Build a MODX snippet that outputs a paginated list of resources using the built‑in paginate controller

Goal

Create a reusable MODX snippet that returns a paginated list of resources, letting editors place the tag on any page and control the number of items shown.

Prerequisites

• MODX Revolution 2.x or 3.x installed and accessible via the manager.
• Write permission for the snippet class file (e.g., core/components/yourpackage/htdocs/snippets/).
• A template that contains the snippet tag (e.g., [[!MyPaginatedResources? &limit=5]]).
• Optional: a TV or field you want to display (e.g., myTV) that exists in the resource template.

Procedure

1. Create the snippet class file. In the manager, open core/components/yourpackage/htdocs/snippets/ and create a PHP file named MyPaginatedResources.php. The class must extend modSnippet and implement execute().
2. Read input parameters. Inside execute() use $this->get('limit'), $this->get('start'), $this->get('sort'), and optionally $this->get('classKey'), providing defaults (limit = 10, start = 0, sort = 'createdon').
3. Build the resource filter. Use $modx->newFilter() to limit to the desired class; add a class_key condition if classKey is set, otherwise default to modResource.
4. Fetch the collection. Call $modx->getCollection('modResource', $filter, $limit, $start, $sort, 'DESC'). Verify the argument order matches your MODX version (2.x vs 3.x).
5. Apply pagination. Pass the collection to $modx->paginate($collection, $limit, $start) to obtain a modXPagedResult object.
6. Loop through the page. Iterate over $pagedResult->getItems(), retrieve fields such as $resource->pagetitle or $resource->get('myTV'), and output them using MODX tags or plain PHP echo.
7. Cache the output (optional). After building the HTML string, call $modx->cacheManager->save('my_paginated_output', $html, $ttl) where $ttl is seconds. To reuse the cached markup, expose a second tag [[!MyPaginatedResources? &useCache=1]] that returns the stored HTML when present.
8. Return the markup. End the method with return $html; so MODX inserts the string at the tag location.

Verification checks

• Run the tag with [[!MyPaginatedResources? &limit=5&start=0]] on a test page and confirm exactly five resource titles are displayed.
• Click the pagination links generated by the snippet; ensure the displayed items change and that $modx->getTotalRows() matches the total count across all pages.
• Check server logs for Execution time exceeded warnings; if present, reduce the limit or add an index on the sort field (e.g., createdon) to speed the query.

Limitations & troubleshooting

The paginate controller API differs between MODX 2.x and 3.x; using the wrong argument order causes a fatal error. Keep queries simple and consider indexing the sort field to avoid full‑table scans. Missing TVs referenced in the loop will generate PHP notices; verify every field exists in the resource template or TV definition.

Rollback

If the snippet throws a syntax error or breaks page rendering, delete the MyPaginatedResources.php file via the manager or SSH. The site reverts to its previous state without a database rollback, because the snippet is code only.