[SOLVED] Categories not showing on index Part 2

This is a skinning problem, not a general problem so I'm moving it to the correct forum.  We need to know what skin you're having a problem with.

My default skin is CSS Zin, but the Elegance skin was the one I orginally tampered with.  I wanted to move the Main Categories block underneath the Site Info block and custom the right column with other blocks.   

After several attempts to play around with the skin, I realized the Main Categories block no longer showed on the index page including the other skins such as CSS Zin and Zenlike.

I installed a fresh copy of all three skins but that didn't solve the problem.

Okay well I checked my CSSZen and my categories are showing up alright...

Maybe something is wrong with your site settings. I'll give you my settings so you can try them and see if they work.

Using phpmyadmin, my fanfiction_blocks this is the info I have in the categories row:

block_id 
1

block_name
categories

block_title 
Main Categories 

block_file
categories/categories.php

block_status
2

block_variables
a:2:{s:7:"columns";i:3;s:8:"template";s:16:"{link} [{count}]";}

My CSSZen variables.php file includes this:

$blocks["categories"]["status"] = 2;
$blocks["categories"]["template"] = "{image} {link} [{count}] <div>{description}</div>";
$blocks["categories"]["columns"] = 0;

And when I go here

.../admin.php?action=categories

I have categories listed there.

Turn "Use .tpl" to "Default" in Admin->Blocks in the options for the Categories block.

Okay well I checked my CSSZen and my categories are showing up alright...

Maybe something is wrong with your site settings. I'll give you my settings so you can try them and see if they work.

Using phpmyadmin, my fanfiction_blocks this is the info I have in the categories row:

block_id 
1

block_name
categories

block_title 
Main Categories 

block_file
categories/categories.php

block_status
2

block_variables
a:2:{s:7:"columns";i:3;s:8:"template";s:16:"{link} [{count}]";}

Hi Jan, everything is set as yours with the exception of block_variables.  mine is set like this:
block_variables
a:3:{s:7:"columns";s:1:"1";s:8:"template";s:49:"{i...

After I used your settings, the catagories came back.  Thanks again for yours and Tammy's help.

I have a similiar problem, however I have not editted the skins at all.

I have added two custom links, using the Page LInks in the Admin Panel.  I then used the Blocks > Menu > Options to 'check' and add these links to the Main Menu. 

On Zenlike and CSSZen  the links just do not appear.  No other problems as far as I can see.  On Elegance I can see and click on the link (it works) but I get the following error messages:

Notice: Undefined index: recentblock in /home/afallena/public_html/gwyaoi/fics/includes/class.TemplatePower.inc.php on line 709

Notice: Undefined index: recentblock in /home/afallena/public_html/gwyaoi/fics/includes/class.TemplatePower.inc.php on line 709

Notice: Undefined index: in /home/afallena/public_html/gwyaoi/fics/includes/class.TemplatePower.inc.php on line 709

Notice: Undefined index: recentblock in /home/afallena/public_html/gwyaoi/fics/includes/class.TemplatePower.inc.php on line 714

Notice: Undefined index: recentblock in /home/afallena/public_html/gwyaoi/fics/includes/class.TemplatePower.inc.php on line 721

Any thoughts on what I might have done?

www.gwyaoi.org/fics/

Some skins name what links to include on the menu by the variables.php file. So if is says to include only Home, Authors, Browse and Search, if you add another thing to the menu variable, it won't show up on the skin unless you add it.

Look at the variables.php file of CSSZen:

$blocks["menu"]["status"] = '1';
$blocks["menu"]["content"] = array (
0 => 'adminarea',
1 => 'logout',
2 => 'login',
3 => 'search',
4 => 'tens',
5 => 'browse',
6 => 'members',
7 => 'home');
$blocks["menu"]["style"] = 0;

Looking at the skins, it appears that the Elegance skin does not use/have a variables.php.  Is this why I am getting the error messages on that skin?

I think I may have found an answer to my next question, just looking for clarification ...

I read thru this:

http://efiction.hugosnebula.com/readarticle.php?article_id=5

And I seem to understand that I can remove the information for the Menu Variable and it would just list in the order on my Menu Options block ... and without me needing to add the information to the variables.php (since none of that information would be there anymore) .... Is this correct?  Or am I confused?

Thanks for the help!

fallenangel, do not reply with a different problem to an existing thread. 

This thread was about the categories block and you're asking about the menu..

This article expalins how to configure the menu block.

http://efiction.hugosnebula.com/readarticle.php?article_id=5

The notice warnings are being displayed because:

1.  You have the recentblock turned on and set to use .tpl but you haven't included it in the skin.

2.  You have debug on so it's displaying all the notice warnings.

For the rest, what Jan said.  CSSZen defines what links it wants in the menu through variables.php. 

Sorry, at first I thought it was the same problem as the original poster.  But I seem to have it figured out now.  Sorry about the trouble.