gallery not showing - interesting behavior

[lancerus]

I created a gallery with 2 sub galleries via the backend interface.
To help organize the images on my site, I put them inside a specific directory that I created ("Owner Folder")
In doing so, I was not able to select an "Owner" for these, it wouldn't let me. (I selected one but it ignored it?)
The "Owner" doesn't really matter to me here since I set the various rights to what I wanted.

The images all loaded properly into the newly created sub galleries (which are in sub-folders off of the gallery).
The gallery, sub galleries, and images are all marked as "approved".

Now here's the question - the Gallery List View ... does not include these galleries. Why ?

I was able to link these galleries into slide-shows in content, which was my main goal for taking this approach,
and that works just fine.

[Jan]

Hi, did you create the menu link to categories view - if you want to display subcategories in categories view, you need to enable it in parameters, if in category view and they are not displayed, check if there are published, authorized and displayed for public.

Jan

[lancerus]

Ok - there are two config different parameters that would expose the galleries - but neither is attractive for how I have the site setup.

Display Subcategories: Yes/No.
I have this set to No - because I only want user's top-level category exposed, forcing people to drill-in for the sub-categories.

Display Empty Categories: Yes/No.
I have this set to No - because its common for people to start creating their gallery, then change their mind, or delete their pictures, etc.

Now here's what I find interesting .... If I set Display Empty Categories to "Yes" - I get this Category with its subcategories shown in my list, and it properly has an image displayed from one of the sub categories. But "technically" - the category isn't empty ... (since it contains sub categories).

Random comment - this is a *fantastic* gallery.
Are you open to code submissions ? I'm going to try to make a plug-in between
phoca and agora so that my users can insert their gallery pictures into forum posts.

[Jan]

Hi, empty category means no images in the category (not subcategories).

Plugin - yes of course the best way is to place such plugin to joomlacode.org site - will be much appreciated.

Thank you, Jan

[lancerus]

Jan - Thanks.

I could envision adding more controls. For example:

Display Empty Categories: has 3 values:

Yes - as today
No - as today
Subcats - if no images, but there are sub categories which contain images - include this category for display


But then that potentially spins into more controls at the sub category level - a Yes/No ability to have it included it in the list view. The same question should also be asked at the Category level as well. Why ? b/c lets say you want to gather up a bunch of images into "somewhere" (category, subcategory, etc) - for inclusion into content on your website (articles) - but they are effectively duplicates you've moved around/copied from other real galleries that already exist - you're doing this strictly to enhance other parts of the website. You really dont want to expose these "galleries" in the list view. If you unpublish them, that makes them unavailable for inclusion in the content side (I tried that already).

Sound reasonable ?

[Jan]

Hi, sorry not understand 100%

[lancerus]

Sorry I went off on a tangent, although it was all related.

Ok, the first part was focusing on the the Category List View. Right now the way it works (and I understand this from your explanation and experimenting):

Display Empty Categories: Yes / No

Even if I have sub categories with valid contents in them, in order to get this category exposed in the Category List View, I must place "at least one image" into the category. I cannot have all of my images organized in just sub categories.

So thats where I suggested a three way value.

Now the tangent. Imagine I have this as a setup:

Category: Cruises
Subcategory: FrontPage
Subcategory: 2008Recap
Subcategory: 2009Recap
Subcategory: 2008
Subcategory: 2009

I made the "FrontPage" subcategory as a place to hold images that I'm going to put into a slideshow for content that will exist on the front page of my website - its a small subset of images. 2008 holds ~400 images. 2009 the same. 2008Recap is a select set of images copied from 2008 and is used on a content page about the 2008 trip as a slide show. The same for 2009Recap.

When someone goes into my Picture Gallery - I want them to be able to go into "Cruises", and I want them to be able to see "2008", and "2009" in Cruises, but I want to effectively hide "FrontPage", "2008Recap", and "2009Recap" - as those were created simply as holders for my content pages.

Does that make sense ?

[Jan]

Hi, just make this categories as categories and no subcategories and set the hide parameters in parameters component in menu link to gallery. You should hide all categories you don't want to display in gallery.