Is it possible to have 2 Category boxes?

[chrisj]

Is it possible to have 2 Category sideboxes? One on the right side and one on the left? If so, how could I accomplish this?

Thanks

[Kim]

With the same or different categories?

[chrisj]

different categories

[imac]

2 Categories sideboxes with different categories is exactly what I need as well. Have searched and found several threads but no solutions. Any pointers anyone?

[Ajeh]

You could use a little tricky feature of coding here ...

If you are not using Document General Product Type ...

Make a Category and set the Category Restrictions to:
Document General
Product General

What this does is by having the Category marked as Restricted to Document General, that is a trigger to put that Category in the Document Sidebox ...

Marking it as Restricted to Product General allows normal Products to be added ...

Providing you set all of the Categories to both:
Document General
Product General

They will show in the Document Sidebox vs the Categories Sidebox ...

Now, you can use this Category Restriction to divide your Categories between 2 sideboxes ...

Note: Be careful that you set all Categories for the Document Sidebox to both Product Types or you will not see the Category/SubCategory in the Document Sidebox if it is missing the Restriction ...

NOTE: if you did not notice, the Restrictions for a Category appear when you Edit the Category ...

[imac]

Make a Category and set the Category Restrictions to:
Document General
Product General

That's a worker. Many thanks Linda. I have been experimenting with duplicating the category_tree class with different selects based on sort_order. It seems to work, but it's a dirty hack which can't be right I don't think we'll be using Documents and we only need 2 boxes, so this feels like a better way to go.

While we're on the subject - you couldn't point me in the direction of the hack for opening up the first layer of subcategories in the tree on load without having to click the category? Again, I found a few threads in the archives but with the forum crash earlier this year a lot of routes to the past seem to have been fractured.

[Ajeh]

In the Layout Settings ... there is a setting for:

Categories - Always Show on Main Page
Always Show Categories on Main Page
0= off
1= on
Default category can be set to Top Level or a Specific Top Level

This is used with the setting just below it for:

Main Page - Opens with Category
0= Top Level Categories
Or enter the Category ID#
Note: Sub Categories can also be used Example: 3_10

[imac]

Profuse apologies Linda. A classic case of me failing to weed-out possible ambiguities before posting. I can't find a dunce's cap in the smilies so this will have to do

Instead of

the hack for opening-up the first layer of subcategories in the tree on load without having to click the category

what I meant to say was

the hack for opening up the first layer of subcategories as a tree or list in the sidebox on load without having to click the categories

I know it's a question that strictly-speaking is off-topic on this thread, so it was a bit naughty of me to try to squeeze it in in the first place

More on-topic, re. adding Document-General and Product General types, I'm still a bit confused about the difference between the'Add include SubCategories' and 'Add without SubCategories' buttons. Am I right in assuming that "Add include..." will also force all subCategories, currently existing or subsequently created, below the current one to the chosen product type; but "Add without ..." won't. Or have I got the wrong end of the stick on that one too?

[Ajeh]

That alters the currently existing sub categories to match the top level category ...

So once set, subsequent subcategories would be restricted as the restrictions of the parent prevent the child or subcategory from reaching beyond the parent restriction ...

However, the Parent Category holds a restriction but the new child or subcategory does not hold a restriction unless you set it ...

[imac]

However, the Parent Category holds a restriction but the new child or subcategory does not hold a restriction unless you set it ...

OK. I think I'm just starting to get it. I've been experimenting with this for a few days now. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't, and I haven't so far been able to figure out why.

So, supposing I have 2 top level categories, Cat_1 and Cat_2. And below those sub-categories Cat_1.1, Cat_1.2 etc. And below those sub-sub-categories Cat _1.1.1, Cat_1.1.2 etc.

If I want to use your trick to move Cat_1.1 and all categories under it from the Categories box to the Documents box, then I edit Cat_1.1 to add Products-General and Documents_General, then I click 'Add include SubCategories' ... then the result should be that Cat_1.1 and all existing sub-sub-categories Cat_1.1.1, Cat_1.1.2 etc. will be moved to the Documents box, but the top level Cat_1 will stay in Categories. True?

If however I click 'Add without SubCategories' instead, then only the category I'm editing, Cat_1.1, will be moved. Cat_1.1.1, Cat_1.1.2 etc. are restricted by parent Cat_1.1 to Documents so won't show in Categories, but if I haven't either clicked 'Add include SubCategories' from Cat_1.1, or set Cat_1.1.1, Cat_1.1.2 etc. to Documents-General, then they themselves don't hold the document restiriction and therefore can't show in Documents either. True?

If I now add a new sub-sub category 1.1.x, it doesn't matter whether I've clicked 'Add include SubCategories' or 'Add without SubCategories', it won't show in Categories because it's restricted to Documents by Cat_1, and it won't show in documents until I edit it and add the Documents-General restriction. True?

If all the above are true, then it might jsut explain where all my Categories are dissappearing to.