custom layout for all categories page magento - magento

Question

I want to display subcategory images on category page over products.
1. I have created category_listing.phtml with custom code to show subcategories
2. Created a static block
{{block type="core/template" template="catalog/navigation/category_listing.phtml"}}
On category display setting I have selected 'static block and products'.
say i have three categories
category 1
category 2
category 3
if i select static block for one category only perfect but if i call static block in more than one category it shows wrong subcategories unless i delete cache everytime.
Is there any step i am missing, plz reply considering i am new to magento
Thanks

Answer 1

1. For Custom category menu navigation in Magento
The layout
Open app/design/frontend/base/default/layout/page.xml or your theme’s equivalent.
Place the following code under default tag:
<reference name="right">
<block type="core/template" name="catalog.sidenav" template="page/custom.phtml" before="cart_sidebar"/>
</reference>
Create app/design/frontend/base/default/template/page/custom.phtml with the following content:
<ul>
<?php
$obj = new Mage_Catalog_Block_Navigation();
$storeCategories = $obj->getStoreCategories();
Mage::registry('current_category') ? $currentCategoryId = Mage::registry('current_category')->getId() : $currentCategoryId='';
foreach ($storeCategories as $_category):
?>
<li>
<strong><?php echo $_category->getName(); ?></strong>
<?php $categoryChildren = $_category->getChildren(); ?>
<?php if($categoryChildren->count()) : ?>
<ul>
<?php foreach($categoryChildren as $_categoryChild) : ?>
<?php $_categoryChildModel = Mage::getModel('catalog/category')->load($_categoryChild->getId());?>
<?php $categoryGrandchildren=$_categoryChild->getChildren(); ?>
<li>
<?php
$currentCategoryId===$_categoryChild->getId() ? $bold="style=\"font-weight:bold\"" : $bold='';
echo ' ' . '<a href="' . $_categoryChildModel->getUrl() . '"' . $bold . '>' . $_categoryChild->getName() . '(' . $_categoryChildModel->getProductCollection()->count() . ')</a>';
?>
</li>
<?php if($categoryGrandchildren->count()) : ?>
<?php foreach($categoryGrandchildren as $_categoryGrandchild) : ?>
<?php $_categoryGrandchildModel = Mage::getModel('catalog/category')->load($_categoryGrandchild->getId());?>
<li>
<?php
$currentCategoryId===$_categoryChild->getId() ? $bold="style=\"font-weight:bold\"" : $bold='';
echo '  ' . '<a href="' . $_categoryGrandchildModel->getUrl() . '"' . $bold . '>' . $_categoryGrandchild->getName() . '(' . $_categoryGrandchildModel->getProductCount() . ')</a>';
?>
</li>
<?php endforeach; ?>
<?php endif; ?>
<?php endforeach; ?>
</ul>
<?php endif; ?>
</li>
<?php endforeach ?>
</ul>
You can also insert this template to any other page by coding a layout update or via admin, by inserting this line as content of your CMS page:
{{block type="core/template" template="page/custom.phtml"}}
2.To add category navigation in left sidebar:
create new file "category_listing.phtml" in your theme at -
app/design/frontend/{your_namespace}/{your_module}/template/catalog/navigation/category_listing.phtml
Put the following code in it:
<div class="block block-category">
<div class="inside-box">
<div class="block-title block-category-title">
<h2><?php echo $this->__('Categories') ?></h2>
</div>
<div class="block-category-navigation">
<ul id="category-nav">
<?php foreach ($this->getStoreCategories() as $_category): ?>
<?php if($_category->name!=""): ?>
<li><?php echo $this->drawItem($_category) ?></li>
<?php endif?>
<?php endforeach ?>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
</div>
then call this in the catalog.xml file located in the theme folder -
app/design/frontend/{your_namespace}/{your_module}/layout/catalog.xml
code:
<reference name="left">
<-- this is new block added by us -->
<block type="catalog/navigation" name="catalog.categorymenu" after="top.search" template="catalog/navigation/category_listing.phtml"/>
<block type="core/template" name="left.permanent.callout" template="callouts/left_col.phtml">
...
...
...
</reference>

Answer 2

Open File :app/design/frontend/yourtheme/default/template/catalog/category/view.phtml
And add the the below code :
<div class="category-grid-new">
<?php $_columnCount = 4;?>
<?php if ($i++%$_columnCount==0): ?>
<ul class="sub-category">
<?php endif; ?>
<?php foreach ($this->getCurrentCategory()->getChildrenCategories() as $_subcat): ?>
<li class="item<?php if(($i-1)%$_columnCount==0): ?> first<?php elseif($i%$_columnCount==0):?> last<?php endif; ?>">
<a href="<?php echo $_subcat->getUrl() ?>">
<div class="category-img"><img src="<?php echo $_category->getImageUrl() ?>" alt="" width="100px" height="100px"/></div>
<div class="category-name"><?php echo Mage::helper('catalog/output')->categoryAttribute($_subcat, $_subcat->getName()) ?></div>
</a>
</li>
<?php endforeach; ?>
<?php if ($i%$_columnCount==0): ?>
</ul>
<?php endif; ?>
</div>