That's actually how it's supposed to work, although I agree that it's confusing.

When you create a single contact menu item, you're selecting a specific layout already. Using alternate layouts doesn't make much sense here. To show a different layout here, you would have to create a alternative menu item instead (which means add an xml file to the alternative layout).

The alternative layout works fine as long as the menu item points to the category view for example.

The confusing thing is that Joomla makes a difference between alternative layouts (without XML file) and alternative menu items (with XML file).

I should work like current articles in com_content, otherwise 'Alternative Layout' setting of contact is useless.
With this patch we can use different layouts from other templates, or layouts from /html overrides even without XML files: i.e. why should we create separate XML file for each layout if they will have same parameters? We can just create .php layouts in /html overrides and use them - it's fast and easy.

I should work like current articles in com_content, otherwise 'Alternative Layout' setting of contact is useless.

Hmm, then that behavior in com_content changed and I'm not sure yet if it's not a bug there

With this patch we can use different layouts from other templates, or layouts from /html overrides even without XML files: i.e. why should we create separate XML file for each layout if they will have same parameters? We can just create .php layouts in /html overrides and use them - it's fast and easy.

I tend to agree with you, but I don't know why it was originally created this way. One disadvantage would be that you can't override an alternative layout (set in the article) using the menu item, which you currently can.

Anyway if we want to change that behavior, we should do it for each component and view, and not only in the com_contact -> contact view. It would probably be inconsistent with other extensions.

Ah I found it. It was actually you who changed that back in Juni with http://joomlacode.org/gf/project/joomla/tracker/?action=TrackerItemEdit&tracker_item_id=30544

Imho that one was wrong back then already.

Menu item params should always override item params (if the menu item is specific to that item) and the item params should override global settings.
And since we select a layout in the menu item, it should override layouts set in the linked item.

A proper fix would probably be to add the alternative layout parameter to the menu item. Maybe with additional options to "use global" and "use item".

Yes, 'Alternative Layout' is missed in menu item settings. So we need more complex patch, will try later...

Hello together,

i was wondering the same as Denitz did.
is there already a path for this problem?

i can't edit my overrides either - further they get not applied.

regards

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