PageBuilder
Visual section builder for MODX 3: draft and publish without overwriting resource content
Manager and events
Control panel
Manager component: Components → PageBuilder (namespace pagebuilder, controller index).
In the control panel:
- list of resources with sections
- jump to section editor
- Section types (permission
pagebuilder_manage_types): UI types, hide and restore built-in JSON types
- Basket (Pro, flag
basket): global basket for deleted sections and table rows - Collections tab settings when
pagebuilder_collections_*are enabled
The editor on the resource form and in the control panel uses one Vue bundle via VueTools. Manager API entry:
assets/components/pagebuilder/connector.php
Data model
Main page record: table pb_pages (prefix modx_pb_).
| Field | Purpose |
|---|---|
resource_id | Link to modResource |
draft_json | Section document draft |
published_json | Published version |
revision | Draft revision number (optimistic locking) |
published_revision | Last publish revision |
publishedon / publishedby | Publish time and user |
editedon / editedby | Last draft change |
PageBuilder does not overwrite modResource.content. Resource SEO fields (pagetitle, description) are used as usual.
Page basket stores deleted sections in document.trash. On draft save a plugin syncs index pb_basket_items. There is no separate pbOn* event for basket: a plugin on pbOnAfterSave can read record.draft.trash. Global restore and permanent delete use Pro connector actions (mgr/basket/*).
Resource table data lives in separate pb_* tables (Tables tab).
PageBuilder Pro
The pagebuilderpro extra adds shared blocks, section journal, catalog examples, breakpoint fields, 20 advanced field types, global basket in the control panel, and Agent API.
Details: PageBuilder Pro. Storefront sections require miniShop3.
Events
On install the extra registers 20 pbOn* events in MODX. Subscribe a plugin under System → Events or use the static plugin from the package.
Exception: pbOnBeforeTableGetList and pbOnTableRowSave are not created by the installer. Add events manually if your plugin should react.
Registration on boot
| Event | Data |
|---|---|
pbOnRegisterSectionDefinitions | registry: SectionRegistry, add custom types |
pbOnRegisterFeatureProviders | registry: FeatureProviderRegistry |
Page lifecycle
| Event | When |
|---|---|
pbOnBeforeSave / pbOnAfterSave | Draft (mode=draft) |
pbOnBeforePublish / pbOnAfterPublish | Publish |
pbOnBeforeUnpublish / pbOnAfterUnpublish | Unpublish |
pbOnBeforeTrash / pbOnAfterTrash | Move sections to basket |
In pbOnBeforeSave extensions can replace the document via PageDocumentBag. In pbOnAfterSave and similar, field changes contains DocumentChangeSet (ids of sections added, removed, trashed, restored, enabled, and disabled).
Copy
| Event | Data |
|---|---|
pbOnBeforeCopySections | sourceResourceId, targetResourceId, userId |
pbOnAfterCopySections | + record |
Catalog and fields
| Event | Purpose |
|---|---|
pbOnBeforeGetList / pbOnAfterGetList | Catalog list (mgr/catalog/list) |
pbOnFieldValues | FieldValuesBag: field value substitution (mgr/field/options, picker) |
pbOnCheckSectionRequirement | requirement, result.satisfied: check depends (pro, minishop3) |
pbOnCheckSectionVisibility | Pro: settings.conditions, result.visible, section visibility on frontend |
Resource table data
Manual registration
Events below are not registered on install. Add them under System → Events if your plugin should react.
| Event | When |
|---|---|
pbOnBeforeTableGetList | Filter rows (criteria passed by reference) |
pbOnTableRowSave | Before row save (data passed by reference) |
Frontend render
| Event | Data |
|---|---|
pbOnBeforeRenderDocument | resourceId, document, pipeline, options |
pbOnBeforeRenderSection | index, pipeline: mutate section before chunk |
pbOnGetValues | When snippet has return_values=1 |
Example section registration in a plugin:
php
<?php
switch ($modx->event->name) {
case 'pbOnRegisterSectionDefinitions':
/** @var \PageBuilder\Section\SectionRegistry $registry */
$registry = $modx->event->params['registry'];
$registry->registerFromFile($modx->getOption('core_path') . 'components/mypackage/sections/custom.json');
break;
}Custom JSON definitions must match built-in section schema: fields, chunk, category.
Save, publish, and frontend output
The editor writes the draft via connector, publish copies snapshot to published_json, the site snippet reads only the published version.