[Suggestion] Downloads app: Allow parent categories to show files from sub categories

[MMXII]

This is an old issue regarding the Downloads app: When I create parent categories and some sub categories, files that have been placed in the sub categories will not show up under the parent categories. While this might technically be correct, it makes the parent categories look unwelcoming (when the parent category does not hold any files at all), because whenever a user clicks the parent category, it looks as if there is nothing to be found.

My suggestion is to add an option to download categories in the AdminCP:

• When enabled, files from sub categories should also be displayed in the parent category.
• When disabled, everything should stay as is (current behavior).

[Adriano Faria]

I’ll leave a link to a 3rd-party resource for those who don’t want to wait:

 

[MMXII]

I'd love to see this in the core though.

Regarding your plugin:

• If I understand your description correctly, it only displays files from sub categories, if the parent category holds no files at all? So when there is at least one file, no files from sub categories will be shown? If so, this is why I suggest an option in the AdminCP, because even when there is only a couple of files in the parent category, it might make sense to fill it up with files from the sub categories (option enabled) or you might not want to do that (option disabled).
• I find the pricing way too steep (15 $ for "just that"), but of course that is just my personal opinion 🙂 – I do not want to discredit your work.

[Adriano Faria]

If there’s at least one file I see no sense to display files from a category that’s not the one you’re browsing.

18 minutes ago, MMXII said:

I find the pricing way too steep

I think $15 on a one time only payment without renewals is pretty reasonable. People who purchased this in 2019, still uses if for 4 years. Anyway, you can save your pennies by:

• learning to code your own stuff: https://invisioncommunity.com/developers
• Remain waiting for IPS to implement this. This request, for example, exists since IPS 4.0.X.

[MMXII]

10 hours ago, Adriano Faria said:

If there’s at least one file I see no sense to display files from a category that’s not the one you’re browsing.

Different needs result in different opinions, hence my suggestion in this topic.

10 hours ago, Adriano Faria said:

Anyway, you can save

Thanks, I am aware of the alternatives. Since you threw in your plugin here, I just wanted to give you some feedback why it does not suit my needs.

[Adriano Faria]

2 minutes ago, MMXII said:

Since you threw in your plugin here

It wasn't directly to you:

11 hours ago, Adriano Faria said:

I’ll leave a link to a 3rd-party resource for those who don’t want to wait:

I would have quoted you or said it was specifically for you. It wasn't.

👍

[MMXII]

39 minutes ago, Adriano Faria said:

It wasn't directly to you

My proposition still stands: Since you threw in your plugin here, I just wanted to give you some feedback why it does not suit my needs. It is not neccessary that you specifically adress me. If you post publicly, expect to get feedback. Obviously my topic was good enough for you to mention your plugin.

I'll leave it at this as this leads to nothing. I made my suggestion and gave reasons why I think it is a good one.

[The Old Man]

I missed this topic, but completely agree after being advised it’s not possible to achieve this in the Downloads app.

It’s pretty silly to be honest if clients have waited such a long time for this basic functionality that is present in other areas of IPS and configured this way for the Marketplace here.

Honestly what’s the point of having a totally empty parent category that misleads users into missing the content inside the subcategories.

[Sirmadsen]

Good luck. I asked for this feature and several others features that already exist in the other apps many years ago. Except for the new update (that doesn't do much) don't get you hopes up for IPS to add features to the Downloads app.

On 3/8/2023 at 2:04 AM, The Old Man said:

after being advised it’s not possible to achieve

Which is kinda funny since a plugin can achieve it. It's just IPS not wanting to spend time on the app.

[Randy Calvert]

51 minutes ago, Sirmadsen said:

Which is kinda funny since a plugin can achieve it. It's just IPS not wanting to spend time on the app.

Getting a message from support saying it’s not possible to achieve does not mean it’s not possible under any circumstances. It simply means with the base software, it is not possible to do. 

You could certainly find a third party developer to add functionality But IPS would not be able to advise you on that… simply that you can’t do it with the software that they are providing. 

[Sirmadsen]

10 minutes ago, Randy Calvert said:

Getting a message from support saying it’s not possible to achieve does not mean it’s not possible under any circumstances. It simply means with the base software, it is not possible to do. 

You could certainly find a third party developer to add functionality But IPS would not be able to advise you on that… simply that you can’t do it with the software that they are providing. 

Of course it's possible to do. It's just a matter of time and coding. It's literally coding... If a 3rd party plugin can call the functions of course the IPS team can add it. They just don't care about the downloads app enough (and in the end the customers subscribing to it) to bother with it.

This is not a thread about whether you can or can't with the app provided as it is now. This is a suggestion thread about adding the feature.

Edited March 9, 2023 by Sirmadsen