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Is there a way to assign multiple categories to a single article with 1.6?

Thanks.

Is there any interest in having multiple categories per article? Love the subcategories in 1.6 but it would be so helpful to assign several categories to a single article.

That will not be available in core 1.6, though I am sure that there will be extensions for it.

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So we must fix our vision not merely on the negative expulsion of war, but upon the positive affirmation of peace. MLK 1964.
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Consider that you can create multiple access paths to an article through menus. You can point multiple menu items to an article, or create an alias to a menu item that points to an article. I invite you to look at what you are after; multiple ways to access the article, or multiple categorization.

I also believe that "multicat" for one article should be core in 1.6.

Multicategories can do it now with 1.5.x core.

http://extensions.joomla.org/extensions ... tion/12374

I very much need this capability!
Categories are a great way of organizing a site. Doing away with Sections and allowing for sub-categories helps to alleviate much confusion, but this only goes halfway in solving the problem. Allowing a content item to be associated with only a single category restricts the usage of content, thus hindering the management of a site (the 'M' in CMS).

Content should be able to be used/presented wherever and whenever an admin (or user as the case may be) deems necessary or appropriate. As it is now (and apparently in v1.6) we need to copy, rename and paste content if we want to present it in more than one specific location. Content should be like every other asset within Joomla!; one file used throughout the site. We don't have a separate theme file or mod file for every 'page', why do we need to have multiple copies of the same content?

I honestly don't know how difficult it would be to add this functionality in Joomla!. I have to assume this is a 'legacy' issue since Mambo's core didn't allow for this either.

In any case, may I add my voice as very much needing this functionality.

Thank you for your consideration.

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Do you want to be able to associate a content item (artlcle) with more than 1 category in Joomla!?
Please add your voice to the following thread: viewtopic.php?f=580&t=525316

That works (I suppose) for 1, 2, or a few articles, but it does not address the fundamental problem. "Here, take 2 aspirin and call me in the morning."



Your examples all speak of 'an article' (singular). What happens when there are hundreds of them to deal with? How do you 'serve' an article to more than one specific page in the main content area? In other words, I want them to SEE this article, not have to LOOK for it - serve vs. discovery.
Creating multiple menu items and/or aliases to menu items are poor substitutes for simply checking multiple categories in the editor.
E.g., I want this article to display in the main content area of the Chevy, Ford and BMW categories (areas of the site). Select Chevy, Ford and BMW in the 'Associate Categories' dialog box in the editor and done! Now, when a Chevy guy goes to the Chevy area of the site, he sees the article. The Ford and BMW guys also see the same article when they visit their respective areas. One file, authored and stored in the database once being used and presented in 3 separate areas of the site, all accomplished with a simple mouse click at the time of authoring or editing. Easy to understand, easy to use and easy to manage.
Isn't that the whole purpose of using a CMS (easily manage content)?

_________________
Do you want to be able to associate a content item (artlcle) with more than 1 category in Joomla!?
Please add your voice to the following thread: viewtopic.php?f=580&t=525316

When you'd looked at this sentence, you'd probably have had no need to kick my options in the groin... As I wrote, it's an option depending on your needs. In your example, which I don't quite follow, my question would be why you need the same article in several categories. If it's so general, consider another 'general' category.

I hope we skipp categories and use menus and menu modules instead and this problem would be much easier to implement..

Debate here http://www.alltogetherasawhole.org/profiles/blogs/why-do-joomla-need

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Success in the long run Its not about the code its about the people and community that's make it!
Its not what you say its what you do that matters!

Darb - aka ssnobben

If we did away with (got rid of) categories, the problem (IMHO) would not be solved.

Here's what I need to do:

Premise – Articles are posted in the main content areas of the site (as opposed to modules in mod positions).

I run a site that supports a school music program. Within the program we have 4 groups or classes:

- Beginning Band (BB)
- Advanced Band (AB)
- Jazz Band (JB)
- Color Guard (CG)

The homepage of the site is used to provide program-wide info/articles/notices of interest to all students within the music program. It also serves as a central location to point students to group/class areas within the site.
Students use a menu item to go to the area they are interested in (AB students go to the AB area, etc.).
Once in a group/class area, info pertaining to that specific group/class is presented.
In other words, these group/class areas are like mini sites with the larger main music program site.

This is all easily doable and works well with the existing Joomla! Framework. Sections and Categories work fine (for the most part) for this and allow me to organize the site without undue menu clutter where not needed. Cats and SubCats (v1.6) will work fine as well I am sure.

Now comes my point of contention.

Some of the articles pertain to more than a single group/class.
For instance, I need to write an article about an upcoming performance that involves both the AB and CG group/classes.

Recall the premise – articles are posted in the main content area. Remember too that articles may be associated with only one (1) category.

When my AB and CG students go to their respective group/class areas of the site, I want that article to be placed in the main content area of BOTH group/class 'pages', center stage if you will, so that the students do not miss it.
Also note that since the info is not relevant to the BB or JB students, it should not presented in their group/class areas.
I do not want the article to be associated with a menu item (as darb suggests in the message above this one) as I don't want the students to have to go looking for this info (discover philosophy). I want to make sure they see it (serve philosophy).

In other words, I want some content (articles) to be presented in only one of the group/class areas and some content (articles) to be presented in MORE THAN ONE of the group/class areas. Simply allowing content to be associated with more than one category would easily facilitate this.

BTW – Just to be complete with the above scenario.

When I have info of interest to ALL students, I could:

- Associate it with the 'Program' category and it would appear on the homepage.
- Associate it with all categories except the 'Program' category and it would appear on all of the group/class pages, but not the homepage.
- Associate it with all categories and it would appear on the homepage as well as on all of the group/class pages.

Easy to understand and use and it allows me to target info to the specific area or areas required.

I don't know for sure, but it seems to me that allowing for this functionality would be easier than to abandon categories all together and rewrite the menu structure framework.

I hope some of the devs and/or key players will join in on this conversation.

_________________
Do you want to be able to associate a content item (artlcle) with more than 1 category in Joomla!?
Please add your voice to the following thread: viewtopic.php?f=580&t=525316

Well you didnt read this http://www.alltogetherasawhole.org/prof ... oomla-need and understand it?

Removing sections/categories and use menu(s), menu module(s) and articles solve your problem because you can add your article to multiple menus or menu modules in the menu module three with alt gr for your choices where you want in the tree and make your article to belong wherever you want looking like something like Typy3 or Front Page item tree and reach nirvana KISS for everyone. Easy peasy quicker, better visible and understandable..

The major problem is that Mambo/Joomla 1.0.+, J 1.5.+, J 1.6 people are section/category brainwashed and dont understand that there is a another better solution that is more logical, less code, less effort etc for everyone. Your example is only one that would be better, easier and quicker to set up instead of doing your double work for everone.

This core developer is not interested to discuss this for a new Joomla architecture and its a syndrome called NIH - Not Invented here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Not_invented_here

Why ? Well think your self? --->Mambo--->J 1.0.+, ---> J 1.5.+, -----> J 1.6.+, J .1.+.+, J 2.0.+ etc

_________________
Success in the long run Its not about the code its about the people and community that's make it!
Its not what you say its what you do that matters!

Darb - aka ssnobben

I totally agree with the need of a multi-category option in the core! Please don't hurry up to finish joomla 1.6 before doing a good categorization system!!!!!!!!!!

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former Q&T WorkGroup Joomla member - Italian Translation Team Member

@ darb

all is ok but joomla 1.6 hasn't got a good tagging system too.

In 1.6 we have categories, and sub- sub-- and so on and following the menu method, well we can cancel all categories and use only menues... is it right?

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former Q&T WorkGroup Joomla member - Italian Translation Team Member

Newart,

I don't know if you have done a lot of development but it would take a minimum of several solid months of full time work to build a core-ready tagging. It's simply not the way development works to say "I want it" so hold up an entire release for me. So it will have to be in 1.7 or later Are you willing to fund 6 months of someone working exclusively on that? Are you willing to give up your paying work to code that?
If you have an idea for the future you should prepare to be engaged in the discussion of goals for 1.7 and be prepared to help with achieving whatever you propose one way or the other.

There are lots of good tagging extensions out there, if this is something important to you i'd suggest that you use one of them.

_________________
So we must fix our vision not merely on the negative expulsion of war, but upon the positive affirmation of peace. MLK 1964.
http://officialjoomlabook.com Get it at http://www.joomla.org/joomla-press-official-books.html Buy a book, support Joomla!.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You_Ain%27t_Gonna_Need_It

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don%27t_repeat_yourself

Ask you self how much unnecessary effort this have been done trough the years? How many extra code of lines, complexity, 3 pds solutions for making sections/categories menus!!! wow http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KISS_principle instead of just focusing. Focusing on the users needs and wants. Why make things more complicated than necessary?

@mcsmom This is not about o n e man job or incentives. This is about making a clear road map with a vision of what and how Joomla core features should look like and why. Its should not be an adhoc add a little here and add a little there path for the future.

This is the first document that show everybody where Joomla is going and why? http://community.joomla.org/blogs/leadership/1296-rfc-joomla-development-strategy.html

Joomla development should start from the end users needs and how they want the system should be bcs they decide if Joomla should die or have a future.

_________________
Success in the long run Its not about the code its about the people and community that's make it!
Its not what you say its what you do that matters!

Darb - aka ssnobben

Darb,

That's right. we don't randomly add features and stop a release because of the demands of a couple of users. The goals for 1.6 were set 2 years ago and they are almost reached. It's amazingly good work. No, we won't be adding new major goals at beta 11, but anyone can ask for a branch to start work on things for 1.7 and beyond as described in the development strategy. That's exactly the point I made and I'm glad you agree.

End user needs does not mean "my needs." If you work with clients at all you know that end user wish lists while useful are just starting points and they don't (and have no need to) understand what they really mean or which are hard and which are easy. Further, end users does not mean "users who are just like me." It means the full range from enterprise like eBay and Quizilla to the one person hobby site.

Software is never perfect, and it's never done. What you hope is that it gets better all the time and doesn't get stuck in the past.

As for the work of countless people being being wasted ... well I think the millions of people with websites are pretty thankful for it. I know I am. I'm thankful for those people who didn't just talk, they sat down and wrote the code.

At any rate absolutely none of this thread is on topic in this forum so I'll sign off now.

_________________
So we must fix our vision not merely on the negative expulsion of war, but upon the positive affirmation of peace. MLK 1964.
http://officialjoomlabook.com Get it at http://www.joomla.org/joomla-press-official-books.html Buy a book, support Joomla!.

I agree.

@ mcsmom

you're right at 50% - 2 yrs ago the decision wasn't a popular one and not perfect, an example is about the (not important in this step) comments system in the 1.6 core was deleted as too hard & long work.

I have to say that a best content system core was at the top of the 1.6 targets (I've discussed with devs for php5 only, otherwise we'd be with the php4 too).

Now we have a very good ACL but the content isn't the king, sorry.

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former Q&T WorkGroup Joomla member - Italian Translation Team Member

Yup it's more important that there be an excellent release than that there be features that are not ready. It's not about popularity, it is about who is willing to code what. If you had coded a core ready tagging solution it would have been considered as were at least three options.

What i suggest is that you ask for a branch to start coding this for 1.7.

_________________
So we must fix our vision not merely on the negative expulsion of war, but upon the positive affirmation of peace. MLK 1964.
http://officialjoomlabook.com Get it at http://www.joomla.org/joomla-press-official-books.html Buy a book, support Joomla!.

?

!

_________________
Success in the long run Its not about the code its about the people and community that's make it!
Its not what you say its what you do that matters!

Darb - aka ssnobben