Display menu category same as category link

Hi,

I am a bit confused about category display via menu and category display via category link.

Is there a setting that will force the display via category link to be the same as the display via menu?

Here are the two displays:
1) Via Menu

2) Via Category Link

As you can see they appear the same EXCEPT that on the menu display, it displays the additional menu (which is via {loadpostion x}

The menu, I am guessing, is not display via category display because it is a menu that is set to only display level 3 or the main top menu.

Is there a way to Sync? the category link display with the menu display?

i.e. If I select Ferrite Magnet via category, it will be the same as selecting Ferrite Magnet via the menu?

I know it would display the same if I was to create a seperate menu with only the 3rd lvel, but that would create tow other issues:
1) The breadcrumb display would be truncated if selecting via the second menu.
2) There would be no 'active' menu displayed (when selecting via category link_

Any thoughts on this greatly appreciated.

Hi Nicolas, thanks for reply. Yes I am trying a work-around and have change the layout.

I will check back once I have seen if what I am thinking will work.

ok, here is a good example.

Ferrite Magnets - Cylinders (Drill Down)

This is a drill down from Magnets> Ferrite Magnets > Ferrite Magnets Cylinders.

On this page, you will notice the heading 'Magnets' which is from the top level menu used to access the magnets category.


But on this page, Ferrite Magnets - Cylinders (Direct Menu) , which is the same category but accessed via the menu 'Ferrite Magnets Cylinders'

On this page, you will notice a different heading 'Ferrite Magnets - Cylinders' , ALSO, there is a custom html module that is displaying which does not display on the drill down from the top menu as shown in the first example.

So if I have a module that is specific to a menu item, it wont display via a drill down.

Is there a way that the drill down displays as it does for the menu so:

1) The correct category title displays
2) Menu specific modules displays.

I hope that makes sense as it has been 'doing my head in' for about a week.

And herein lies the issue:

on the two examples above, with sh404sef activated, there are two different urls to the same page:

From Category Drill down:
geneva.directrouter.com/~magnetgr/62-fer...gnets-cylinders.html

From Menu:
geneva.directrouter.com/~magnetgr/Ferrit...product/listing.html

That is creating duplicate url/content issue (not good for Google)

With a bit of manual tuning/customizing sef urls in sh404sef, I have been able to get shop categories to drill down the same as menu.

A bit of work but the last thing I want is duplicate content.

Hey Sambob... I'm having the same issue... if you go to my top menu and select "balls" ( wena.webb-ellis-north-america.com/balls ) you get a list of subcategories, clicking on any one of those (e.g. flag balls) you get to that categories product list... the url is wena.webb-ellis-north-america.com/balls/category/listing/41-flag-balls

However, if I click on the side menu I have where I've got a direct link to the category "flag balls", the url is wena.webb-ellis-north-america.com/balls-page/flag-balls which seems to be getting the url from the menu aliases (note - the "balls-page", is the alias of the parent menu item of the "flag-balls" menu item.

Like you, I would rather avoid having two menus pointing to the same content. Can you explain what you did? Thanks.

Hi Zeusrw,

Are you using sh404sef? (or similar)

To prevent multi urls for the one page you need to cusomise the url (go to url mamager, and find the menu based url (in this case it is the

wena.webb-ellis-north-america.com/balls-page/flag-balls

Open that one in the rrl manager and add the other (non-menu) url as an alias. ( wena.webb-ellis-north-america.com/balls/...isting/41-flag-balls )

No when someone clicks via category layout, it will (redierct) to the menu url.

Hope that makes sense. (Let me know if it doesnt)

Thanks Sambob... the plan is to have lots of products and I was hoping this would be something that would automagically create the alias... I am using sh404SEF although I've had to tell it to use the default Joomla router as it sh404SEF seems to run into 404 issues on some pages, particularly as it relates to the cart.

I guess I will start to create the aliases. Thanks.

Hi Zeusrw,

You can batch them via url export/import in sh404sef.

Alternatively you could create redirects (in joomla) or via you htaccess file (easy to batch create them) - less desirable.

But, in short, no easy/auto solution