Hello,
I'm looking for plugins/widgets to do the following, and have been unable to find any searching on WP's site. Have you found plugins/widgets to:

1. Show contents/nav menu from the level of any specific sub-category down. ie: If the category is "Harware Store" and I'm on the sub-category page "Power Tools", I would like to see a widget showing the sub-contents of "Power Tools" such as "Drills" "Table Saws", etc.

2. Show "latest post" by category or sub-category and - ideally - have option of leaving out the date and the option of choosing which category/sub-category to query. For example: the widget, titled "Latest Posts" would show "Drills (sub-category, ideally linked to that sub-category page): - "new Crafstman in stock" (link to latest post in that sub-category) Table Saws (different sub-category, ideally linked): "how to cut at 45 degrees" ( link to latest post in that sub-category).

Thanks!

Here are two (plugin 1 and plugin 2) to look at but this is the type of thing that requires experimentation as your requirements may or may not be met by either.

Thanks, Larry. I'll look into it. I've had a bear of a time trying to set up navigation/menues for a ATA/WP site.... I'm looking for the kind of heirarchical navigation one finds very commonly on forums (life this BFA forum), e-stores (to make it easy to browse/find the item you're looking for), e-info sites (like libraries or other info-rich sites), or a site map...or even a simple file tree ... where you can see where you are and what sub-categories or sub-pages are "below" you.

So if you're on the "Garden Tools" landing page, you get a menue showing what it contains "Power Tools" "Hand Tools" etc. Or if you're on this forum, you see "WordPress Themes" and then can choose from options. Or if you're looking at These links are dynamically generated, so if the admin adds a sub-category or sub-page, it will automatically appear in the correct spot.

I would like this kind of nav menue from a ready-to-go plug in and appear in a widget that I could place on any page/post category that had sub-pages or sub-categories.

Help much appreciated.

I have used plugins for sub pages but sub categories, as you have found, is a different issue. The collapsing categories plugin comes the closest to what I think you are looking for or your could get into a more creative approach by using a combo of plugins and pages. One thing that comes to mind but I have not tested is to create a page for each category and use the List Category Posts plugin to display the post dynamically on that page. Then you could use the Flexi Pages wiidget to display sub pages of the category page.

The Table of Contents Creator plugin makes a nice site map that might do one of the things you want. Take a look at http://www.larchmontgazette.com/site-map/. You can choose to show everything or not, all categories or just some, all static pages or exclude some.

And you can do a lot with the new WP 3.0 menus, but until Atahualpa's menu bars are updated, you'll have to use the new menus in the sidebars.

Thanks Larry and Paula, for your help. Larry, you implied that you've used plugins to have navigation appear on a page for its sub-pages - which plugins? I definitely want that option! I think that'll bring me closer too - Thanks!

If you the Widgets on Pages plugin you can add a widget to any page of your choice and then get a plugin that does the sub pages thing in a widget and add it to the new widget area for the page. Easier to do than explain.