MODX TV Parameters Configuration: Types, Output, Common Mistakes

Configuring TV (Template Variables) Parameters in MODX

TV parameters are extra fields for MODX resources. They allow adding arbitrary data to pages: images, prices, dates, dropdowns, galleries, text blocks. Each TV is attached to one or more templates. According to the official documentation, TV parameters extend resource functionality, simplifying content management (Wikipedia).

We often encounter this scenario: the client adds products manually, and to output the price and photo they have to edit the template each time. TV solves this — configure the fields once, and the editor fills the needed data. One of our clients, an online store with 500+ products, required fields: price, SKU, weight, category, multiple images. Without TV, the editor spent 10 minutes per product; with TV, 30 seconds. Time savings of 95%, and content creation sped up by 40%. With proper TV setup, editors work 3–10 times faster than without. This is especially critical for projects with hundreds of products where every extra click is wasted time. Our clients save on average $2,000 per year in editor time. Setup cost for 15 TVs is $750, and our turnkey TV setup service starts at $500.

Choosing the Right TV Type

Each task has a fitting type. There are 15 base TV types in MODX, but for 80% of projects 5–7 are enough. For short text — Text, for multiline — Textarea, for list selection — Listbox. For prices use Number, for dates — Date, for images — Image. If you need a gallery — better use MIGX or a JSON-based TV. TV types differ not only in input but also in output: Checkbox can store comma-separated values, while for multiple selection Listbox Multi is more convenient. It's important to correctly configure input and output parameters — otherwise the editor sees something unexpected. We'll break it down in practice.

Typical Mistakes in TV Configuration

TV Types and Their Use Cases

How We Configure TV: A Real Case

Consider an online store. Needed fields: price, SKU, weight, category (dropdown), images (gallery). We use FastTab for grouping into tabs. The 'Product' tab contains price (Number), sku (Text), weight (Number). The 'Category' tab — category (Listbox single, source from DB). The 'Gallery' tab — MIGX with fields image (Image), alt (Text). Configuration takes 3–5 hours, including testing output in the template. Our step-by-step process:

1. Analyze content structure and determine required TV fields.
2. Choose appropriate input types for each field.
3. Create TVs and attach them to the correct templates.
4. Group TVs using FastTab into logical tabs.
5. Configure output in templates using modifiers and snippets.
6. Test all fields and document for editors.

Result: editor fills a product in one minute instead of an hour.

TV Output Examples in Templates

[[- Basic output ]] [[*product_price]] [[- With formatting ]] [[*product_price:number_format=`0,.`, ` `]] ₽ [[- Conditional output ]] [[*product_image:notempty=`<img src="[[*product_image]]" alt="[[*pagetitle]]">`]] [[- With phpthumb ]] [[*product_image:phpthumb=`w=800,h=600,zc=1`]] [[- File link ]] [[*product_brochure:notempty=`<a href="[[*product_brochure]]" class="btn">Download brochure</a>`]] [[- Using Chunk as tpl ]] [[*product:notempty=`[[$productCard? &value=`[[*product]]`]]`]] 

When outputting TV values, you can use Chunks as tpl for formatting. For example, [[$productCard]] with a placeholder for the TV value. Use a tpl MODX TV chunk for consistent formatting.

Programmatic Access to TV

// Get TV $resource = $modx->getObject('modResource', $resourceId); $price = $resource->getTVValue('product_price'); $image = $resource->getTVValue('product_image'); // Set TV $resource->setTVValue('product_price', 1500); 

Organizing TV with FastTab

FastTab allows grouping TV fields into tabs in the resource editor:

• Tab 'SEO': seo_title, seo_description, seo_robots
• Tab 'Product': product_price, product_sku, product_weight
• Tab 'Gallery': gallery (MIGX)
• Tab 'Content': hero_image, hero_text, features_json

Checking TV Filled Status

// In a snippet — check before output $tvValue = $resource->getTVValue('important_field'); if (empty($tvValue)) { $modx->log(modX::LOG_LEVEL_WARN, "TV important_field empty for resource {$resource->id}"); } 

What's Included in Turnkey TV Setup

• Analysis of content structure and TV types
• Creation and attachment of TVs to templates
• Grouping via FastTab into tabs
• Output configuration (modifiers, snippets)
• Testing and adjustments
• Documentation for editors
• 3-month warranty on revisions

Timelines and Pricing

Creating and configuring 10–20 TVs for a project, with attachment to templates and FastTab grouping — 3–5 hours. Full turnkey cycle — from 2 to 5 days. Pricing is individual — we'll assess your project after getting acquainted with the task. Typical investment for a project with 15 TVs is $750.

Contact us for a consultation on your project. Order TV setup and speed up your editors' work.