swMenu 
Version
8 (last update on Oct 18, 2012)
Rating
Compatibility
Reviews
115
License
GPLv2 or later
Non-Commercial
Type
Date Added
5 March 2006
* Simple mouse driven interface allows infinite styling of all aspects of the menu module without touching the keyboard or knowing CSS
* True type font integration for top and sub menu items using easily obtained cufon font files
* Corner styling. Independent corner styles for each corner of the complete menu, top menu, and sub menus.
* Advanced menu source features for the menu include the ability to automatically create whole menu structures from content(content only menu), Or too automatically append content items as menu items to existing categories(hybrid Menu). This unique system of menu and content integration allows you to custom make a menu system that automatically updates itself as content is added. Virtuemart integation is also supported.
* Create and export an external style sheet and edit it manually for unlimited styling capabilities.
* Active menu feature will automatically keep the top menu item highlighted for the part of the site being viewed.
* Live preview to see changes as they are made, as well as a complete preview to show entire menu module.
* Integrated update/repair facility makes it easy to upgarde to future versions of swMenuFree without losing any settings.
* Currently has 12 included translations for the admin component.
Hi,
This is a great extension EXCEPT for not being SEO friendly. The sub-menus are generated using javascript and search engines cannot follow those.
Stay away if you want your site to be crawled properly!
Assaf
p.s. sorry to write a bad review for a great extension. but this small, yet EXTREMELY IMPORTANT issue is what made me not use it
This is a great extension EXCEPT for not being SEO friendly. The sub-menus are generated using javascript and search engines cannot follow those.
Stay away if you want your site to be crawled properly!
Assaf
p.s. sorry to write a bad review for a great extension. but this small, yet EXTREMELY IMPORTANT issue is what made me not use it
Owner's reply
This may be true if using the tigra or trans menu systems in swMenuFree as the tigra is a completely javascript menu system and the transmenu has a HTML top level menu and a javascript written submenu. I think it's still possible for javascript links to be crawled by more advanced search crawler programs. But if you are concerned then the myGosu menu system in swMenuFree will write a completely HTML/CSS menu that just uses javascript for the submenus to appear/disapear. So it will be indexed easily by any search program and it also works best in most templates. With the Pro version you have many more options and menu systems so you can easily hide a pure HTML menu system on the page if you want to maximise search engine results while using javascript menu systems for better effects on the visual page.
Overall, SWMenu is a good tool. There are quite a few parameters to set up but once you do, the menu looks good.
The one failing (and also with extended menu) is that it only gives an option for Blog or table listings of all articles under a category in the Category description page. I may be thinking of this wrong as I am a Joomla newbie but I want a simple extended menu to display SECTION headings (and when the user clicks on that they see just the text in the SECTION DESCRIPTION) and similary for the CATEGORY's.
So instead of being able to click on a category sub menu item and seeing just a summary text, I get the summary text and either a Blog or Table entry of all the articles!!
It would be very nice if this feature was provided.
I tried using the SWmenufree forum and have had no reply.
Still a good menu despite it's limitations.
The one failing (and also with extended menu) is that it only gives an option for Blog or table listings of all articles under a category in the Category description page. I may be thinking of this wrong as I am a Joomla newbie but I want a simple extended menu to display SECTION headings (and when the user clicks on that they see just the text in the SECTION DESCRIPTION) and similary for the CATEGORY's.
So instead of being able to click on a category sub menu item and seeing just a summary text, I get the summary text and either a Blog or Table entry of all the articles!!
It would be very nice if this feature was provided.
I tried using the SWmenufree forum and have had no reply.
Still a good menu despite it's limitations.
I have been using this extension for quite some while now, and I find that it is absolutely superb.
The instructions in the component itself are very clear, and it is very easy to create a menu that looks like what you want it to look like. Kind of like what you click and type is what you get, WYCATIWYG... very nice.
This menu extension lacks very little, and I am sure Pro would provide whatever you are missing.
The instructions in the component itself are very clear, and it is very easy to create a menu that looks like what you want it to look like. Kind of like what you click and type is what you get, WYCATIWYG... very nice.
This menu extension lacks very little, and I am sure Pro would provide whatever you are missing.
I'm upgrading a site from Joomla! 1.0 to 1.5. this is my first upgrade, and someone else built the original site using D4J TransMenu v1.3 - D4J only works in legacy mode which i don't want to enable, so i was prepared to compromise on having an identical menu system. but it only took me half an hour to match the old menu exactly. thanks!
I have been searching high and low for a drop-down menu.
The installation was so easy, just install the zip file with extensions/install and that is it, installation done.
I have downloaded the manual for version 4 as well. It is still a great help.
Thanks for the great extension.
I will definitely recomended it to other users as well.
The installation was so easy, just install the zip file with extensions/install and that is it, installation done.
I have downloaded the manual for version 4 as well. It is still a great help.
Thanks for the great extension.
I will definitely recomended it to other users as well.
I normally don't bother to rate these things, but I had to say something about this one. I downloaded SWmenuFree and I had the menu up and running within 15 minutes. DONE.
I monkeyed around with a bunch of other menu extensions, none of which were simple, and still required too much mickey-mousing around with code to fix for IE6, etc. I wasted 3 days with those things.
This extension was fully customizable from it's component backend. It worked with every browser I tested it on immediately. Awesome! And it's FREE!
Luckily, my client only needed a couple of drop downs for this site, but if I ever need a lot, I know I can always pony up for the Pro version. To me, it's worth money to save time...which IS money...
Anyway, thanks, Sean!
I monkeyed around with a bunch of other menu extensions, none of which were simple, and still required too much mickey-mousing around with code to fix for IE6, etc. I wasted 3 days with those things.
This extension was fully customizable from it's component backend. It worked with every browser I tested it on immediately. Awesome! And it's FREE!
Luckily, my client only needed a couple of drop downs for this site, but if I ever need a lot, I know I can always pony up for the Pro version. To me, it's worth money to save time...which IS money...
Anyway, thanks, Sean!
Good interface. Excellent forum. Reliable. Took a little time to sort out some of the finer tweakings like having borders only on one side etc. But this is a great module that I will definitely use again and I would be happy to buy a license for the additional features when needed.
Thanks for this Sean
One mistake I made was over-zealously clicking the 'save' button, though; for some reason it created another SWmenu module, which of course conflicted and gave me fatal PHP errors. Easy enough to fix, just had to turn one off in the Module Manager, but thought I should mention it anyway in case anyone else does the same by mistake!
Thanks again though
One mistake I made was over-zealously clicking the 'save' button, though; for some reason it created another SWmenu module, which of course conflicted and gave me fatal PHP errors. Easy enough to fix, just had to turn one off in the Module Manager, but thought I should mention it anyway in case anyone else does the same by mistake!
Thanks again though
This is an amazing extension. Incredibly flexible, works cross-browser, and has a superb backend management interface.
That's the menu component then.
The most amazing thing is Sean's devotion. Check out the forum and you'll see what I mean. Send him some cash, or buy the "pro" version, and tell your mates about his stuff too.
(Am not affiliated with the owner in anyway)
That's the menu component then.
The most amazing thing is Sean's devotion. Check out the forum and you'll see what I mean. Send him some cash, or buy the "pro" version, and tell your mates about his stuff too.
(Am not affiliated with the owner in anyway)
I can't speak well enough about this component. It's been a huge time saver for me. Perhaps what I like best is how professional the developer has been in the design of the interface, functionality and documentation. It's components like this that lead to me use Joomla. A Big Thank You to Sean White.
Go to his homepage and grab the version FOR J1.5. Otherwise you're GOING to have errors. This is a great system; i use it in MOST of my sites! Great work Sean!
Got two "Undefined Variable" error messages as soon as I tried to create a new menu. Ignored them, created the menu anyway, those errors then showed up on my front page as well. Both errors were in the SWmenuFree files.
My guess would be that SWmenuFree depends on the some other aspect of Joomla to define variables that it uses. If they're not defined, SWmenyFree bombs out.
My guess would be that SWmenuFree depends on the some other aspect of Joomla to define variables that it uses. If they're not defined, SWmenyFree bombs out.
After all the struggle, SWmenuFree was a blow of simplicity and efectiveness.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Support emailed me within minutes when I contacted them for help and went out of their way to provide me with support. I've installed the pro version. Being a newbie, I had to work out about Joomla sections and categories first but now I've sussed the system, I'm delighted with the result and with the simplicity and effectiveness of the user interface.
Page 4 of 6
