Different top-level and child-level section layouts

[Sadcase]

Hi,

I've recently upgraded to v8 and I'm trying to change the way section layouts look on the store.

On our original v7 site, I had the main (top level) section links with the descriptive text on the left with a descriptive picture on the right. Then, after clicking on one of these sections, all subsequent child sections used a different template, which had the image on the left and the title on the right.

However, when trying to accomplish the same look in v8, I find that it doesn't work. I have created both a left- and right-image layout - if you look in the design tree, you will find it under CustomOverallPage > Standard Section Page > Sub Section List With Horizontal Dividers.

Then, when the top level of the store is selected in the content tree, I have selected the "Image On Right Section Link" layout within the Layout > Section > Section Link Layout. This has the desired effect of making all of the images on the top level of the site appear on the right.

When I then select one of these sections in the content tree, and then change the layout of the sections within this section by changing the layout to "Image On Left Section Link", all the section links within this page then change, as they should, to have the image on the left.

However, if I then go back to the top level in the content tree, the section I have just changed has the image on the left, and not on the right.

I see this appears to be intentional, as the help text that shows in the layout tab says:

Section Link Layout
Layout for the section link into this section, and the section links within this section

I have looked through the getting started guide, the AUG, the knowledgebase and on these forums, and I couldn't seem to find any way of circumventing this (what is probably a) minor issue.

My main problem is that I'm so used to the way v7 worked, I'm really struggling to switch to the way v8 works.

I'm sorry to be asking such a basic question but I'm feeling quite overwhelmed with v8 at the moment.

[leehack]

You do realise that the section link layout you choose is how it shows on the level above, not the one you are on? So if i have:

Top Level Section 1
......SubSection1
............SubsectionA
............SubsectionB

If i want to control the section link layout i am looking at when i select SubSection1, i actually change them on SubSection A & B as it here that you define how the section is to look. The section link layout is attributed to the section, but it shows on the section above it.

Clear as mud huh, i read it and thought WTF too.

Be careful of 'use parent' too, as soon as you change the TLSs then all sub sections will inherit, so next level down from the TLSs will need to all be manually changed.

There is a great thing you can do here to have it automatically select the layout according to the section level it is at, but that's a bit in the future, get used to v8 first.

[Sadcase]

You do realise that the section link layout you choose is how it shows on the level above, not the one you are on? So if i have:

Top Level Section 1
......SubSection1
............SubsectionA
............SubsectionB

If i want to control the section link layout i am looking at when i select SubSection1, i actually change them on SubSection A & B as it here that you define how the section is to look. The section link layout is attributed to the section, but it shows on the section above it.

Cheers, Lee! That's just the explanation I needed.

Clear as mud huh …

Coming from a v7 background, the implementation seems to be back-to-front. But I feel sure that a minor tweak in the documentation for new and / or upgrading users could help.

[ackerman]

You do realise that the section link layout you choose is how it shows on the level above, not the one you are on? So if i have:

Top Level Section 1
......SubSection1
............SubsectionA
............SubsectionB

Yeh, being new to v8 I found this confusing too. I lost count of the number of times I changed a layout, only to find it actually affected something else.
I think the way to look at it is:- "subsection1" actually shows "subsection A+B" on its page, so you need to change those if you want to change the look of "subsection1"
Hopefully I got that right.

[leehack]

You got it Brian, when you select a section, you are actually looking at the sections/products within that section, so need to change layouts next level down. It's logical but arse upwards, both at the same time.

[ackerman]

You got it Brian, when you select a section, you are actually looking at the sections/products within that section, so need to change layouts next level down. It's logical but arse upwards, both at the same time.

Yes, sort of logical when you think of it that way. Just starting to get the hang of it.
Incidentally Lee, do you remember my Commodore 64! I just bought a faster machine (commodore 65), so I hope to get faster snapshots soon.