[Typo3] How to query the number (in list) of a menu item

[Alexander Heidl]

Hello List,

I am trying to approch a two column menu where the right column shows the
subsequent menu and the left column the right menu:

+----------+----------+
| mainnav  | subnav   |
+----------+----------+

For both menus I use GMENU which works absolutely like a charm for me up to
a certain point. Both menus are generated within its column, though both
aligned at the top of their tag:

+----------+----------+
| TopicA   | TopicA.1 |
| Topic2   | TopicA.2 |
| Topic3   |          |
+----------+----------+

"TopicA" indicates the active topic.

Now when I change the topic to a different then the first obviously the
submenu is rendered and placed at the top edge of its tag as well:

+----------+----------+
| Topic1   | TopicA.1 |
| TopicA   | TopicA.2 |
| Topic3   |          |
+----------+----------+

Which in my poinion is not very nice. So I thought to myself, why not
aligning the submenu items with the triggering parent menu item so it would
look like:

+----------+----------+
| Topic1   |          |
| TopicA   | TopicA.1 |
| Topic3   | TopicA.2 |
+----------+----------+

Apparently this seems to be a far mor difficult task then I thought it to
be. My idea was to query for the actual number in list of the parent menu,
multiplicate this with the hight of the GMENU object and place this as an
image block befor the submenu, so it creats the leading space for the
alignment (shaded with ///):

+----------+----------+
| Topic1   | //////// |
| TopicA   | TopicA.1 |
| Topic3   | TopicA.2 |
+----------+----------+

TopicA = 2nd in list so list numer = 2

This means I have to place a leading space of one topic item height:
/////// = [Topic.h]*listnumber-1

Questions now are:

1. Is my thinking right or are there better approaches?
2. Is there a solution for that?
3. Or maybe some indication on where to look?

Finally my raw menu code snippet:

#
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----
# Main Menu
#
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----
lib.mainnav = HMENU
lib.mainnav.wrap = <table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0"
cellpadding="0">|</table> lib.mainnav.entryLevel = 0

lib.mainnav.1 = GMENU
lib.mainnav.1 {

  # inactive
  NO {
    allWrap = <tr><td>|</td></tr>
    backColor = #FFFFFF
    XY = 150, 25
    
    10 = IMAGE
    10 {
      file.import = uploads/media/
      file.import.field = media
      file.import.listNum = 0
      align = center
    }

    20 = TEXT
    20 {
      niceText = 1
      align = left
      text.field = title
      #text.case = upper
      offset = 10,18
      spacing = 0
      fontFile = {$pathToFonts}arlrdbd.ttf
      fontSize = 16
      fontColor = #A2A2A2
    }
  }

  RO < .NO
  RO {
    20.fontColor = #000000
  }
  RO = 1
  
  ACT < .NO
  ACT {
    20.fontColor = #00529B
  }
  ACT = 1
}

#
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----# Sub Menu #
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----
lib.subnav = HMENU
lib.subnav.wrap = <table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0"
cellpadding="0">|</table> lib.subnav.entryLevel = 1

lib.subnav.1 = GMENU
lib.subnav.1 {

  # inactive
  NO {
    allWrap = <tr><td>|</td></tr>
    backColor = #FFFFFF
    XY = 100, 20
    
    10 = IMAGE
    10 {
      file.import = uploads/media/
      file.import.field = media
      file.import.listNum = 0
      align = center
    }

    20 = TEXT
    20 {
      niceText = 1
      align = left
      text.field = title
      #text.case = upper
      offset = 10,18
      spacing = 0
      fontFile = {$pathToFonts}arlrdbd.ttf
      fontSize = 12
      fontColor = #A2A2A2
    }
  }

  RO < .NO
  RO {
    20.fontColor = #000000
  }
  RO = 1
  
  ACT < .NO
  ACT {
    20.fontColor = #00529B
  }
  ACT = 1
}

Environment: Typo3.8.0