The Joomlashack Blog

We Updated ABC, our Joomla Template for Schools and Education

Written by Valentín García Valentín García

Published: 08 November 2016 08 November 2016

Check out the new version of ABC, a colorful Joomla template that's designed for education sites.

This update to ABC features a major design refresh. If you want to create sites for a school or online course, then ABC is an excellent template choice. ABC has excellent support for OSCampus, the new Joomla LMS.

We've also added support for one of our popular commercial extensions included for free: Easy Social Icons. If you buy ABC, then you'll also get access to Easy Social Icons.

Additionally, ABC is now compatible with the very last version of the Wright framework.

Read more: We Updated ABC, our Joomla Template for Schools and Education

Meet OSTimer Pro, the Countdown Extension for Joomla

Written by Valentín García Valentín García

Published: 04 November 2016 04 November 2016

OSTimer is the best countdown extension for Joomla.

Today, we're happy to announce the release of OSTimer Pro!

OSTimer Pro includes extra layout options, and the ability to customize the color of your countdown clock.

Additionally, we've done a lot of work to improve the admin UI for both the Free and Pro versions of OSTimer.

Read more: Meet OSTimer Pro, the Countdown Extension for Joomla

Meet OSDonate Pro, the PayPal Donation Extension for Joomla

Written by Valentín García Valentín García

Published: 04 November 2016 04 November 2016

OSDonate is the best PayPal donation extension for Joomla.

Today, we're happy to announce the release of OSDonate Pro!

OSDonate Pro includes extra layout options, and the ability to customize the color of your donation form.

Additionally, we've done a lot of work to improve the admin UI for both the Free and Pro versions of OSDonate.

Read more: Meet OSDonate Pro, the PayPal Donation Extension for Joomla

We Updated Mondrian, our Landing Page and Events Joomla Template

Written by Valentín García Valentín García

Published: 03 November 2016 03 November 2016

Check out the new version of Mondrian, a beautiful Joomla template that's designed to showcase events.

This update to Mondrian features a major design refresh. If you're holding an event, then Mondrian will be an exciting and stylish choice.

We've also added support for two of our popular commercial extensions included for free: OSTimer Pro and Shack Slides. If you buy Mondrian, then you'll also get access to both extensions.

Additionally, Mondrian is now compatible with the very last version of the Wright framework.

Read more: We Updated Mondrian, our Landing Page and Events Joomla Template

Error decoding JSON data: Syntax error

Written by Nick Savov Nick Savov

Published: 25 October 2016 25 October 2016

With the release of Joomla 3.6.3, some sites started to get this error message:

"Error decoding JSON data: Syntax error".

This tutorial will explain the issue and how to resolve it.

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Background info

Joomla stores some of its data as JavaScript Object Notation (JSON). JSON has syntax rules that describe how the data must be stored. If the data gets corrupted and doesn't maintain the rules, an error occurs.

In version 3.6.3, the Joomla core started to report more errors if the data is stored incorrectly. Now if the JSON syntax is broken, the error is triggered and displayed. So in other words, Joomla 3.6.3 isn't causing the problem ... it's just doing a better job of reporting it.

The root cause of the error

The issue is with the data. So any fix that you find for modifying core files is incorrect. Plus, core changes will be lost when you update Joomla.

The key to fixing the issue is fixing the data itself. But where is the data? It's in the database of course. And it's usually in a "params" field in the _extensions table or _modules table.

How to fix the error

Now that we know where to look, how do we spot the issue and how do we fix it? Unfortunately, this part is tricky. Sometimes it's obvious though. The following is broken JSON:

{""}

And it can be fixed with:

 update `abc_modules` set params="" WHERE params = "{\"\"}";

Change "abc" to your table prefix. Also, run the above on your _extensions table too. To do that, switch `abc_modules` to `abc_extensions` .

The code above will fix the most common issues that have been spotted so far. But there are other syntax errors that can cause the issue. And they are usually harder to spot.

Here's one from a site I debugged earlier:

{"administrator":"\"en-GB\"","site":"\"en-GB\""}

It was in the com_languages param. I'm not sure of the cause, but it might have been due to Magic Quotes GPC being enabled at one point.

To find others, you'll have to manually look through the "params" column for potential issues.

Rob Went has released a small script that automates much of the process.

Also, if the issue is found in a 3rd-party extension, update the extension. If you don't have admin access, disable the extension via the database, then update.

Two extensions with known issues are JB Library Plugin and JUpgrade. JB Library's team has already released a fix for it.

You Can Now Include All Types of Media in OSCampus Lessons

Written by Steve Burge Steve Burge

Published: 25 October 2016 25 October 2016