You could do exactly what you asked with an edit to one line in tpl_modules_categories_tabs.php, but that would fail if you added or removed a top category that displays to the left of your hidden category.
For a better method that will hide the specific category, not the position, find this in
/includes/modules/your_template/categories_tabs.php
PHP Code:
// currently selected category
if ((int)$cPath == $categories_tab->fields['categories_id']) {
$new_style = 'category-top';
$categories_tab_current = '<span class="category-subs-selected">' . $categories_tab->fields['categories_name'] . '</span>';
} else {
$new_style = 'category-top';
$categories_tab_current = $categories_tab->fields['categories_name'];
}
Change the two lines
PHP Code:
$new_style = 'category-top';
to
PHP Code:
$new_style = 'category-top cat' . $categories_tab->fields['categories_id'];
Now you can address each link individually like .cat23 {display: none;}
If your cat-tabs bar has tab styling that involves the <li> element, you will need to hide the whole tab, not just the link. Find in
/includes/templates/your_template/templates/tpl_modules_categories_tabs.php
PHP Code:
<li><?php echo $links_list[$i];?></li>
Change to
PHP Code:
<li class="<?php echo substr($links_list[$i], 23, (strpos('" hr', $links_list[$i]) - 23));?>"><?php echo $links_list[$i];?></li>
If there are any issues with this, let me see the site and I can adjust the substr/strpos details.