From ACP, Forum-> management, I can create a new category. However, I do not want to create forum inside a category. If I do not create a forum, the category does not show. If I create a forum, it shows "forum" under the category name. This is not my desired structure.

My site overall is a forum. I will have categories in my forum, and "topics" or "threads" in each category. So I do not need "forums" inside my categories.

How do I do that?

Thanks.

ok ...
you cant create only categories and to be visible without forums  

but :
you can create one category for example "forum" and inside this category you create forums (as you call  "categories") and you will have only "forums" or as you say "categories" ....

i m not sure if you understand what i mean  

so lets call it for example
category = not important
forums = categories

that way, not only am i forced to create sub-category, it also shows "Forum" under the 1st category name.

It shows:

              Test Category 1
                Forum
Test forum #1 (topic# 1) ...

aas wrote: [View Post]

that way, not only am i forced to create sub-category, it also shows "Forum" under the 1st category name.

It shows:

              Test Category 1
                Forum
Test forum #1 (topic# 1) ...

look here what i mean
http://macommunity.macommunity.net/forum.php

did you mean like this you want ?