Joomla 1.7 Help – Create Sub/Menus to link to Article Categories
The Module Manager is used to control what is displayed on your website. The Menus, Article Manager and Components defines how the data is organized, changed or created in the backend. A Menu can have many sub menus, a Menu cannot be displayed if not linked to a menu that is linked to a Module. A Module must be created if you want a menu to show up on the frontpage. A Menu/submenu item can link to anywhere on your site. If you want to link your sub menu to article categories, you need to do the following, in this order:
- Create Article Categories in Article Manager
- Create Articles in Article Manager
- Create Menu in Menu Manager
- Create Menu Items in Menu Manager
- Create Menu Module in the Module Manager
So below I will show you how to do the above steps. For example:
- I have a Menu called Joomla
- Under Joomla Menu, I have a submenu called Joomla Templates
- I want to display all the articles in category ‘Joomla Business Templates’ in the Joomla Templates submenu
I’m assuming you already have articles and article categories created. I’m also assuming that you do not want to display all articles from their subcategories. I will jump straight to how to link the menus.
Create a Menu in Menu Manager
1. Login to your Joomla 1.7 Administrator backend
2. Click on Menus, Menu Manager, Add New Menu
3. In the Menu Details, set the following values:
- Title = Joomla
- Menu Type = Joomla
- Description = Joomla
4. Click on ‘Save & Close’
Add Menu items in Menu Manager
5. Click on Menus, Joomla, Add New Menu Item
6. Under Details, set the following values:
- Menu Item Type = Category Blog
- Menu Title = Joomla Templates
- Alias = Joomla-Templates
- Status = Published
- Access = Public
- Menu Location = Joomla
- Parent Item = Menu Item Root
- Choose a category = Joomla Business Templates
7. Click on ‘Save & Close’
8. Side note: If you want to create submenu in this Joomla menu – repeat steps 5-7. Except in the Parent Item Root, select the parent you want the menu to be saved under.
Create Menu Module in Module Manager
9. Click on Extensions, Module Manager, New
10. Select a Module Type = Menu
11. In the Module Manager Details, set the following values:
- Title = Joomla Menu
- Show Title = Show
- Position = position-1
- Status = Published
- Access = Public
- Select Menu = Joomla
12. Click on ‘Save & Close’
Now refresh your Joomla website and you should see your new menu and submenus. Your sub menus will link to article categories that you selected.
Thanks,
Hi Elaine.
On the last image above, the ‘show sub-menu items’ is set to ‘no’.
I assume, it will not expand the submenus unless the mouse hovers over the parent menu or clicks it.
If so, what about the Beez20 template?
Is it supposed to behave the same way or is this expand-if-hovered-over based on some template property that Beez20 doesn’t have.
I’ve modified a copy of Beez20 based on your write-ups but now I’m stuck on this.
Either I can’t expand the submenus, or I can get them to show all the time. No hovering for me.
I’m still using Joomla 1.6.6 if that makes a difference.
Thanks and keep up the great work.
Terry
At present I am trying to become an expert with Joomla.Definitely your article helped me a lot.
Thank You
Hi Luvonn,
No problem. Best way is to just play around with Joomla and you will start to understand it.
Thanks for your kind comments and visit,
Elaine