Joomla content organisation query

[carolla]

Hi

 

I'm gradually getting there with our site based on the Edugeek/Rokwebify template (thank you so much for that Sysman). Unlike many of you who say "great - only took me 3 days to throw the website together", I've really struggled to get to grips with Joomla.

 

see test website here.

 

The current problem that has me scratching my head is how to control which menu is visible depending on the route a visitor takes to arrive at the content.

 

For example there is a content item for "Educational Support" which can be found in the Parents Info menu and also the Departments menu. If a visitor clicks on the link in the Parents menu the Parents menu remains in place. But if the visitor clicks on the link in the departments menu then the menu changes to the Parents menu, which I think could be a bit confusing. Hope all that makes sense.

 

I think I've checked all the boxes to make the menus visible where I need them to be but it seems to be favouring one over the other.

 

Do I need to create two separate but identical content items? (not ideal for maintainance purposes). Or is there another way round?

[Guest]

Hiya carolla

 

Due to the way I created the menu structure this is a side effect. You can as you suggested create two separate but identical content items. Another option may be to create one static content item and then share that between the 2 menus. Although I haven't tried that method myself.

 

The reason that it happens is because the top menu is a blog link to the category. This is so you can use the next / prev links to navigate through the content on the category. The secondary menu then just has links to each individual content item in that same category.

 

By clicking on you link in the Department Menu you are taking the use to the Parents Menu category, thus showing the parents menu.

 

As far as I know a content item can’t share different menus

[carolla]

Thank you - I thought that would probably be the case. I'll have a few of these so it looks like I'll need to make a decision whether to:

 

*have more than one copy of the same content

*only have it available from one menu

*let users work it out for themselves - if they find themselves whisked off to a different section they can always find their way back

 

Does anybody have an opinion on which is the best way to do it?