OK to Change Smarty Variables in Layout.tpl?

Hi

I cannot figure how to pass a variable to LANG_TPL_BROWSE in Layout.tpl -- so here is what I did. Please tell me if I am creating a problem elsewhere I am not aware of:

On my home page I added "Browse Categories" (code taken from the accordian file) to my main top horizontal menu. I like how the general Browse function operates. I changed my accordion file's (Left Nav) Main Categories to "List Main Categories.

Since the Left Nav accordian.tpl uses

Code:

<a href="{$smarty.const.URLS}/category.php">{$smarty.const.MOD_LANG_TEMPLATECODES_TEMPLATE_CATEGORIES}

which defaulted to "Main Categories" I created in english.php the statement,

Code:

MOD_LANG_TEMPLATECODES_TEMPLATE_CATEGORIES_LIST

, giving it the variable, "List Main Categories" and added it to accordion.tpl accordingly.

I took from accordion.tpl

Code:

 a class="browse" href="{$smarty.const.URL}/category.php">{$smarty.const.LANG_TPL_BROWSE}</a> 

and added it to layout.tpl so it beautifully operates from my top horizontal menu.

So here is the problem -- I wanted to pass the string, "Browse all Categories" to LANG_TPL_BROWSE but I am sure that is a form of concatenation. So I ended up just replacing it (in layout.tpl) with

Code:

MOD_LANG_TEMPLATECODES_TEMPLATE_CATEGORIES

and adding the proper string into english.php

It works! But am I creating a problem I am not aware of? Iis LANG_TPL_BROWSE created just as a kind of shorthand?

Thanks much much for your help in my further understanding of the code.

BarryG

Thank you for answering David. Sorry to be sounding confusing. I'd already accomplished everything you point out, and everything is working perfectly - I have different titles for different Browse actions.

My question was I didn't know how or where from the variable "LANG_TPL_BROWSE" came from and didn't want to break anything by my removing it. That you now say that passing any text into <a href="{$smarty.const.URL}/category.php"> answers my question totally, and gives me a whole new sense of freedom & awareness regarding smarty.

Thanks David.

Thanks David and Mike
I have a far greater hands on perception on creating / passing variables and making the templates do what I want. Sigma is the greatest yet. Thanks again for all your help. Can't wait to work on the External Listings and External Search Results modules, not to mention the far far greater possibilities for my new client with the Custom Plugins Modules. Seems Imagination is the limit.

BarryG