Create multi-level identification key

  • wcameron

    (@wcameron)


    9 years, 2 months ago

    I’m fairly new to wordpress. I run a nature based website and a podcast. The nature site is at http://www.mountainnature.com and the wordpress site for the podcast is http://www.mountainnaturepodcast.com.

    The nature site is an online identification guide to some 600 plants animals and birds of the canadian west. I’m hoping to be able to convert some of the identification keys to wordpress if possible.

    As an example, if you want to identify a flower, you can identify it by colour, family, genus or group like asters or anemones.

    I want to be able to create multiple pathways to identification. For instance, if you choose color, then you should be given a list of sub-categories like 5-petals or 6-petals, etc.

    I would love any suggestions on how to do this without coding. If coding is necessary, is it possible to point me in the right direction?

    At its most basic level I thought that I could get it to show only parent categories. Currently, I’ve experimented with birds. I created the following hierarchy:

    Field Guide
    -plants
    -animals
    -birds
    –dabbling ducks
    –diving ducks
    –heron-like birds

    I want people to only see parent categories until they click on it and then only see the next level. Once they click on a bottom level, like dabbling ducks, I want them to see a list of particular species.

    Is there a reasonably easy way to do this?

    Currently if I list a mallard under the category dabbling ducks, birds and Field guide, all three categories show up right from the home page.

    I appreciate any help anyone may be able to offer

Viewing 2 replies - 1 through 2 (of 2 total)
  • Peter Hardy-vanDoorn

    (@petervandoorn)

    9 years, 1 month ago

    Have a look at WooCommerce. Although it is an online shop solution, it can be configured to run as a catalogue (ie, without purchasing and add to cart links).

    Create categories as you have already, and then create a “product” for each creature/plant (you can change the terminology used, btw, so it doesn’t have to be called a “product” to the end user).

    The good thing about WooCommerce is it allows you to tag each product with many different “attributes” which can then be selected in a side-bar widget to narrow down the search.

    Have a look at https://docs.woocommerce.com/document/managing-product-taxonomies/ and https://www.templatemonster.com/help/woocommerce-how-to-work-with-layered-navigation-widget.html

    Hope that ehlps

    Thread Starter wcameron

    (@wcameron)

    9 years, 1 month ago

    Thanks Peter. I think that might be exactly what I’m looking for. Let me see if I understand this correctly. For wildlfowers for instance would this work?

    Set up category for plants
    Set up subcategories for trees, shrubs, red flowers, white flowers, green flowers, yellow flowers, orange flowers.

    I want these to be broken down further so they aren’t confronted with a huge list of yellow flowers. I’m thinking that attributes will help this. Once they select yellow flowers, I want a list of attributes like the following:

    Attributes:
    flowers with 5 petals and leaves in pairs
    flowers with 5 petals and leaves arranged alternately
    flowers with 6 petals
    orchid like flowers
    nodding flowers

    Once they select the descriptor that closest matches the plant they are looking at, it should provide a much more filtered list.
    Alternatively they can select to view all of the yellow flowers.

    Does this sound like I’m on the right track?

    I really appreciate your help.

Viewing 2 replies - 1 through 2 (of 2 total)

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