,
  use the detail link (
detail_link) instead.
Category tiles
Element grid, source Categories (mode "automatic"):
  
Title → title (
title)
  
Meta → file count (
file_count), for example as "12 files"
  
Image → category image (
image_url)
  
Link → category link (
link)
Author and licence details
For software downloads, author (
author), author website (
author_url) and
licence (
license) can be combined in the meta area of a card, say — or in a text element
of their own below the download button.
Applies to version 1.7.3.
Deutsche Fassung

Common questions and troubleshooting
The source "Phoca Download" does not appear in the builder
  
Clear the YOOtheme cache: YOOtheme → Settings → Advanced → Clear Cache, then reload the
  builder.
  
Check under System → Plugins whether System - Phoca Download Source is
  enabled.
  
Check whether the Phoca Download component is installed and enabled — without
  it the plugin deliberately stays inactive.
  
Also clear the Joomla cache (System → Clear Cache) and the browser cache
  (Ctrl+F5).
No documents are shown
  
Documents have to be published and approved in Phoca Download
  — both are checked.
  
In "automatic" mode: are the selected categories right? If the document sits in a subcategory,
  include subcategories has to be active.
  
In "manual" mode: is at least one document selected?
  
The plugin follows the visibility rules of Phoca Download: documents with a restricted
  access level are only seen by permitted visitors, and a configured
  publishing period is respected. Check both in the document.
Images are not shown
  
Phoca Download images live under 
images/phocadownload/ — check whether the file
  exists there (if in doubt, assign it again in the document in Phoca Download).
  
For file type icons the Phoca Download component must have installed its media
  (
media/com_phocadownload/images/mime/).
The file size is 0 or wrong
The plugin reads the size directly from the file in the Phoca Download folder; only if the file is
not readable there does the value stored in the database apply. Check whether the file is in the
configured download folder and whether the file name in the document is correct.
Custom fields are missing in the builder
  
The fields have to be created for Phoca Download documents and published.
  
After creating new fields, clear the YOOtheme cache.
The update fails ("403", "Invalid Domain", "URL rejected")
  
Check the download key under System → Update → Update Sites — without leading or
  trailing spaces.
  
The key is tied to your website's domain; for a new domain, create another key in your customer
  account.
Does the plugin change my downloads?
No. The plugin only reads data from Phoca Download. Management, permissions, hit counting and
delivery of the files remain entirely with the component.
Applies to version 1.7.3.
Deutsche Fassung

Changelog
This changelog lists every released version of Phoca Download Source, the most recent first.
  
This page is generated automatically from the product's changelog file when a
  release is made. Changes made by hand are lost at the next synchronisation.
Version 1.7.3 – 16 August 2026
Fixed
  
The links in the overview panel always led to the German manual. They now follow the configured language.
  
The panel shown after the installation named licence version 2. It now shows the GNU General Public License version 3 or later, as everywhere else.
Version 1.7.2 – 31 July 2026
Changed
  
The extension is licensed under the GNU General Public License version 3 or later. All details on licence, author and copyright are consistent.
Fixed
  
The licence file shipped named a different product and contained only a short notice instead of the full licence text.
Version 1.7.1 – 31 July 2026
Added
  
After an installation or update an overview panel appears with version, status and entry points to getting started, download key and manual.
  
A click on "Enable updates" leads straight to the update sites, already filtered to missing download keys.
  
The extension manager now shows the list of changes behind the version number.
Changed
  
Notices about leftover files of an old version or about Phoca Download being disabled now appear in the overview panel instead of loosely beside it.
Language
  
All messages shown during installation and update are available in German and English.
Version 1.7.0 – 30 July 2026
Security
  
Downloads now follow the visibility rules of Phoca Download: access level, publishing period and content language are respected.
  
Until now, downloads with restricted access or a publishing period appeared publicly in the layout.
  
Determining the file size can no longer escape from the download folder.
  
All database values go through bound parameters.
Changed
  
Large lists load considerably faster: categories and tags are fetched in bulk instead of per document.
  
On regular page views the queries for the builder's selection lists are gone; they only run in the customizer.
  
Complete modernisation onto the Joomla 6 architecture — no more deprecation warnings.
  
The download key is passed in the form the update server expects; existing update sites are converted during the installation.
  
The category selection in the builder is sorted hierarchically and indented, and the image fields carry unambiguous labels.
  
The display name is now "System - Phoca Download Source".
Fixed
  
An update no longer leaves files of old versions behind.
Removed
  
The plugin no longer disables itself when Phoca Download is missing. Instead the installation stops without the component; at runtime it simply has no effect.
  
An interface endpoint unused since 1.2.0 was removed.
Version 1.6.0 – 6 March 2025
Added
  
The download key is managed centrally under System → Update → Update Sites.
  
A key previously stored in the plugin settings is taken over during the installation.
Version 1.5.0
Changed
  
Update connection and download key as a plugin setting — the precursor to the central management in 1.6.0.
Version 1.3.0 – 22 January 2025
Added
  
Automatic detection of the file type with a matching icon for more than 60 file types.
Version 1.2.1 – 22 January 2025
Fixed
  
The YOOtheme builder showed raw text keys instead of the labels.
Version 1.2.0 – 22 January 2025
Language
  
Full multilingual support in German and English.
Deutsche Fassung