Module name: JEM - Teaser Module
Extension: mod_jem_teaser
Applies to: JEM 5.0 beta 3 for Joomla 5/6 and JEM 4.5 beta 5 for Joomla 4/5, when the module functionality is available in the installed package.
Overview
The JEM Teaser Module displays selected events in a richer promotional format than a simple list. It can show event titles, calendar-style date blocks, event and venue images, descriptions, categories, venues, read-more links, and links to associated Joomla articles.
This module is useful when events should be visually highlighted on a homepage, landing page, sidebar, event section, venue page, or category page. It can be configured as an upcoming events teaser, a featured events block, a current events module, an archive teaser, or a filtered promotional list.
Requirements
- JEM component installed and enabled.
- At least one published event matching the module filters.
- Event images or venue images if the visual teaser layout should show images.
- JEM categories and venues configured if category, venue, county, or country filtering is used.
Where To Find It
- Go to System → Manage → Site Modules.
- Create or edit a module of type JEM - Teaser Module.
- Choose a template position where a visual event teaser fits well.
- Configure the event selection, image display, description, date display, colours, and menu assignment.
Basic Options
Event Selection
| Option | Default | Description | Usage Notes |
|---|
| Events Display-Type |
Upcoming |
Controls which events are selected by date/status. |
Available modes are Upcoming, Unfinished, Archived, Today, and Featured. |
| Events in Module |
5 |
Maximum number of events displayed. |
Use a low value for homepage teasers and a higher value for event landing pages. |
| Show “No events” |
Yes |
Shows a message when no matching events are found. |
Disable if the module should disappear silently when empty. |
| Time Offset |
Empty |
Moves the time window forward or backward in hours. |
Useful for “tomorrow”, “next week”, or recently finished event selections. |
| Categories |
Empty |
Limits output to selected JEM categories. |
Leave empty to include all categories visible to the user. |
| Venues |
Empty |
Limits output to selected JEM venues. |
Useful for venue-specific landing pages. |
| Event ID |
Empty |
Comma-separated event IDs used to limit output to specific events. |
Best for curated promotional blocks where the exact events are known. |
| County |
Empty |
Filters events by the venue county/state field. |
Supports multiple comma-separated values. |
| County Match Mode |
Complete Match |
Controls whether county values must match exactly or only contain the entered text. |
Use “Contains” when county values are not fully standardized. |
| Countries |
Empty |
Filters events by venue country. |
Useful for international sites or regional event portals. |
Title, Links, Categories, and Venues
| Option | Default | Description |
|---|
| Max. Title Length |
25 |
Limits the displayed event title length. |
| Link to Event on Title |
Yes |
Makes the event title link to the event details page when the visitor has access. |
| Show Category |
Yes |
Displays the event category label. |
| Link to Category |
Yes |
Makes category names link to the corresponding JEM category view. |
| Link to Venue |
Yes |
Makes venue names link to the corresponding JEM venue view. |
Description and Read More
| Option | Default | Description | Recommendation |
|---|
| Show Description |
Yes |
Shows the event description in the module. |
Recommended for teaser blocks and homepage highlights. |
| Max Description Length |
300 |
Limits the number of characters shown from the event description. |
Use shorter values in sidebars and longer values in full-width module positions. |
| Allow Line Breaks |
No |
Controls whether line breaks are preserved or replaced with spaces. |
Disable for compact cards; enable when event descriptions are intentionally formatted. |
| Show “Read More” Break |
No |
Shows a read-more link or button when the event description contains a read-more break. |
Useful when event descriptions have a public teaser and private or extended content. |
| Show More Information |
Yes (link) |
Shows a More information link or button when the event has an associated Joomla article. |
Recommended when events are connected to detailed articles, news posts, or editorial content. |
| Show More Information Title |
No |
Adds the associated article title after the More information label. |
Enable if several article links appear close together and need context. |
Images and Modal Display
| Option | Default | Description |
|---|
| Show Event Image |
Yes |
Shows the event image when available. |
| Show Venue Image |
Yes |
Shows the venue image when available. |
| Modal Window |
No |
Opens the original image in a modal/lightbox-style view when clicking the image. |
Date and Time Display
| Option | Default | Description |
|---|
| Date Display-Type |
Show date |
Displays either the formatted event date or the difference in days from the current date. |
| Date Format |
Empty |
Uses the JEM/global date format unless a PHP date format is entered. |
| Time Format |
Empty |
Uses the JEM/global time format unless a PHP time format is entered. |
Note: When Date Display-Type is set to day difference, the time is hidden. Use formatted date display if the event time is important.
Colour Options
| Option | Default | Description |
|---|
| Colour |
red |
Controls the calendar-style date block colour. It can use fixed colours, venue colour, category colour, or fallback colour. |
| Fallback Colour |
#EEEEEE |
Used when fallback colour is selected or when venue/category colours are unavailable. |
| Use Category Colour |
No |
Can apply category colour to category labels as text colour or background colour. |
| Use Venue Colour |
No |
Can apply venue colour to venue labels as text colour or background colour. |
Advanced Options
| Option | Default | Description |
|---|
| Layout |
default |
Selects the module layout. The module includes default and responsive layouts. |
| Module Class |
Empty |
Adds custom classes to the module container. The responsive layout also supports helper class patterns such as image width and height control. |
| Caching |
Use Global |
Controls Joomla module caching. |
| Cache Time |
900 |
Cache lifetime in seconds. The default is 15 minutes. |
Available Layouts
| Layout | Purpose |
|---|
default |
Classic teaser layout with event information, images, description, date block, category, venue, and links. |
responsive |
Responsive layout designed for modern templates and flexible module positions. |
Frontend Behaviour
- The module selects events according to the chosen display type, filters, and count limit.
- Event titles can link to the event details page if the visitor has permission.
- If the visitor does not have access to the event, the read-more link can point to the Joomla login page.
- Event and venue images use generated thumbnails when available and fall back to a blank image internally when missing.
- Category and venue labels can be linked and optionally colour-coded.
- Associated Joomla articles can be shown as a separate More information link or button.
- The module outputs structured event date information for search engines through JEM date formatting helpers.
Recommended Configurations
Homepage Event Highlights
- Events Display-Type: Featured
- Events in Module: 3
- Show Event Image: Yes
- Show Description: Yes
- Max Description Length: 180-250
- Show More Information: Yes, if associated articles are used
Best for visually promoting selected events on a homepage or campaign page.
Upcoming Events Sidebar
- Events Display-Type: Upcoming
- Events in Module: 3-5
- Show Description: No or short description
- Show Venue Image: No
- Date Display-Type: Show date
Best for narrow positions where quick scanning is more important than rich content.
Category Landing Page
- Categories: Select the target category
- Show Category: No, if only one category is used
- Link to Venue: Yes
- Colour: From Category
Best for pages dedicated to a single event type, such as concerts, courses, exhibitions, or meetings.
Venue Landing Page
- Venues: Select the target venue
- Show Venue Image: Yes
- Link to Venue: Optional
- Colour: From Venue
- Use Venue Colour: Text or background, if venue colours are maintained
Best for showing the next events at a specific place.
Examples
Show events starting one week from now or later
- Events Display-Type: Upcoming
- Time Offset:
168
Show events that finished at least two hours ago but are still considered unfinished by the selection logic
- Events Display-Type: Unfinished
- Time Offset:
-2
Show tomorrow’s events
- Events Display-Type: Today
- Time Offset:
24
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Possible Cause | Suggested Fix |
|---|
| No events are shown. |
No event matches the display type, filters, publication state, access permissions, or date window. |
Check the event dates, publication state, category filter, venue filter, country filter, county filter, and user access levels. |
| The module shows “No events found.” |
The module is configured to show the empty message. |
Disable Show “No events” if the module should disappear when empty. |
| Images do not appear. |
The event or venue has no image, or image display is disabled. |
Check Show Event Image, Show Venue Image, and the event/venue image fields. |
| Category or venue colours are not visible. |
No colour is assigned, colour mode is disabled, or fallback colour is used. |
Set category or venue colours and configure the colour mode as text or background. |
| The description is too long. |
Description length is too high or line breaks are preserved. |
Reduce Max Description Length and disable Allow Line Breaks. |
| More information link is missing. |
The event has no associated Joomla article or the option is disabled. |
Associate a Joomla article with the event and enable Show More Information. |
Related Development Notes
The Teaser Module is related to several JEM features: featured events, associated Joomla articles, event and venue images, category and venue colours, access-aware event links, and module layout overrides.
