Question

which file controls the links in the sidebar navigation on a customer’s account dashboard?

thanks

EDIT : i’m trying to edit the text on these links (eg. change “Newsletter Subscriptions” to “Latest News” maybe)

Answer 1

Those links are built up from the different layout XML files. The customer.xml file creates the left hand nav block:

 <customer_account translate="label">
   ...
    <reference name="left">
        <block type="customer/account_navigation" name="customer_account_navigation" before="-" template="customer/account/navigation.phtml">
            <action method="addLink" translate="label" module="customer"><name>account</name><path>customer/account/</path><label>Account Dashboard</label></action>

and then other layouts add links e.g. :

<customer_account>
    <!-- Mage_Newsletter -->
    <reference name="customer_account_navigation">
        <action method="addLink" translate="label" module="newsletter"><name>newsletter</name><path>newsletter/manage/</path><label>Newsletter Subscriptions</label></action>
    </reference>

So to edit the text of the Newsletter link, you need to edit the label node in newsletter.xml in your theme.

HTH,
JD