Managing Add-ons

Overview

Add-ons extend Larapen with additional functionality: blog, e-commerce, payment gateways, and more. From the admin panel, you can view installed add-ons, activate or deactivate them, run their database migrations, and configure their settings.

Viewing installed add-ons

Go to Add-ons in the admin sidebar. The add-on list shows:

• Display Name: The add-on's human-readable name (e.g., "Blog & News").
• Version: The installed version number.
• Description: A brief description of what the add-on provides.
• Status: Active or Inactive.
• Installed: When the add-on was first installed.

Installing a new add-on

1. Download the add-on package (ZIP file) from the Larapen marketplace or the developer.
2. Extract the add-on folder into extensions/addons/ on your server. For example, a "Blog" add-on would go into extensions/addons/blog/.
3. Visit the Add-ons page in the admin panel. The system automatically discovers new add-ons.
4. The new add-on will appear in the list with an Inactive status.
5. Click "Activate" to enable it.

Activating an add-on

1. Go to Add-ons in the sidebar.
2. Find the add-on you want to activate.
3. Click the "Activate" button.

When an add-on is activated:

• Its database migrations run automatically (creates tables if needed).
• Its admin sidebar entries appear in the navigation.
• Its front-end routes become available.
• Its permissions are added to the roles & permissions system.
• The active theme loads the add-on's front-end views.

Deactivating an add-on

1. Go to Add-ons.
2. Find the active add-on.
3. Click the "Deactivate" button.

When an add-on is deactivated:

• Its admin sidebar entries are removed.
• Its front-end routes become unavailable (visitors will see a 404 page).
• Its database tables and data are preserved: nothing is deleted. You can reactivate the add-on later and all your data will still be there.

Add-on dependencies

Some add-ons depend on other add-ons. For example, a "Stripe" payment gateway add-on requires the "Shop" add-on to be active.

• If you try to activate an add-on whose dependencies are not met, the system will display an error message listing the required add-ons.
• If you try to deactivate an add-on that other active add-ons depend on, the system will warn you and list the dependent add-ons.

Add-on settings

Many add-ons have their own configuration settings. When an add-on is active:

1. Go to Settings in the sidebar.
2. Look for the add-on's settings group in the settings sidebar (e.g., "Blog", "Shop").
3. Configure the add-on's options.
4. Click "Save".

Some add-ons also add a "Settings" button directly on the add-on card in the Add-ons list page.

Updating an add-on

1. Download the updated add-on package.
2. Replace the add-on folder in extensions/addons/ with the new version (overwrite existing files).
3. Visit the admin panel: if the add-on includes new database migrations or update scripts, you'll be prompted to run them.

Destroying an add-on's data

To permanently remove an add-on's database tables and data:

1. Deactivate the add-on from the admin panel.
2. Click the "Destroy" button next to the deactivated add-on.
3. Confirm the action. This will drop all the add-on's database tables and remove its data permanently.

Removing an add-on's files

After destroying an add-on's data (or if you just want to remove the files), delete the add-on folder from extensions/addons/ on your server via FTP or SSH.

Available add-ons

Larapen offers a wide range of add-ons:

• Blog: Full-featured blogging system with posts, categories, tags, and comments.
• Shop: E-commerce with products, cart, checkout, orders, and coupons.
• Forum: Community discussion forum.
• HelpCenter: Knowledge base and help center.
• Careers: Job listings and career pages.
• Events: Event management and calendars.
• FAQ: Frequently asked questions.
• Partners: Partner and client logo showcase.
• Portfolio: Portfolio and project showcase.
• Pricing: Pricing tables and plans.
• Team: Team member profiles.
• Newsletter: Email newsletter subscriptions.
• Billing: Invoicing and billing.
• Classified: Classified ads.
• Booking: Reservations and appointments.
• Glossary: Glossary and definitions.
• GDPR: GDPR compliance tools.
• Stats: Analytics and statistics.
• Webmail: Webmail integration.
• Stripe, PayPal, Paddle, MoMo: Payment gateway integrations.
• Envato, Licenses: License management.
• Ads Blocker Detector: Ad blocker detection.

Some add-ons are included with your Larapen purchase. Additional add-ons can be purchased separately from CodeCanyon.