Tutorial for Dummy Content

There is a Free and a Pro version of Dummy Content.
The parts in this tutorial that only concern the Pro version will be marked with: PRO

Introduction

So, you're creating a new Joomla website and want to fill your articles with some dummy text. So you go to one of the many Lorem Ipsum websites to copy text that you can then paste into your articles.

But this proves to be pretty labour intensive, and you have exactly the same dummy content for every page. Not ideal.

So that's where this Dummy Content Joomla extension comes in to help you!

Dummy Content is a Joomla! system plugin (and editor button) that helps you automatically place random dummy text into your Articles - or in any other content item that has an editor, such as Custom HTML Modules, Category descriptions, 3rd party content, etc.

This can be done with one simple click, and with your own specified preferences for the amount of paragraphs, sentences, words and much more. You also have the ability to enter lists, dummy email addresses and even random dummy images with custom dimensions.

How to use it

Dummy Content can place dummy text into your article via two alternative methods: direct content, and dynamic tag.

You can use the dedicated Editor Button to enter any of the two methods.

Dummy Content allows you to choose between these Content Types: Kitchen Sink, Paragraphs, Sentences, Words, List, Title, Email, Images.

Dummy Content - Editor Button popup

Insert Content

With the first method, a pre-rendered dummy text will be placed directly into your article, based on your Content Type and Options selection.

You can then save the article and that dummy content is actually in the article text.

The editor button will generate the appropriate content based on your specified Content Type and Options in the editor button popup.

Insert Tag

In alternative, you can also choose to place a special dynamic tag into your content: {dummy}. You can place this tag anywhere you can enter content in Joomla.

With this method, Dummy Content will then replace that tag in the frontend with a dynamically generated dummy text.

The editor button will automatically generate the appropriate tag based on your specified Content Type and Options in the editor button popup.

But you are also free to enter the tag manually. Here is a quick rundown on how the tag syntax works:

Default Type

The simple {dummy} tag will place the default content type based on the Dummy Content default settings.

Default Number of a Type

To place a specific content type while keeping its default settings, you can use a {dummy type="[content_type]"} tag.

For example {dummy type="paragraphs"} will place the amount of paragraphs specified in the Dummy Content default settings.

You can also use a short syntax with just the letter initial of a certain type - for example for paragraphs you can use {dummy type="p"}.

Specific Number of a Type

You can overrule any setting inside the tag to make it output exactly what you want: any number of paragraphs, sentences, words, lists, images, etc.

This is done with a attribute="value" syntax - which you might recognise from how html works.

For example, to specify how many number of paragraphs you want to output, you can do so by using {dummy paragraphs="5"}.

The same applies to all other content types. See the Content Types section below for all the details on each content type and on how the respective tag works.

More Options

Dummy Content offers additional options to customize the generated content, such as Word Lists and Diacritical Marks.

For example, {dummy type="paragraphs" wordlist="greek"}.

Content Types

You have the option to insert several types of dummy content either directly or via the tag.

Here is an explanation of all the available types and attributes you can place in the tag to overrule the default settings (set in the Dummy Content system plugin):

Paragraphs

A given number of paragraphs, with a random number of sentences and words.

Tag Examples:

  • {dummy paragraphs="2"} for 2 paragraphs
  • {dummy paragraphs="5"} for 5 paragraphs
  • {dummy type="paragraphs"} for the number of paragraphs specified in the default settings

You can also use the short syntax {dummy p="2"}.

See the Dummy Content Examples Page for a result example of the dummy generated content.

Sentences

A given number of sentences, with a random number of words.

Tag Examples:

  • {dummy sentences="10"} for 10 sentences
  • {dummy sentences="20"} for 20 sentences
  • {dummy type="sentences"} for the number of sentences specified in the default settings

You can also use the short syntax {dummy s="10"}.

See the Dummy Content Examples Page for a result example of the dummy generated content.

Words

A given number of words.

Tag Examples:

  • {dummy words="100"} for 100 words
  • {dummy words="200"} for 200 words
  • {dummy type="words"} for the number of words specified in the default settings

You can also use the short syntax {dummy w="100"}.

See the Dummy Content Examples Page for a result example of the dummy generated content.

List

An ordered or unordered list with a given number of list items (or random amount).

Tag Examples:

  • {dummy list="random"} for a list with 2 to 10 list items
  • {dummy list="5" listtype="ul"} for an unordered list with 5 list items
  • {dummy list="3" listtype="ol"} for an ordered list with 3 list items, etc.
  • {dummy type="list"} for the list items and type specified in the default settings

You can also use the short syntax {dummy l="random"}.

See the Dummy Content Examples Page for a result example of the dummy generated content.

Title

A Given Number of Words in Title Case.

Tag Examples:

  • {dummy title="5"} for 5 words in Title Case
  • {dummy title="10"} for 10 words in Title Case
  • {dummy type="title"} for the number of words in Title Case specified in the default settings

You can also use the short syntax {dummy t="5"}.

See the Dummy Content Examples Page for a result example of the dummy generated content.

Heading

A Given Number of Words in Title Case inside a Heading tag.

Tag Examples:

  • {dummy heading="5"} for 5 words in a Heading 1
  • {dummy heading="10" level="3"} for 10 words in a Heading 3
  • {dummy type="heading"} for the number of words specified in the default settings

You can also use the short syntax {dummy h="5"}.

See the Dummy Content Examples Page for a result example of the dummy generated content.

Email

An email address consisting of dummy words for the part before and after the @ sign.

Tag Examples:

  • {dummy type="email"} for a dummy email address

You can also use the short syntax {dummy type="e"}.

See the Dummy Content Examples Page for a result example of the dummy generated content.

Image PRO

An image with the given width and height. The image will be generated by one of the online dummy image services.

Tag Examples:

  • {dummy type="image"} for a random dummy image
  • {dummy type="image" width="500" height="200"} for a dummy image with specified dimensions
  • {dummy type="image" width="500" height="200" greyscale="yes" text="dimensions" font="3Dumb"} for a placholeder image with specific settings
  • {dummy type="image" width="300" height="300" service="picsum"} for a photo image from a specific service

You can also use the short syntax {dummy type="i"}.

See the "Images" section for further explanation. Images are only available in the pro version of Dummy Content.

See the Dummy Content Examples Page for result examples of the dummy generated images.

Kitchen Sink

The Kitchen Sink is a mash-up of the other available content types.

So it will display a random combination of titles, paragraphs, lists, email addresses and images (images are only available in the pro version).

Tag Examples:

  • {dummy type="kitchensink"} for a combination of various dummy content.

See the Dummy Content Examples Page for a result example of the dummy generated content.

Word Lists PRO

By default Dummy Content will use random words from the famous Lorem Ipsum text to generate the different texts.

The Pro version however, offers you a bunch of alternative word lists to choose from.

You can set a word list as default in the Dummy Content system plugin settings. And you can also override the default setting via the {dummy} tag using wordlist="...".

Here a list of the available alternative word lists and an example of the text it can generate:

  • Arabic
  • Bacon Ipsum
  • Baseball Ipsum
  • Bavaria Ipsum
  • Beer Ipsum
  • Bowie Ipsum
  • Cheese Ipsum
  • Corporate Ipsum
  • Cupcake Ipsum
  • Cyrillic
  • Esperanto
  • Fishier Ipsum
  • Gangsta Ipsum
  • Gibberish Ipsum
  • Greek
  • Hebrew
  • Hindi
  • Hipster Ipsum
  • Interlingua
  • L33tspeak
  • Lorem Ipsum
  • Luxembourgish
  • Pommy Ipsum
  • Quenya
  • Slovio
  • Sona
  • Space Ipsum
  • Tokipona
  • Volapük
  • Web 2.0 Ipsum
  • What? Nothing!

See the Dummy Content Examples Page for a result example of the dummy generated content.

Custom Word Lists

Want to add your own Word List?
Just add a simple .txt file to the folder plugins/system/dummycontent/src/wordlists.

Then in that file you can place each phrase (word, sentence or even a complete paragraph) on it's own line. So the file contains an enter-separated list.
You can look at the contents of the other Word List files as an example.

Words and short phrases should be lowercase (unless you want to force an uppercase, for instance with the first letter of names).
Sentences and paragraphs should end with a period or other ending character.

For instance, if you want to have a custom word list with a bunch of words and sentences concerning 'Startrek', you can create a file:
plugins/system/dummycontent/src/wordlists/startrek.txt

The content of that startrek.txt file could look like:

Starship Enterprise
Shields up!
Damage report?
I recommend we transfer power to phasers and arm the photon torpedoes.
Something strange on the detector circuit.
The weapons must have disrupted our communicators.
gravity
atmosphere
hydrogen-carbon helix patterns
... etc ...

Diacritical Marks PRO

With the Pro version of Dummy Content you can randomly add diacritical marks to letters.

You can set a language (set of diacritical marks) as default in the Dummy Content system plugin settings. But you can also override the default setting via the {dummy} tag using diacritics="...".

Here a list of the available languages to choose from:

  • Czech: á č ď é ě í ň ó ř š ť ú ů ý ž
  • Danish: å æ é ø
  • Dutch: é ë ï ó ö ü
  • Esperanto: ĉ ĝ ĥ ĵ ŝ ŭ
  • Finnish: ä å ö
  • French: à â æ ç é è ê ë ï î ô œ ù û ü ÿ
  • German: ä ö ü
  • Hungarian: á é í ö ó ő ü ú ű
  • Icelandic: á æ ð é í ó ö ú ý
  • Italian: à è é ì ò ó ù
  • Maori: ā ē ī ō ū
  • Norwegian: å æ â é è ê ø ó ò ô
  • Polish: ą ć ę ł ń ó ś ź ż
  • Portuguese: ã á â à ç é ê í õ ó ô ú ü
  • Romanian: ă â î ș ş ţ ț
  • Russian: а б в г д е ё ж з и й к л м н о п р с т у ф х ц ч ш щ ы э ю я
  • Spanish: á é í ñ ó ú ü
  • Swedish: ä å é ö
  • Turkish: ç ğ ı İ ı ö ş ü
  • Welsh: â ê î ô û ŵ ŷ ä ë ï ö ü ẅ ÿ á é í ó ú ẃ ý à è ì ò ù ẁ ỳ

See the Dummy Content Examples Page for a result example of the dummy generated content.

Images PRO

In the Pro version of Dummy Content you can also generate dummy images, with the given width and height.

There are a range of online dummy image services you can choose from. Each have different options, like text overlays, photo categories, color schemes, foreground and background colors.

Tag Examples:

  • {dummy image} for a random dummy image
  • {dummy type="image" width="500" height="200"} for a dummy image with specified dimensions
  • {dummy type="image" width="500" height="200" greyscale="yes" text="dimensions" font="3Dumb"} for a placholeder image with specific settings
  • {dummy type="image" width="300" height="300" service="picsum"} for a photo image from a specific service

Here is a list of the available image services and some example of the images you can generate with each:

Placeholder Images

PickaDummy.com (Default)


[Click on image to refresh example]

FakeIMG.pl

Photos

Picsum.Photos


[Click on image to refresh example]

PlaceIMG.com


[Click on image to refresh example]

PlaceBeard.it


[Click on image to refresh example]

See the Dummy Content Examples Page for more result examples of the dummy generated images.

Settings

Default Settings

Type Select the type of view to use by default. This setting can be overruled in the tag with the following attributes: paragraphs or p, sentences or s, words or w, list or l, kitchensink or k, title or t, email or e, image or i

Options: Kitchen Sink, Paragraphs, Sentences, Words, List
Number of paragraphs The default number of paragraphs used when not setting any parameters in the tag. This setting can be overruled in the tag with paragraphs="123" or p="123"
Number of sentences The default number of sentences used when not setting any parameters in the tag. This setting can be overruled in the tag with sentences="123" or s="123"
Number of words The default number of words used when not setting any parameters in the tag. This setting can be overruled in the tag with words="123" or w="123"
Number of list items The default number of list items used when not setting any parameters in the tag. This setting can be overruled in the tag with l="123" or list="123"
List Type The default list type to use. This setting can be overruled in the tag with listtype="random", listtype="ol" or listtype="ordered", listtype="ul" or listtype="unordered"
Number of words in title The default number of words used when not setting any parameters in the tag. This setting can be overruled in the tag with title="123" or t="123"
Word List Select the wordlist to use by default.
Diacritical marks Randomly add diacritical marks used in the selected language.

Placeholder Images PRO

Image Service Select the online image rendering service to use. This setting can be overruled in the tag with image_service="pickadummy"

Options: PickaDummy.com, FakeIMG.pl, Picsum.Photos, PlaceIMG.com, PlaceBeard.it
Width The default width of images. This setting can be overruled in the tag with width="123"
Height The default height of images. This setting can be overruled in the tag with height="123"
PickaDummy.com
Show Dimensions Select to show the dimensions of the image as text inside the image.
Grayscale Select to render a greyscale image. This setting can be overruled in the tag with grey="yes"
Colorize The colorizing color. This setting can be overruled in the tag with colorize="#123456"
Show Text Select whether to show the dimensions or a custom text inside the image. This setting can be overruled in the tag with text="none", text="dimensions" or text="My Text"
Text Color The text color (foreground). This setting can be overruled in the tag with text_color="#123456"
Text Transparency The transparency of the text color. A number from 0 (no transparency) to 100 (transparent). This setting can be overruled in the tag with transparency="80"
Text Font Select the font to use for the text inside the image. This setting can be overruled in the tag with font="lobster"
FakeIMG.pl
Random Background Color Select to generate random background colors. Every image will have a different background color. This setting can be overruled in the tag with text_color="random" or text_color="#123456"
Background Color The background color. This setting can be overruled in the tag with color="#123456"
Start Color Range The start number to generate the random background colors. A number from 0 (dark) to 255 (light).
End Color Range The end number to generate the random background colors. A number from 0 (dark) to 255 (light).
Background Opacity The opacity of the background color. A number from 0 (transparent) to 100 (opaque). This setting can be overruled in the tag with opacity="80"
Show Text Select whether to show the dimensions or a custom text inside the image. This setting can be overruled in the tag with text="none", text="dimensions" or text="My Text"
Text Color The text color (foreground). This setting can be overruled in the tag with text_color="#123456"
Text Opacity The opacity of the text color. A number from 0 (transparent) to 100 (opaque). This setting can be overruled in the tag with text_opacity="80"
Text Font Select the font to use for the text inside the image. This setting can be overruled in the tag with font="lobster"
Photos
Colour Scheme Select whether to show colored, greyscale or sepia images. This setting can be overruled in the tag with color="color", color="greyscale" or color="sepia"
Category (PlaceIMG.com) Select the image category. This setting can be overruled in the tag with category="none" or category="animals"
Options: none, animals, architecture, nature, people, technical

Editor Button Options

Button Text This text will be shown in the Editor Button.
Enable in frontend If enabled, it will also be available in the frontend.

Tag Syntax

Dummy Content tag The word to be used in the tags.

Note: If you change this, all existing tags will not work anymore.
Tag Characters The surrounding characters of the tag syntax.

Note: If you change this, all existing tags will not work anymore.

Options: {...}, [...], {{...}}, [[...]], [:...:], [%...%]

Advanced

Heading Class Set a class name to add to all generated headings.
Disable on Components Select in which frontend components NOT to enable the use of this extension.
Remove in Disabled Components If selected, the plugin syntax will get removed from the component. If not, the original plugins syntax will remain intact.
Enable in administrator If enabled, the plugin will also work in the administrator side of the website.

Normally you will not need this. And it can cause unwanted effects, like slowing down the administrator and the plugin tags being handled in areas you don't want it.

Installation

You can either install Dummy Content by using the core extension manager available in the Joomla! Administrator Control Panel, or by using the powerful Regular Labs Extension Manager.

Note: When updating Dummy Content, you do not need to uninstall it first. The package will update all the files automatically.

Keep in mind that when you update to a major new version (or uninstall first), you might lose some configuration settings.

Regular Labs Extension Manager

It is very easy to install/update any Regular Labs Extension using the Regular Labs Extension Manager.

Please see the Tutorial for the Regular Labs Extension Manager for more detailed information...

Joomla! Extension Manager

To install via the Joomla! Extension Manager, just follow these steps:

  1. Log into your Joomla administrator;
  2. In the menu, choose: Extensions >> Extensions;
  3. Choose the tab: Install from Web (or enable it if you haven't done so yet);
  4. Select the search field and enter Dummy Content and hit enter;
  5. Click on the Dummy Content listing;
  6. Click on Install;
  7. Click on Install to confirm.
Joomla! Installer - Install from Web

Or if you need to install the Pro version or cannot install via the 'Install via Web' method for some reason:

  1. Download the extension install file (.zip);
  2. Log into your Joomla administrator;
  3. In the menu, choose: Extensions >> Extensions;
  4. Choose the tab: Upload Package File;
  5. Click on the Choose File button and select the extension zip;
  6. Click on Upload & Install.
Joomla! Installer - Upload Package File

If you have problems installing Dummy Content, please try the manual installation process as described here: docs.joomla.org/Installing_an_extension