Exporting settings

An export writes the settings of the items you choose to one .configport.json file. It changes nothing on the site.

Exporting needs the Export settings permission. Super Users have it. See Permissions.

Choose the items

1. Open Components → ConfigPort → Export. The dashboard (Components → ConfigPort) also has an Export link for each kind.

2. Pick a kind at the top of the page: Components, Plugins, Modules or Template styles. Each tab shows how many items of that kind you selected.

3. Tick the items to export. Search and the filters narrow the list. Select all shown ticks every row the list shows, and Clear all shown removes those ticks.

4. Switch to another kind and tick more items. Your ticks stay when you switch.

   

5. Click Next: check the export.

Check the export

The second step lists each item and the values ConfigPort marked. There are two kinds.

Values that look secret, such as passwords and keys, are left out unless you tick Include next to a value, or Include every value that looks secret for all of them.

Values for this site only, such as menu items, categories, user groups, web addresses, email addresses and paths, are kept unless you tick Leave out.

The page shows the number of items and the size of the file. Why some values are left out explains each mark.

Check again updates the page after you change a tick. Back to the selection goes back to the first step with your ticks.

Download the file

Click Download the file. The browser saves a file named configport-<site name>-<date>-<time>.configport.json. The date and time are in UTC.

The file is plain text. If you included secret values, keep the file private and delete it after the import.

One item from its edit screen

The Options screen of a component and the edit screens of plugins, modules and template styles have an Export button. It downloads the saved settings of that item. See Quick actions on edit screens.

Limits

• One file holds at most 1,000 items and 5 MB. ConfigPort refuses a larger selection, so export the items in parts.
• The stored settings of one item can be at most 65,535 bytes. This is the size of the column where Joomla keeps them. ConfigPort leaves out an item over this limit, and the check page names it.
• An item whose stored settings cannot be read is left out, and the check page names it.

The action log

Each export adds an entry to Users → User Actions Log with the number of items and their kinds. ConfigPort writes the entry when ConfigPort is ticked in Events To Log, in the options of the User Actions Log. The installer ticks it on the first install.