Joomla!'s Category Blog Layout

Joomla!'s Category Blog Layout is very popular to use because it is very flexible. There are many parameters that you can set to create the layout desired. It is important to understand that there are three places that parameters can be set - and there is a systematic way that Joomla! uses these parameters.

Article Manager Parameters

Go to Content -> Article manager.

In this page there is an icon called parameters in the top, right of the page.

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Note: In joomla1.5RC3 version that icon is named as ‘preferences’, not as ‘parameters’

This is where you can set the default values used by menu items and articles.

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Users can set values to those parameters according to their preference.

Menu Item Parameters

When you create a new menu item that includes an Article menu type like an Article-Category Blog, you are also presented with Parameter choices.

Parameters:

If you wish to use the default values set at the Article Manager level, then no changes are required for the menu item parameters.

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Article Parameters

Each article also has it's own set of parameters. When you edit an article, the parameters are available on the right side.

If you wish to use the default values set at the Article Manager level, or the values set at the Menu Item level, no changes are required in the Article parameters. Understand Article parameters override the menu item settings.

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Create a "Joomla! Category Blog Layout" document.When user enters to the system user can see several icons to manage the content of the site as follows.

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Now just click on Menu -> Main Menu. Then user will enter to the Menu Item Manager (Main Manu) page.

In that page it will display all the menu items in the main menu.

To add a new item click on the New button.

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Then user will be directed to the Menu Item (new) page. Here user has to select Menu Item Type.

Then go to the Internal Link -> Articles -> Category -> Category Blog Layout.

Then User has to add the Menu item details and also select the necessary parameters.

For example: When user adds the detail as follows:

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And select parameters as below:

Parameters Basic:

Parameters Advance:

Parameter Components:

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Parameters System:

After entering details and parameters now click on Save button.

Then user will be directed to the Menu Item Manager page and there it will display the newly added menu item.

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Then the menu item is added to the site and user can see it under the main menu in the site.

That is the basic scenario to add a menu item in the main menu.

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Now will see how the content depends on the parameters.

Basic parametersThere are seven types of parameters that can be changed by the user. First we will consider about first three parameters.

1. We entered the Category as News/Latest (User can select any category name he wish). Select show option button for Description and Description Image.

Selected Parameters:

Output:In the site the content will appear with the category description and also the image

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2. Now will see what happen if the user select Hide option button for the Description and Description Image.

Parameters:

Output:The output will not contain any description and a description image as follows.

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So user can select any of those options according to his needs. Now we will see about the other basic parameters like Leading, intro, columns and links.

1. Leading means number of articles to display as a full width articles. For example will select the number 2 as a leading parameter as follows.

Parameters:

Output: Then the two full width articles will be displayed.

Two articles withFull Width

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2. Intro parameter use to select number of articles to display as intro text. Select the intro parameter as 2.

Parameters:

Output:The two paragraphs will display as intro text shown.

Two articles asIntro text shown

3. Columns parameter can change the number of columns for a row when displaying the intro text.Select the columns parameter as 2.

Parameters:

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Output:

Two columns

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4. Links is the last basic parameter. This is number of items that have to be displayed as links. Let’s select it as 3.

Parameters:

Output: Then three links will be displayed.

Three links

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Advanced ParametersThe advance parameters is another parameter set that can be selected by the user.

1. With Category Order, user can select the necessary order of the categories and primary order will select the order that the items will be displayed in.

Select the Title-Alphabetical as Order by Primary order only and select the primary order according to the preference.

Select the Primary order as Oldest first.

Parameters:

Output:

Display items as the Oldest First order

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Select the Primary order as Title- Alphabetical.

Parameters:

Output:

Items will display in Alphabetical order

As above scenario user can select the Order of the items by changing those parameters.

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2. There is another parameter set to select the pagination in a joomla! site. They are Pagination, Pagination results and show a feed link.

Pagination is use to enable the pagination support. Pagination results is an option for display the results.

Select the pagination enable as auto and click on the show option button for Pagination results.

Parameters:

Output:

Pagination on and Results will bedisplayed

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Select the Pagination as auto and Pagination results as hide.

Parameters:

Output :

Pagination onand result will notBe displayed.

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Component parameters

1. There are five parameter sets.

Show unauthorized linksTo see the links user has to login to the system. If the user is not login then it will display the link to register content.

Parameters:

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Show Articles TitleIf user want to show the titles of Articles then select Yes and if not select No.

Parameters:

Output:

The titles Will be displayed

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Title LinkableIf you want to linkable titles then select Yes and otherwise select No.

Parameters:

Output:

Titles display As links

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Show Intro TextThis is for show or hides to intro text.

Parameters:

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Section NameShow or hides the sections of articles.

Section Title LinkableThis is for linkable the section names. If he does not want to linkable section names then he has to select ‘No’.

Parameters:

Output :

Sections (Linkable)

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Category TitleShow or hides to category names that articles belongs to.

Category title LinkableThis is for linkable the category title. If user doesn’t want it to linkable then select ‘No’. Parameters:

Output:

Categories (Linkable)

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Author NameDisplay or hide the author name for each title.

Created date and timeDisplay or hide the created date and time.

Modified date and timeDisplay or hide the modified date and time

Show NavigationShow a navigation function between articles.

Parameters:

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Output:

Display author Name and created date.

Display the last Modifies date

Read more… LinkDisplay or hide the Read more link.

Article Rating/VotingThis is for enable the voting system for articles.

Parameters:

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Output:

Read more links

IconsShow or hide icons.

PDF IconShow or hides the PDF button

Print iconShow or hides the Print button

Email iconShow or hides the Email button

HitsThis is for set hits for particular articles.

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Parameters :

Output:Display PDF button Print button and Email button.

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System parameters

1. There is another parameter set called system parameters.

Page TitleThis is the text to display as a title.

Parameters:

Output:

Show page titleThis is show or hides the page title.

Parameters:

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Output:

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Page class suffixThe suffix to be applied to the CSS classes of the page.

Parameters:

Output:The style will change as follows.

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The CSS style class will display in the html content as follows

Menu imageThis is to select an image for the menu.

Parameters:

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Output:

SSL EnabledThis parameter user if the user wants to use SSL and secure socket URL.

Parameters:

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