Modifying Menu Items
As you have learned, it is easy to change menu items without re-creating them from scratch. In addition to changing the menu item type, you can move, copy, delete, publish, and unpublish items. You can also change the default menu item.
To change the default menu item:
- Choose Menus > Main Menu.
The Menu Item Manager page appears, listing all of the menu items for the Main menu (Figure 4.58).
Figure 4.58 The Home menu item as the current default
The Home menu item is currently the default for the main menu. This means the Home menu item has what web developers term as focus. A user goes to the web site, and the Home menu item is active. In this template, the Home link is highlighted with a small triangle (Figure 4.59).
Figure 4.59 The Home menu item as active
- In the Menu Item Manager, click the box to the left of the Events menu item.
- Click the Default icon.
The Default icon moves to the Events menu item, making Events the new default (Figure 4.60).
Figure 4.60 The Events menu changed to default
- Click Preview.
Notice that the Events menu item is now the default menu item, and the Events section is the first page that displays.
- Change the default menu item back to the Home menu item.
To copy a menu item:
- Choose Menus > Recipes Menu.
The Menu Item Manager for the Recipes menu opens so you can choose a menu item to copy (Figure 4.61).
Figure 4.61 The Menu Item Manager for the Recipes menu
- Click the box to the left of the Desserts menu item, and then click the Copy icon.
The Copy Menu Item(s) page opens, listing all the menus available on the site (Figure 4.62).
Figure 4.62 Copy Menu Item(s) page
- In the Copy to Menu list, select recipemenu.
- Click the Copy icon.
A duplicate of Desserts is now in the Menu Item Manager. The new menu item keeps all the same settings as the original. This comes in handy when you want another menu item with the same settings; simply make a copy, change the name, and the item is ready. Copying is useful when you need to provide access to a menu item from multiple menu modules.
- Click the Desserts menu item you copied.
The Menu Item Editor opens.
- Change the Title to Main Dishes, and then delete the text in the Alias field.
- Change the menu item type to Category Blog Layout.
- From the Category drop-down menu, choose Recipes/Main Dishes.
- Click Save, and then click Preview (Figure 4.63).
Figure 4.63 The copied menu item after editing
- Click the Main Dishes menu item to see the new menu item.
To move a menu item:
- Choose Menus > Recipes Menu.
- Click the box to the left of the Today’s Recipe menu item, and then click the Move icon.
The Menu Item(s) Move page opens (Figure 4.64).
Figure 4.64 The Menu Item(s) Move page
- In the Move to Menu list, select mainmenu.
- Click the Move icon.
The Today’s Recipe menu item is moved to the Main Menu, and the Menu Item Manager for the Main Menu opens (Figure 4.65).
Figure 4.65 Today’s Recipe moved to the Main Menu
To delete or restore a menu item from the Trash Manager:
- Choose Menus > Main Menu.
- Click the box to the left of Today’s Recipe.
- Click the Trash icon to move the menu item to the trash.
Moving a menu item to the trash does not completely delete it from the system. To delete it permanently, you must delete it from the Menu Trash (Figure 4.66).
Figure 4.66 Menu item sent to the trash
- Choose Menus > Menu Trash.
The Trash Manager opens with a list of all menu items that have been sent to the trash but not yet deleted from the database. From here you can select to restore an item or delete an item (Figure 4.67).
Figure 4.67 The Trash Manager
- Click the checkbox next t o Today’s Recipe.
- Click Delete.
Clicking Delete removes the menu item permanently from your system, but first you will be asked if you are sure you want to permanently delete this item (Figure 4.68).
Figure 4.68 The Permanently Delete Items page
- Click Cancel.
For this example, you don’t want to delete Today’s Recipe. Instead, you are going to restore the item in the next step.
- Click the checkbox next to Today’s Recipe, and then click Restore.
The Restore Items page opens asking if you want to restore the item (Figure 4.69).
Figure 4.69 The Restore Items page
- Click Restore, and when the system asks you yet again if you’re sure, click OK.
- Go back to the Main Menu to see that the Today’s Recipe item has been restored. When restored from the Trash Manager, an item defaults to unpublished with an item order of 999999. You need to publish the item before it appears on the site, and you also need to adjust its order.