Installing JCal Pro for Joomla

Going to document the installation procedure for the JCal Pro calendar extension for Joomla. This extension is by Anything-Digital.Com, published as free software under the GNU General Public License.

The documentation for JCal Pro is done very nicely. I’ll follow their basic steps, but I’m documenting it here for my own records.

Grab the files and install the main Component:

1. download the latest packages (files)
— com_jcalpro_x.x.zip
— mod_jcalpro_latest_events_x.x.zip
— mod_jcalpro_minical_x.x.zip
— bot_jcalpro_search_x.x.zip
— bot_jcalpro_latest_events_x.x.zip
2. temporarily disable gzip compression in joomla config
— => open configuration.php set mosConfig_gzip to 0
3. select Installers => Components
4. browse for com_jcalpro_x.x.zip => Upload File & Install
5. select Components => JCal Pro => Edit Settings
— => configure away
6. select Menu => mainmenu
7. select New => Components => Component
8. select Next
9. add Name select JCal Pro and Save

Now install the modules:

1. select Installers => Modules
2. browse mod_jcalpro_latest_events_x.x.zip Upload File & Install
3. browse mod_jcalpro_minical_x.x.zip Upload File & Install
4. select Modules => Site Modules
5. publish JCal Pro Latest Events
6. publish JCal Pro Mini-calendar
7. re-enable gzip compression if needed

Now to test by adding an event, just go to your front page, login in as a user with add permissions, select the Calendar link and select Add Event.

The install by default will place both the Latest Events and Mini Calendar in the Main Menu and ‘left’ position. If you want to move it, say to the right hand column, as I did, do the following:

1. select Modules => Site Modules
2. select either module
3. select Position right (in the dropdown)
4. select Save

This will change it to the ‘right’ Position and change the Module Order to 1::Polls, essentially putting it on the Home page right hand column, if your template allows for this.

Honestly, for this extension, I’d have to say the JCal Pro Installation Instructions are pretty darned good. You would do well by just following the documentation at their site, but I like to see my instructions in a certain format, which I’ve got here. Thanks.