Higher level of granularity for category & subcategory styling

Feature
1

Continuing the discussion from Show subcategory list UI:

I find our current options for category styling a bit confusing. When I change the category style, I expect that category style to apply everywhere, unless otherwise specified. The fact that a subcategory index has a unique, hardcoded styling is unexpected.

I’d love to have category UI settings with this level of granularity:

  • desktop category page style

  • Categories only

  • Categories with featured topics

  • Categories and latest topics

  • None; just show Latest

  • :new: desktop sub-category list style (replaces show subcategory list)

  • Inherit desktop category page style

  • Categories only

  • Categories with featured topics

  • Categories and latest topics

  • None; just show Latest

  • :new: feature page style (i.e. configured in a category’s General settings)

  • Inherit desktop sub-category list style

  • Categories only

  • Categories with featured topics

  • Categories and latest topics

This would would allow us to set a more documentation-friendly styling for our howto category, while the rest remains focused on discussion.

(Also find it a bit weird that we only do this on desktop, as there’s definitely a way to do a mobile style layout for all of these options, but that’s a different topic.)

5 Likes
3

I’m not able to understand your post – can you perhaps use some cropped screenshots to illustrate?

4

If I understand it, we’re talking about having the option to maintain the two-column split view while browsing categories, or to only show subcategories with no topics listed (in the case of “container” categories).

5

Perhaps @erlend_sh can clarify with cropped screenshots.

6

I’m holding off on the mockups since I suggested a simpler solution in one of our internal discussions.

7

@erlend_sh
is that what ask for something like on plugin - Discourse Meta, including some inherent options?

@codinghorror, how do you create such a layout? Could also list tags and/or topics in the tile?
Somethinkg like
image

1 Like
8

Take a look to the Category Settings, under the Appearance title

image

Yes for the latest topic titles, no for tags (unless you build a new theme component to do that).

2 Likes
9

found it after activating it :slight_smile:
grafik

good to know :grimacing: but it would allow me to replace boxes by e.g. in a horizontal scrollable window, e.g. imaging there >10 boxes under POPULAR TOPICS on https://experts.feverbee.com/

grafik
grafik1095×319 19.7 KB

ending up with a layout like
grafik
grafik2304×1296 51.6 KB

10

https://experts.feverbee.com/ has a very high level of customization and plugins written specifically to create a new interface. If you want to reach the same level of customization, you must have a team of developers able to manipulate and create new templates for Discourse, or hire developers on our marketplace

1 Like
11

would be nice to know what of those is behind which customization :yum:

12

Some of those CSS customizations they have posted on their site.

13

I’ve just stumbled across https://discuss.okfn.org/ where they show the sub-categories in the boxes. Is this also customized or is that only a unique feature of the Discourse Vincent theme?

14

this is something i’d like to see, the same view for Tags. Now Discourse has adopted them it would be great to be able to use them for navigation more effectively. right now they are mostly hidden away and a non-tech users will struggle to find and use them