magento 1.9 Navigation left side menu keeps going to middle column

Question

Problem I'm having;

I'm trying to add a Left sidebar navigation, I got advice yesterday to edit my layout.xml, catalog.xml and create a myleft.phtml file. I even set the layout to 2 column with left bar in the back end. I have done all of this but still no left navigation. So I installed this addon

Which even though I set in the back end settings to "left column" it still ends up on the top above all other content as shown here

I will post a new comment with my layout.xml and catalog.xml as I can't post any more characters

Thanks, Stephen

Answer 1

This may be due to several issues *(css isn't useful for the question I recommend you to remove it and add the -layout-.xml where you are adding the block and it path to)*

1. If you are using de 'RWD' theme and the extension was written for he 'default' the extension layout will not be loaded.

2. Same if you already have created a local.xml file in your theme

3. Ensure that you are adding the block to the left block

   ie:

<reference name="left"> <block name="your_block">....</block> </reference>

EDIT:

Looking at the image you've attached seems to be a sass/css problem you must change the css classes definition for that media-query. In RWD magento add the filters over the catalog for viewports smaller than xxx px.

Check your sass files to find the breakpoints vars, you can see the changes in the DOM using the mobile simulator of google chrome: and clicking blue, green and orange bars in the top:

Here you'll find a complete guide about the RWD theme.