Show hidden categories

Customization Theme component
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:information_source: Summary Show hidden categories
:hammer_and_wrench: Repository GitHub - literatecomputing/discourse-show-hidden-categories: Make a placeholder for categories a user can't see due to permissions · GitHub
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Adds a fake category to the category list, so it’ll display like a normal category. The URL points to the group page so the user can join or request to join the group for access.

NOTE: This is almost exactly what the well-known and well-supported Category Previews does, so you probably want to use that. I’ll consider just deleting this.

Settings

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Category boxes

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Normal categories

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Description

This seems to solve a problem that people often ask for. How can I let people know that a permission-required category exists?

I made a similar component for a client, but for Reasons, it hard-coded their custom category display. I created this version that modifies the category list so that it gets displayed like any other category. I don’t know if this actually works, but it seems to. If you need it to do something different, PRs are welcome, or contact me directly if you have a budget.

It might make sense to link to add a URL parameter so that it could link to a subscription or topic as well.

The version I wrote for the client includes the Request to join button right on the page. This was a little easier and doesn’t clutter the category page with buttons.

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Will this be filled out, or did you forget to remove it :eyes:.

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You have to request to join the group to view it. (Kidding)

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Oops. Thanks.

Good one!

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So this is similar to Category Previews but also works for category boxes and offers more features?

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Oh. Darn. I thought I knew what Category Previews did, but I was wrong. I swear I’d just looked at it and it required that the category be visible and just mostly-hid the category. Maybe there is some other component that I found that I confused with category previews.

So, yeah. Probably makes more sense to use the well-known and well-supported Category Previews. I’ll update OP and, if I remember, the README.

Oh! Maybe it does have a reason to exist!? It’s possible that working with category boxes does give this a reason to exist. The only thing that I thought might be “better” about mine is that it does hide the previews from admins and group members as well as anonymous users.

Maybe I won’t delete it right away. :person_shrugging: :rofl:

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I had actually thought that the other component might refer to this in the future. Support for category boxes is, after all, a significant advantage.

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Not what I would have expected! The thing that this would need, maybe, is a setting for an arbitrary URL instead of only linking to the group page as it does now.

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