Steven Zahm@ s
RE: I installed the plug-in and attempted to use the import feature for categories. I uploaded my .csv file, mapped the two fields (name and category), then received a message that the file was imported – but no categories were imported… I had a hierarchical structure of 35 categories. My file ends in .csv, and I made sure to put a comma after the first entry with no parent category. No categories were imported. I even attempted to upload the example given in the documentation. No luck.
It sounds as if you were attempting to use the CSV Import for bulk importing Entries (listings) to import your hierarchical categories. If you are bulk importing a hierarchical categories, you must use Bulk Category Import tool.
If you were using the CSV Import addon… you can import entries and their categories (not the hierarchy though) too, but you need to follow the CSV requirements. Mapping the just mapping part of a name and the category is not enough. You need the full name of an individual or the organization name. Rather than try an repeat the requirements they are in the link I just gave. There are only a few requirements, but they are important.
RE: When I displayed the page with the category short code, no categories were displayed. Only when I added an entry was that specific category displayed.
I am assuming you mean the category shortcode option. Is that correct? If it is, then yes, that is the exact expected behavior as discussed in the shortcode docs. This is fairly typical behavior for such a feature.
Since you have purchased the Extension Pack, you need to turn on a setting to display the categories above the directory. Its found on the Connections : Settings admin page under the Display tab after you activate the Enhanced Categories extension.
You also have the option to use the Enhanced Categories shortcode. Though I recommend using the options on the Settings page only since that is far easier than a shortcode.
Another option available to you is to use the Category Widget that comes with the Widget Pack add on.
RE: I have the enhanced category extension installed, activated, and added the licence key. I see the order field in the category screen. Entering the order field one-by-one is horrendously slow and inefficient. It would have been faster if the .csv upload worked.
I had to check the code to confirm, the Category Import Tool actually does not support importing the category order … no one has ever asked and I did not thing of adding support. If you want this, I can look into adding support for it.
RE: Additionally, it is unclear what differences there are between themes, cmap and market. The example images look almost identical in format. Is the only difference how the user selects a category?
Yes, that and the display style. Additionally cMap is responsive theme friendly and supports the Customizer which is actually listed in its features when compared to the listed Market features.
They are in bold text in order to try to call them out. I do have a little blurb on the cMap page calling out the Customizer support.
If you have suggestion on how this could be better called out where it would have gotten you attention, please let me know. I’m also open for making tweaks.
Hope I’ve helped, let me know.