Magento – Layered Navigation Category link

categoryfilterlayered-navigation

I have my layered navigation set up so that the user can filter by category, and this will filter the results on the page and stay on the category the filter was placed on e.g.

I have categories like so:

Balls
- Rugby Balls
  - large
  - small
- Football balls

If i am on rugby balls, in my layered navigation i have the option to filter for small or large rugby balls and the results are shown on the rugby balls page.

What i would like to do is instead of getting the results filtered, i would like, when the user wants to see whats in a sub category (large balls, small balls) they click on the link under the categories filter, but then actually get taken to the subcategory page instead of receiving filtered results.

Is there any way to do this?

Best Answer

Yes, very possible, and I do exactly the same for a client site.

First I created a new attribute for categories, to allow me to set that a category needs to use the normal link. This is done via a module.

The module structure:

app/code/local/ProxiBlue/AttributeUseNormalFilterLink/
app/code/local/ProxiBlue/AttributeUseNormalFilterLink/Model/Mysql4/
app/code/local/ProxiBlue/AttributeUseNormalFilterLink/etc
app/code/local/ProxiBlue/AttributeUseNormalFilterLink/sql/proxiblue_filterlink_setup

In Model/Mysql4 I have file Setup.php Contents:

class ProxiBlue_AttributeUseNormalFilterLink_Model_Mysql4_Setup extends Mage_Catalog_Model_Resource_Setup {

    private $_category_attributes = array(
        'use_normal_filter_link' => array(
            'label' => 'Use normal filter link in left navigation',
            'type' => 'int',
            'input' => 'select',
            'source' => 'eav/entity_attribute_source_boolean',
            'default' => '0',
            'global' => Mage_Catalog_Model_Resource_Eav_Attribute::SCOPE_STORE,
            'visible' => true,
            'required' => false,
            'user_defined' => false,
            'visible_on_front' => true,
            'is_visible_on_front' =>true,
            'used_in_product_listing' => true,
        )
    );

    public function getDefaultEntities() {
        $entities = array();

        $default_attribute_options = array(
            'group' => 'General Information',
            'required' => false,
        );

        /* Build Catalog Attributes */
        $entities['catalog_category'] = array(
            'entity_model' => 'catalog/category',
            'attribute_model' => 'catalog/resource_eav_attribute',
            'table' => 'catalog/category',
            'additional_attribute_table' => 'catalog/eav_attribute',
            'entity_attribute_collection' => 'catalog/category_attribute_collection',
            'attributes' => array(),
        );
        foreach ($this->_category_attributes as $name => $options) {
            /* Override values provided by the defaults */
            $attribute_options = $default_attribute_options;
            foreach ($options as $k => $v) {
                $attribute_options[$k] = $v;
            }
            $entities['catalog_category']['attributes'][$name] = $attribute_options;
        }

        return $entities;
    }

}

in etc folder I have the config.xml contents:

<modules>
    <ProxiBlue_AttributeUseNormalFilterLink>
        <version>0.0.1</version>
    </ProxiBlue_AttributeUseNormalFilterLink>
</modules>

<global>
    <models>
        <proxiblue_attributeusenormalfilterlink>
            <class>ProxiBlue_AttributeUseNormalFilterLink_Model</class>
        </proxiblue_attributeusenormalfilterlink>
    </models>
    <resources>
        <proxiblue_filterlink_setup>
            <setup>
                <module>ProxiBlue_AttributeUseNormalFilterLink</module>
                <class>ProxiBlue_AttributeUseNormalFilterLink_Model_Mysql4_Setup</class>
            </setup>
        </proxiblue_filterlink_setup>
    </resources>
</global>

and in the sql fiolder I have the install script : mysql4-install-0.0.1.php contents:

$installer = $this;
$installer->startSetup();
$installer->installEntities();
$installer->endSetup();

Now you can adjust the filter template to use this attribute, and any category can be set to display the actual category link, and not work as a filter.

Copy the template catalog/layer/filter.phtml to your custtom theme folder, then adjust as follows: (note this has some other customization, so pull the bits you need)

<?php $category = false; ?>
<?php if ($this instanceof Mage_Catalog_Block_Layer_Filter_Category): ?>
<?php $category = Mage::registry('current_category'); ?>
    <?php if ($category): ?>
    <h2>
    <a class='level-top' href="<?php $category->getUrl(); ?>"><?php echo $category->getName(); ?></a>
    </h2>
    <?php endif; ?>
<?php endif; ?>
<ol>
    <?php foreach ($this->getItems() as $_item): ?>
    <li>
        <?php if ($_item->getCount() > 0): ?>
        <?php
            $link = $_item->getUrl();
            if(is_object($category) && !$category->getUseNormalFilterLink()){
                $filter = $_item->getFilter();
                if($filter instanceof Mage_Catalog_Model_Layer_Filter_Category) {
                    $linkCategory = mage::getModel('catalog/category')->load($_item->getValue());
                    if($linkCategory->getId()){
                        $link = $linkCategory->getUrl();
                    }
                }
            }
        ?>
        <a href="<?php echo $this->urlEscape($link) ?>"><?php echo $_item->getLabel() ?></a>
        <?php else: echo $_item->getLabel() ?>
        <?php endif; ?>
        <?php //echo $_item->getCount() ?>
    </li>
    <?php endforeach ?>
</ol>

Related Solutions

Magento – Show layered subcategories on the left of the subcategories page

As you already know the real category filtering is taking place in app/code/core/Mage/Catalog/Model/Layer/Filter/Category.php, more specifically in _getItemsData(). Let us inspect that method.

<?php
            $categoty   = $this->getCategory();
            $categories = $categoty->getChildrenCategories();

            $this->getLayer()->getProductCollection()
                ->addCountToCategories($categories);

            $data = array();

            foreach ($categories as $category) {
                if ($category->getIsActive() && $category->getProductCount()) {
                    $data[] = array(
                        'label' => Mage::helper('core')->escapeHtml($category->getName()),
                        'value' => $category->getId(),
                        'count' => $category->getProductCount(),
                    );
                }
            }

As you can see, the method loads child categories of $categoty in layered navigation filter. That means we need to set this variable to a parent category in level 2 (Every main categories lies in level 2), according to the current category that we stands.

We can achieve this in many ways. In my method, I dig into the codes further and find the exact position where the category is set for layered navigation.

It resides here app/code/core/Mage/Catalog/Model/Layer.php in getCurrentCategory(). The method look like this.

<?php
 public function getCurrentCategory()
{
    $category = $this->getData('current_category');
    if (is_null($category)) {
        if ($category = Mage::registry('current_category')) {
            $this->setData('current_category', $category);
        }
        else {
            $category = Mage::getModel('catalog/category')->load($this->getCurrentStore()->getRootCategoryId());
            $this->setData('current_category', $category);
        }
    }

    return $category;
}

In short, it loads the current category to the variable $categoty (variable that I mentioned in _getItemsData()) if it set, otherwise loads the root-category to variable categoty. Replace this method with this code

<?php
/**
 * Retrieve current category model
 * If no category found in registry, the root will be taken
 *
 * @return Mage_Catalog_Model_Category
 */
public function getCurrentCategory()
{
    $category = $this->getData('current_category');

    if (is_null($category)) {
        $category = Mage::registry('current_category');
        if ($category) {
            /*
             * Check whether the current category is in level 2.
             * If yes set it as current category.
             * Else check for any parent categories with level 2
             */
            if($category->getLevel() != 2) {
                //gets all parent categories
                $parentCategories = Mage::registry('current_category')->getParentCategories();
                /*
                 * If parent categories exist,search for parent categories in level 2.
                 * If exist set it as current category.
                 *else set root category as current category.
                */
                if(count($parentCategories) > 0)
                {
                    foreach ( $parentCategories as $parentCategory ) {
                        if($parentCategory->getLevel() == 2 ) {
                            $category = Mage::getModel('catalog/category')->load($parentCategory->getId());
                            $this->setData('current_category', $category);
                            break;
                        }
                    }
                }
                else {

                    $category = Mage::getModel('catalog/category')->load($this->getCurrentStore()->getRootCategoryId());
                    $this->setData('current_category', $category);
                }
            }
            else {

                $this->setData('current_category', $category);
            }
        }
        else {

            $category = Mage::getModel('catalog/category')->load($this->getCurrentStore()->getRootCategoryId());
            $this->setData('current_category', $category);
        }
    }

    return $category;
}

What we are doing here is, we get the parent category in level 2 from the current category and set it to $categoty, so that we can see all child categories in layered navigation.

As I already mentioned, you can achieve it in many ways. All you need to do is to set $categoty variable with parent category in level 2. Above I have altered the root files. It is not a good practice. You have to create a module that rewrites the model file app/code/core/Mage/Catalog/Model/Layer.php and then overwrite the method getCurrentCategory().

Hope it helps

Best Answer

Related Solutions

Magento – Show layered subcategories on the left of the subcategories page

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