TOPIC: showing the categories in a different way

This is the way we have the categories right now:


If we move the category markers to a select list, we will have something like this:


and if we click in the list, we will have something like this:


what do think guys?

Good idea, but too much clicking.

Personally I want just to click and surf, there's no need for more tabs, scrolls and menus

I will prefer to remove the icons close to the search tab, and leave only the search tab.

But, you or me, are not the center of the universe. The above example could be activated in the backend, and some people will be happy with this feature.

Yes, maybe it could just be an option in the backend and enable depending of the user style

I'm attaching a design that Kyle Ledbetter did for me some time ago:

as I see your design idea is nearly the same as his. Now, I don't like dropdowns because you have to one time click on the dropdown, then go to the category and select the one you want. The next time you have to repeat this procedure etc... But I think that if we provide the community with a template option, then everyone could create the designs he wants.

Daniel

The forum has made the image a little bit too small, but anyway - you get the idea

Yes, this is something we could enable in the backend
x search tab
_ categories tab
_ tools or icon tab

once checked, it will be visible.

The more choices the better - it's not just us who want different options, it's our customers.

Having jsut started to load a test site with categories, I see exactly what you mean. Whilst I agree with Iki in that it' obviously good to minimize the number of clicks to navigate to where you want to be, the fact is that once you have more than just a few categories you need a send click to scroll left and right.

Daniel - any chance of adding the drop down that Eliecer has suggested to you long to-do list?

Well, yea I can do that, but the thing is - I don#t see how the dropdown is going to fix the problem with 100 categories?
You will end up with one click + scrolling.

And the sliding right now can be changed to sliding more than just one category

Daniel

If i have to pick between:
1)- 100 clicks to finally find the last category (for example: Wineries)
2)-1 click and scroll down

I am definitely taking the second option.

In addition, using the first option, we have to move the mouse over the categories to know the meaning of the marker. So, it will be the 100 clicks, plus the time we spend moving the mouse over the categories.

With the second option, you just click and scroll down, because you can read the description of the categories as well.

What about this. Go to media/com_hotspots/js/hotspots.slide.js

line 118 and 124 have this
[cocde]
newMargin = margin-this.o.itemWidth;
[/code]
change it to
where 4 is the number of categories to slide. So if you are showing 10 categories at once, you could make it 10* -> this way the user will imediatly see the next 10 categories and won't have to click 10 times to get there.

Sounds like an excellent replacement for the way is running right now.

Continuing with your example, i will prefer to show 9 categories, instead of 10. In that way whoever is checking the site will be able to see the last category from the last rotation.

I am still thinking that we should have both options. All we have to do is set up one or another one in the backend.

The js structure needs to be further abstracted and we need template system. Then I can introduce a dropdown with the categories. Or modal window with all categories...
Daniel

How about extending Kyle Leadbetter's design to a traditional drop down with sub-menus:
Accommodation
Hotels
Bed and Breakfasts
Boutique Hotels
Restaurants
Chinese
Indian
Fast Food

etc...

That way if you have hundreds of icons with lots of categories, you can have some sort of structure.

I don't necessarily see the need to create sub-categories, just a way to organize the menu tree.

So how about having these options in the back end:

1. Horizontal scrolling menu with Icons only (as it is now)
2. A drop down with Icons and text with menu sub levels

The bottom line is that it would be great to have a choice.

I don't see the need to create sub-categories either, but it will be great to have different options.

Using different markers inside the same category will be a plus specifically for categories such as: Restaurants, Accomodations, etc.
In this way, the user will notice the difference between a chinese restaurant and a italian restaurant.

Also, we can set up a check mark close to the search tab, to search only in the hotspots showing in the map. In that way, if we are seeing the category: Restaurant, and we search for italian, only the italian restaurants will be visible. Right now, if we type the word italian, anything containing the word italian will be visible.

Talking about the search tab, it could be nice to add some logical parameters to the seach tab like 'AND' and 'OR'. Right now we can only search for 1 specific word, or phrase. Implementing this, we can get rid of the check mark close to the search tab, considering that we will be able to search: "italian and restaurant and pizza" if we are looking for an italian restaurant selling pizza.

Dan,

I have looked at Hotspots.Slide.js and can find your reference in one line at 247 - not in 118 and 124.

Am I looking in the wrong place?

Solved. The lines are 235 and 247 and should be changed to:

newMargin = margin-4*this.o.itemWidth;

newMargin = margin+4*this.o.itemWidth;

Assuming you want to shift 4 category icons at a time.

Much more elegant!

Yes, those are the right lines

OK - please bear with me. I have not done any programming since the early eighties on my BBC Micro (anybody remember it?)
I have spent the last twenty-odd years running around Africa on safari, so I have quite a steep learning curve to climb.

I am using Dreamweaver to modify the code and it seems to add a white space line after every line of code, so my line numbers must be different. I reckon I might just find the setting to strip the white space. Sorry about that.