Magento : Show Categories on Left When I am on Sub-Category

Question

I'm new in magento 1.9

I need to showing categories in sub category page under layered
navigation. I searched in internet but I can't find exact solution.
Can anyone pls help me.

Answer 1

(You can choose 1column Layout and 2columns-left layout for parent and sub categories)

OR As per your needs you have to define a new layout to parent category and sub categories, to do so you have to create a module to show layout option on catalog category page on magento admin panel,

First add this code to your Local Instance of code files.

app/code/local/Codemazes/CategoryLayout/etc/config.xml

<?xml version="1.0"?> 
<config>
    <modules>
        <Codemazes_CategoryLayout>
            <version>0.0.1</version>
        </Codemazes_CategoryLayout>
    </modules>
    <global>
        <page>
            <layouts> 
                <subcategory module="page" translate="label">
                    <label>Category Layout</label>
                    <template>page/category.phtml</template>
                    <layout_handle>lookbook</layout_handle>
                </subcategory>
                <parentcategory module="page" translate="label">
                    <label>Parent Category Layout</label>
                    <template>page/parent-category.phtml</template>
                    <layout_handle>lookbook</layout_handle>
                </parentcategory> 
            </layouts>
        </page>
    </global>
</config>

And add Module file in app/etc/modules/

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<config>
    <modules>
        <Codemazes_CategoryLayout>
            <active>true</active>
            <codePool>local</codePool>
            <depends>
                <Mage_Page />
            </depends>
        </Codemazes_CategoryLayout>
    </modules>
</config>

Add two .phtml file in app/design/frontend/yourtheme/yourlayout/template/page named as category.phtml and parent-category.phtml.

For some convenience i would prefer to use 2columns-left.phtml layout in category.phtml file(copy the code), And 1column.phtml file layout to parent-category.phtml

On category.phtml add this code just before .col-main class

<aside class="col-left sidebar">
      <?php echo $this->getChildHtml('left'); ?>
</aside>

Now You should have an option In Catalog>Manage Categories>Custom Design>Page Layout choose 'category layout' for Sub-categories and 'Parent Category' layout for parent categories.

Now we have to add Navigation to our custom layout's left sidebar.

edit

Open app/design/frontend/yourtheme/yourtemplate/layout/catalog.xml. Place the following code under <catalog_category_default translate="label">:

edit

<reference name="left">
     <block type="core/template" name="catalog.sidenav" template="page/html/cat-navigation.phtml" before="_"/>
</reference>

Create app/design/frontend/yourtheme/yourtemplate/template/page/html/cat-navigation.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 '&emsp;' . '<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 '&emsp;&emsp;' . '<a href="' . $_categoryGrandchildModel->getUrl() . '"' . $bold . '>' .  $_categoryGrandchild->getName() . '(' . $_categoryGrandchildModel->getProductCount() . ')</a>';
                                        ?>
                                    </li>
                                <?php endforeach; ?>
                            <?php endif; ?>
                        <?php endforeach; ?>
                    </ul>
                <?php endif; ?>
            </li>
        <?php endforeach ?>
</ul>

This will get you 3-levels of categories on your left side bar, All you need to do is add this block to your left sidebar through:

<?php echo $this->getChildHtml('catalog.sidenav') ?>

Hope this helps