Basic settings

JEM Settings: Basic Settings

Configure JEM's baseline display formats, layout engine, event lifecycle, image processing and metadata.

Navigation

Components → JEM → Settings → Basic Settings

Purpose

Basic Settings defines JEM's baseline date and time presentation, layout engine, lifecycle of old events, image processing and metadata template. Configure this tab before tuning individual menu items.

Display

Show Link to Event Page controls whether list titles lead to the event detail view.
Date, short date, time and hour formats use PHP/Joomla date-format tokens. Test translated month and weekday names in every installed language.
Time suffix adds the site's preferred textual suffix after formatted times.
Store IP enables IP collection; combine it with Store IP Mode in User Control and document the privacy purpose and retention period.

Layout style

Select the legacy or responsive rendering family and decide whether JEM loads its icon font. Template overrides and custom CSS must target the selected family; test both only when the site genuinely uses both.

Event handling

Handle Old Events determines whether expired events remain published, are archived or are deleted after the configured number of days. Archiving is normally safer for recurring-event integrity, historic links and registrations. Deletion is irreversible and should only be used with tested backups.

Image handling

Allowed file extensions, maximum upload size and thumbnail dimensions define the image intake boundary. GD status/version is diagnostic. Thumbnail generation, lightbox and flyer behaviour affect output; changing dimensions does not necessarily rebuild existing thumbnails, so verify old and new images separately.

Metadata

Build the event meta description from supported placeholders such as title, venue, dates and times. Keep descriptions meaningful, avoid keyword stuffing and verify the final HTML head on an event page.

Recommended use cases

Community calendar: responsive layout, icon font enabled, old events archived after one day, conservative image limits.
Historical archive: archive rather than delete old events and expose archives through a dedicated menu item.
Privacy-sensitive site: disable IP storage unless there is a documented operational or legal requirement.

Configuration options

The table is derived from admin/models/forms/settings.xml and the current English language strings. Internal names are included for support, migration and troubleshooting. Defaults can differ on upgraded installations because existing values are preserved.

Option	Type	Default	Allowed values or condition	Practical effect
Show Link to Event Page `showdetails`	radio	`1`	1 = JYES 0 = JNO	Show link to event page? (Link on title only works if showtitle is yes).
Format Date `formatdate`	text	JEM default / empty	Free value or inherited setting	Date format using the PHP date format, for example 'j. M Y'. For more information <a href='https://www.php.net/manual/en/datetime.format.php' target='_blank'>visit the PHP manual</a>.
Format Date (short) `formatShortDate`	text	JEM default / empty	Free value or inherited setting	Short date format, e.g. used in tables. Leave empty to use language file standard.
Format Time `formattime`	text	JEM default / empty	Free value or inherited setting	Time format using the PHP time format, for example 'H:i'. For more information <a href='https://www.php.net/manual/en/datetime.format.php' target='_blank'>visit the PHP manual</a>.
Format Hour `formathour`	text	JEM default / empty	Free value or inherited setting	Hour format using the PHP time format, for example 'H'. For more information <a href='https://www.php.net/manual/en/datetime.format.php'>visit the PHP manual</a>. This format is used in Edit event views for the hour dropdown boxes.
Time Suffix `timename`	text	JEM default / empty	Free value or inherited setting	This will be shown behind the time on the frontend. Fill in 'h' or 'Uhr', for example, or leave blank if you don't need it.
Store IP `storeip`	radio	`0`	1 = JYES 0 = JNO	Choose whether or not you want to store the IP of users who submit data.
Layout Style `layoutstyle`	list	`0`	0 = Legacy (Table Style) 1 = Default (Responsive Style)	Choose a style for the frontend. Select between old table style or modern responsive style.
Use Icon Font `useiconfont`	radio	`0`	1 = JYES 0 = JNO	Use icon font instead of images for print icons etc.
Allowed Image Files `image_filetypes`	text	`jpg,gif,png,webp`	Free value or inherited setting	Specify allowed image file extensions, separated by commas.
Max. Image Filesize (KB) `sizelimit`	text	JEM default / empty	Free value or inherited setting	Maximum image file size in KB.
Max. Height of Thumbnails `imagehight`	text	JEM default / empty	Free value or inherited setting	Maximum height of thumbnail image and category picture.
Max. Width of Thumbnails `imagewidth`	text	JEM default / empty	Free value or inherited setting	Max. width of thumbnail image and category picture.
Enable Pop Up Thumbnail `gddisabled`	radio	`0`	1 = JYES 0 = JNO	If the GD Library is unavailable on your server, or only has version 1 or lower installed, the thumbnail creation will be deactivated by default.
Lightbox Effect `lightbox`	radio	`0`	1 = JYES 0 = JNO	Enable the nice Lightbox effect for image thumbnails
Flyer `flyer`	radio	`0`	1 = JYES 0 = JNO	If enabled, use original resolution image without scaling, instead of thumbnail
Edit Description `meta_description`	textarea	JEM default / empty	Free value or inherited setting	With the editor you can create your own metadescription. Use the Suggestion button if you need an example
Handle Old Events `oldevent`	list	`0`	0 = Do nothing 2 = Archive old events 3 = Trash old events 1 = Delete old events	Archive, Trash or completely Delete old events automatically.
After Number of Days `minus`	text	JEM default / empty	Free value or inherited setting	Number of days in the past which will not be deleted or archived. This has no effect if the option above is disabled.
IP storage mode `storeipmode`	list	`full`	`full` = Full IP address `anonymized` = Anonymized IP address `hash` = Hashed IP address Visible when: `storeip:1`	Choose how submitted IP addresses are stored when Store IP is enabled.

Saving and verification

Select Save and review any validation or permission warning.
Open the affected frontend view in a private browser window and as each relevant user group.
Test a representative event and venue with images, attachments, access restrictions and empty optional fields.
If the setting changes layout or assets, test desktop and mobile widths and clear Joomla and browser caches.
Record non-default values in the site's maintenance notes before an update or migration.

Code sources

admin/views/settings/tmpl/default_basicdisplay.php
admin/views/settings/tmpl/default_basiclayout.php
admin/views/settings/tmpl/default_basiceventhandling.php
admin/views/settings/tmpl/default_basicimagehandling.php
admin/views/settings/tmpl/default_basicmetahandling.php
admin/models/forms/settings.xml

This article documents the current JEM 5 source tree and relevant behaviour introduced or corrected in the JEM 4.4, 4.5 and 5.0 milestones. Menu-item options can override some global display defaults. Record-level values and Joomla ACL continue to apply independently.