1. Someone else started my site. It has menus listed in module positions that do not appear in my default template. When I use the ?tp=1 trick to see module position names, there are no position names that my menu is assigned to. I'm using a template called Serpentis and the module position defined in the back end for my menu is 'position 7'. It isn't listed as s Serpentis position.
What am I missing?

2. The reason I'm looking at this is that I'd like to have a brand new menu subsystem appear when someone logs in. I know how to make regular menu items visible only to registered users but I want an entirely new menu so it's very obvious that there is new stuff for them. Simply having a new option on a menu isn't very obvious.


Bill
www.valuetrain.net

First check to see if Serpentis is chosen as your default template, and also look to see if there are other templates assigned to the home page or other pages. You can see this by going to Extensions > Template Manager.

You can review this to see what I am talking about. www.ostraining.com/blog/joomla/different...tes-different-pages/

Let's make sure you are looking at the right template first.

Cheers,
Ed

I took a look at the site, it's a Joomlart template that uses the T-3 framework. These templates are designed to automatically put a menu in the top-nav position.

You can change that in the template administration. Before you do I suggest you go to joomlart.com and look for their documentation on the JA-T3 template. They have some very good videos.

In the meantime, assuming you are looking at the correct template, you can create a new menu module and put it in any position that is available on the page. The menu in position-7 is probably irrelevant. Try unpublishing it and see if you still have a menu on your site. You may not need that one. The top-nav menu is part of the template.

Cheers,
Ed

Thanks Ed. I'll checkout the framework tutorials. I'm new to Joomla. I like it a lot but it can be confusing for a newbie. Dealing with module position is one area that confuses me. When I look at the module positions available on Serpentis (my default template), position-7 doesn't exist. My main menu across the top has 3 different modules linked to it, all in position 7. I'm not sure what that means. I'm pretty sure I can delete them all and the menu will still be there. If so, where it is defined what the template module position really is??

To get rid of some of the clutter, I've been deleting templates I'm not using, including default Joomla ones. I assume I can always get them back if I want them. Have 1-2 more to go.

An example of what confuses me is this. My main menu is called 'Top'. It's across the top of the first page and has a bunch of drop down menus in it. In the back end, it shows three different modules, Main Menu, This Site, and Top, all in position 7, which doesn't exist as far as I can tell! I'm sure I'm missing a piece of understanding for how this works....

Bill

Hi Bill,

Looking at your template positions, I don't see any position 7:
www.valuetrain.net/?tp=1

My guess is that you're referring to ones set in to position 7 in your module manager, correct? If so, then you likely installed Joomla's sample data and that would be the reason why those modules are set to names that the default templates would use and also the reason why you have a lot of clutter as well.
Bill wrote: Each template's index.php and templateDetails.xml defines the positions for itself. Check out our Template Design class for the details if you're interested.
Bill wrote: Yes, you can always get them back. Also, if you update your Joomla version, they might come back as well :)

Hope this helps! Let us know if you have any questions.

Kind regards,
Nick

Thanks Nick,

Yes I'm referring to the ones set to position-7 which does not exist in my default template which is Serpentis, a T3 framework template.

Why can there be multiple modules linked to a single menu item? How can I tell if it is safe to delete them?

Since it appears that position-7 doesn't exist I tried relocating one of the menu items to a position which I do see in Serpentis and it didn't work right so that position-7 definition must be in here someplace!

I read several of your tutorials about templates and viewed a few videos and am getting closer to 'getting it' but still not there.

Hi Bill,
Bill wrote: It's a good thing that it is that way, because that allows you to display any modules and as many modules as you'd like on a page, instead of just being limited to one. For example, you might want a top menu, a side menu, an advertisement, and a footer.
Bill wrote: Generally, if click on the module title and take a look around within the module, you can tell whether or not you need it. Deleting it doesn't uninstall the module, so you can also click on "New" in module manager to bring it back.

Give our Module Manager tutorial a try:
www.ostraining.com/courses/session/jooml...tend/module-manager/

Also, our New Modules tutorial:
www.ostraining.com/courses/session/jooml.../extend/new-modules/

Hope this helps!

Kind regards,
Nick

Thanks. You and I both agree that position-7 does not exist in my template yet it is the assigned position for a number of modules in my menus. If I change position-7 to some other one that IS in my template the item disappears. Why?

Also, the template positions that I see by using ?tp=1 seem to have 2 levels of description to them which I didn't see explained in the material I read. I may have just not understood. For example, near the top there is 'top.header', 'topnav', and 'search'. If I try to assign a position, 'topnav' and 'search' both appear as options but 'top.header' and does not appear as an option. What do the compound position names mean and how do I use them? By compound position names I mean the ones that have periods or dashes in them. "top.header" and "content-main" are examples.

Thanks!

Hi Bill,

The fact that those names have dots and dashes isn't significant to Joomla itself. That's the convention that was used by the people who designed the template. Their framework is fairly complex. That's why I recommended you take a look at their documentation. We'll try to help you with this, but you'll get better answers from the people who made the template.

If you want to see if you need one of those position 7 modules. Just disable it and if it doesn't make any difference, you didn't need it. If you want to see what they do, you can temporarily switch to the Beez20 template, which has a position-7 and they should show up. If you delete a module, it will still be in the trash so you can activate it again if you need it. Nothing is permanently deleted until it is deleted from the trash.

As for the modules disappearing if they are moved to other positions, check to see what pages they are assigned too. People forget that more times than you might imagine.

Cheers,
Ed