Operating Modes

MirandaPlace supports three operating modes: Ecommerce, Catalog, and Content (CCK).

Operating modes control how items are edited and presented, and whether customers can purchase them online. You can combine all three modes on the same website by assigning different modes to different categories.

Store Default and Category Mode

In Store Config, the Default mode setting defines the mode used by categories that inherit the store configuration.

Each category has a Category mode setting with four options:

• Inherit from Store Config - use the current store default.
• Ecommerce - enable product information and online purchasing.
• Catalog - display product information without online purchasing.
• Content (CCK) - present structured content without commercial or shipping-related elements.

An explicit category mode takes precedence over the store default.

Changing the store default affects categories set to Inherit from Store Config. Categories with an explicit mode keep their own setting.

Inheritance refers to Store Config, not to the parent category.

Ecommerce Mode

Ecommerce mode enables online purchasing for products in the category.

Products can display descriptions, images, custom fields, prices, options, variants, and availability, together with quantity and add-to-cart controls where applicable.

MirandaPlace supports four commercial product types:

• Physical - tangible goods that may require shipping.
• Digital Download - downloadable files delivered through the customer account.
• Service - services that do not require physical shipping.
• Access - plans that grant access to one or more download collections.

The product type determines which settings and delivery features apply. Online purchasing also depends on product availability and the configured checkout, payment, and shipping rules.

Catalog Mode

Catalog mode displays products without allowing customers to purchase them online.

Product information remains available, including prices, attributes, variants, stock, and availability, according to the product configuration and presentation layout.

Quantity selectors and add-to-cart controls are hidden, and products in Catalog categories cannot be purchased through checkout.

Catalog mode is suitable for product showcases, company catalogs, and other projects where visitors need product information without an online purchase process.

Other categories on the same website can continue to operate in Ecommerce mode.

Content (CCK) Mode

Content (CCK) mode uses MirandaPlace to organize and present structured information.

Items can contain descriptions, images, media, custom fields, field groups, and structured details arranged through presentation layouts.

Commercial and shipping-related elements, such as prices, purchasing controls, and stock information, are hidden from the frontend.

CCK is suitable for directories, places, portfolios, archives, technical records, and other projects based on structured information.

CCK is an operating mode, not a fifth commercial product type. Existing commercial data is preserved when a category switches to CCK.

Mode Comparison

The following table describes the capabilities of items in a category. Frontend elements also depend on the assigned layout and item configuration.

Changing Modes Without Losing Data

Changing a category mode does not delete its existing item data.

Prices, stock, variants, download settings, and Access configuration are preserved when they are not used by the selected mode. They become available again when the category returns to a compatible mode.

For example, you can prepare products in Catalog mode and later switch the category to Ecommerce to enable purchasing, after completing the required store configuration.

Switching a category to CCK hides its commercial presentation while keeping the stored product information.

Layouts and the Visual Builder

The category mode applies to both product cards and item detail pages.

The visual builder shows compatibility indicators for elements available in:

• all three modes;
• Ecommerce and Catalog;
• Ecommerce only.

Elements that do not apply to the current category mode remain in the saved layout but are hidden on the frontend. This allows the same layout to serve categories with different modes.

Administration and Dashboard

MirandaPlace keeps a shared administration interface for the whole website.

Selecting Catalog or CCK as the store default does not disable the Sales sections or remove access to existing customers, orders, invoices, or other commercial records. Access remains subject to Joomla user permissions.

The dashboard provides an overview of the installation, including existing commercial activity. It does not become a separate catalog-only or content-only dashboard when the store default changes.

Example: Three Modes on One Website

A single website can use:

• Ecommerce for a category of products available to buy online;
• Catalog for a category of products displayed for reference;
• Content (CCK) for a directory of places or technical records.

Set the store default to the mode you use most often, then assign an explicit mode to categories that need different behavior.