What Are Custom Admin Menus?

Custom Admin Menus are the primary way users interact with your component from Joomla’s admin sidebar or toolbar. With JCB, you can visually define:

• Main menu entries
• Submenus linking to Admin Views, Custom Admin Views, or external URLs
• Icons, access levels, ordering, and hierarchy
• Optional separators or logical groupings

These menus become the user’s entry point into the component’s features.

Key Features

• ✅ GUI-based Menu Builder
  No need to manually define menu XML or routes — simply use JCB’s interface.
• 📄 View-Aware Linking
  Automatically link menu items to any JCB-defined view (admin, site, or custom).
• 🧠 ACL Integration
  Apply Joomla’s access control per menu item (based on user role or permission).
• 🎨 Icons and Grouping
  Use Joomla’s built-in icons or custom CSS classes for visual polish and logical grouping.
• 🔗 External URLs Supported
  Add menu items that link to external dashboards, documentation, or tools.

How to Configure in JCB

• Navigate to the Component Configuration area in JCB
• Go to the "Admin Menu" tab
• Add new menu entries:
  • Specify title, link target, and icon
  • Choose the linked view (or use a custom URL)
  • Set order, access level, and optional tooltip/description
• Save and compile your component
• JCB auto-generates the config.xml and admin navigation logic for Joomla.

Use Cases

• Simplify navigation for non-technical users
• Add shortcuts to common tasks like "Import", "Dashboard", or "Settings"
• Provide direct links to Custom Admin Views like "Analytics" or "Messages"
• Group tools and reports under submenu structures
• Link to external docs or admin tools

Reusability & Versioning

• Menus are part of the component metadata
• Easily shared between components via repository
• Safe to reset, fork, or push updates
• Menus round-trip with compiles

Best Practices

• Keep top-level items minimal and descriptive
• Use submenus for specific tools or views
• Avoid overly nested structures
• Use intuitive icons for visual clarity

Summary

JCB allows you to craft custom admin menus that integrate directly into Joomla’s backend menu system. These menus can organize your views, link to tools, and visually structure your component’s UI for better usability — no hardcoding needed.