[32]Bring back blog-content section menu link

[kwc]

(I tried to find the "sticky thread" referenced in the White Paper guidelines for submitting minor issues, but couldn't locate it... so here's a fresh post...)

In Joomla! version 1.0.x, menu links could be tied to a type of "blog-content section" that displayed "blog of content items from multiple sections in a blog format."

The current version of Joomla! 1.5.x does not offer this option, and instead limits you to linking to blogs of articles within a specific category or a single section. Blogs of multiple sections cannot be displayed, unless articles are flagged for the front page and linked to "Home."

This feature should be resurrected and brought into the next revision of Joomla!. Why? In some cases, administrators want to only display the most important announcements in the front page blog. However, users sometimes want to see all new postings without having to browse through each section (via menu links). A "latest posts" menu link is a clean way to do that, if it was possible.

Thank you,
- kwc

[brad]

Is this what you were after: http://forum.joomla.org/viewtopic.php?f=500&t=265654

[kwc]

No, Brad. The White Paper guidelines, posted here: http://docs.joomla.org/White_Papers, state this:

Special Exception for Minor Changes

We are giving a special exception for very minor issues that people might like to bring up, but that are too trivial to warrant writing a full paper on the subject. For these cases we will have a sticky thread for submitting minor issues. Moderators will monitor this thread and any issue that are deemed to need more input will be split off and a full White Paper will be requested.

I couldn't find it -- so I opened up an independent thread (as it appears most are doing). Just wanted to stay within the guidelines expected by the development team...

[numbscot]

Just want to put my backing behind this idea.

[teo]

In some cases, administrators want to only display the most important announcements in the front page blog. However, users sometimes want to see all new postings without having to browse through each section (via menu links). A "latest posts" menu link is a clean way to do that, if it was possible.

Why not a solution similar to "smart folders" or "special playlist" in iTunes?
May be called "smart categories" and in the control panel, you could associate any article to this categories.
The db structure for contents may be the same, but may be added a table for smart categories that tracks the associations.

[mixed]

I agree that being able to create a blog of all the articles in particular sections is very useful! Glad this has made it into the top 50 list!

Teo's suggestion about smart folders sounds like tagging to me. It is a cool feature but should be in addition to the suggestion by kwc!

[gjones]

I just wanted to re-iterate that I too believe this is an important feature that was removed in Joomla 1.5 and is currently causing me to hesitate in making the transition from 1.0.x to 1.5.x. I really hope to see this feature added back into Joomla 1.5 very soon.

If anyone is aware of any work-arounds or extensions that can provide this functionality for 1.5 please let me know.

thanks, Happy New Year!

[kwc]

gjones,

I haven't found a fix for this and am also hopeful it will be addressed in the near future.

kwc

[arniej]

I think this module (at least partially) can "solve" the issue for now. Just slap it in the main content div of your index.php.

http://extensions.joomla.org/extensions ... 8/reviews4

It doesn't appear to do any pagination, which is the only drawback I see. Otherwise, it can pull in groups of Sections or Categories like Joom 1.0 did.

You can also replicate the module and give it a separate ID. One module could pull in one set of Sections or Categories, and the 2nd one could pull in another set.

Check it out.

[MarkusK]

Oh man, I am in the middle of the migration from 1.0 to 1.5 and I just got blind-sided by the lack of the menu type "Blog - Content Category" (Joomla 1.0 Tooltip describes it as: "Displays a page of content items from multiple categories in a blog format").

Our whole site is structured by using this feature.
It offers the greatest flexibility, not only because you can create a menu item which is able to display content items of multiple categories, but (thinking in reverse) it allowed you to create menu items that appeared to the reader as an ALL ITEMS blog-page, while a few categories are EXCLUDED.
Plus, it allows to display all items of multiple categories ACROSS SECTIONS, I just mention this in case this useful application is not completly obvious to some people.

I don't know if the "multiple category levels" is 1.6 are th same as this, but I always found it extraordinary flexible, to have just a logical connection between menu items and categories (assignments), rather than a physical connection, which is the case in Joomla 1.5.

Now I have to completely screw up my database (re-arrange everything) or deprive my readers from the benefit of "category overview pages" vs. only category pages.

This is a MUST-bring-back!!!