Wordpress

Harvey Segal · 02-15-2009, 11:22 AM

If I create a default Wordpress blog it starts on the right hand side with

-Pages
-Archives
-Categories
-Blogroll
-Meta

If I then add a widget such as Recent Posts they all vanish

Can you explain ?

Thanks
Harvey

pjCheviot · 02-15-2009, 11:28 AM

Those widgets are "default" ones, Harvey - as soon as you enter one of your own they disappear to let you build your own selection.

Does that make sense?

Norman Pascoe · 02-15-2009, 11:39 AM

Hi, the above is very true. If you however use another theme try selecting a three column theme that is widget enabled. The right hand column will remain with the default settings and the left hand will be available for you to post your widget selection into.

Take a look at my blog to see what I mean.

Norman

jrailsback · 02-15-2009, 11:47 AM

Harvey, I'm not entirely sure but I believe that some themes have 'widget sections' like categories, blogroll, archives, etc in the sidebar.php code itself. Take a look at that code and see if any of those sections are in there. To can do that by going to Appearance > Editor > sidebar.php.

In my experience, adding widgets via wp dashboard overrides some of what is in the sidebar.php file.

Maybe thats an answer?

*shrugs*

Harvey Segal · 02-15-2009, 11:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pjCheviot

Those widgets are "default" ones, Harvey - as soon as you enter one of your own they disappear to let you build your own selection.

Does that make sense?

Ah yes - that makes sense now. Thanks

A question though. If I add a widget the ADD link no longer
appears in the list of available widgets.

So should the ADD links for the default ones also not appear ?

Harvey

pjCheviot · 02-15-2009, 11:58 AM

Harvey

You can only have one instance of some widgets displayed (for various reasons!) Everything on the "normal" default should be there.

Harvey Segal · 02-15-2009, 06:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pjCheviot

You can only have one instance of some widgets displayed (for various reasons!)

Paul, I understand that. I can't quite see how it answers my question.
Do you mean that the default widgets in the sidebar have been put there
by some means outside of the ADD a widget method ?

Harvey

Diana Lane · 02-15-2009, 07:33 PM

WordPress wasn't always widgetized, it just had the default stuff written into the sidebar code. It still has this stuff there now - widgets are additional, which is why the 'add' link isn't present for the default things - they're sidebar code, not widgets. Despite widgets being additional, they still replace the sidebar stuff rather than add to it.

I hope that helped. I'm not sure even I understood it, and I wrote it. Must be bedtime

Harvey Segal · 02-15-2009, 11:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Diana Lane

WordPress wasn't always widgetized, it just had the default stuff written into the sidebar code. It still has this stuff there now - widgets are additional, which is why the 'add' link isn't present for the default things - they're sidebar code, not widgets. Despite widgets being additional, they still replace the sidebar stuff rather than add to it.

I hope that helped. I'm not sure even I understood it, and I wrote it. Must be bedtime

Thanks Diana.

An associated question: if I see a theme that I like but it lacks
a particular sidebar feature such as "Recent posts" how do I
get this added. Do I have to manipulate the sidebar coding ?

Harvey

Diana Lane · 02-16-2009, 04:04 AM

Sometimes you'd have to edit the sidebar code to get what you want, but that's not ideal since you'd have to edit the sidebar code again whenever you wanted an additional feature (because if you dropped a ready-made widget on the sidebar, your changes would be over-written by it).

However, WordPress is so popular that if ever you want to add a new feature to your site, ninety nine times out of a hundred someone will already have written a plugin to do it. Not all plugins produce sidebar widgets because their purpose will be something else, like adding metatags to your site or whatever, but if the purpose needs a sidebar widget (category display etc) then the plugin will create one.

WordPress plugins are here, thousands of them...

http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/

I find the search feature a bit skanky so will usually search via Google instead, but it gives you a good idea of what's available.

Quentin · 02-16-2009, 04:05 AM

A basic install of wordpress uses the sidbar php file and once you add your first widget it overrides the side bar php file.

All you have to do is add the widgets for these parts as well. you will see them. You will see widgets for

-Pages
-Archives
-Categories
-Blogroll
-Meta

The beauty of widgets if the text widget as it will allow you to add forms, media and adds very easily. This is for the old version of Wordpress but the principle is still the same.

How to USe Wordpress Widgets
\| View \| Upload your own

Quentin

02-15-2009, 11:22 AM	#1
Harvey Segal Mr SuperTips War Room Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: United Kingdom. Posts: 3,755 Thanks: 39 Thanked 631 Times in 263 Posts	Wordpress - basic question about widgets If I create a default Wordpress blog it starts on the right hand side with -Pages -Archives -Categories -Blogroll -Meta If I then add a widget such as Recent Posts they all vanish Can you explain ? Thanks Harvey

02-15-2009, 11:28 AM	#2
pjCheviot Don't Just Sit There! Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: NE UK Posts: 748 Thanks: 498 Thanked 231 Times in 208 Posts Social Networking	Re: Wordpress - basic question about widgets Those widgets are "default" ones, Harvey - as soon as you enter one of your own they disappear to let you build your own selection. Does that make sense?
	"I started out with nothing and I've still got most of it left!" Fellow Warrior KimW needs our help

02-15-2009, 11:39 AM	#3
Norman Pascoe Warrior Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Cornwall England Posts: 13 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	Re: Wordpress - basic question about widgets Hi, the above is very true. If you however use another theme try selecting a three column theme that is widget enabled. The right hand column will remain with the default settings and the left hand will be available for you to post your widget selection into. Take a look at my blog to see what I mean. Norman
	http://www.g4usbmarketing.com/blog http://www.g4usbmarketing.biz http://www.normanpascoe.ws http://www.marketinghelpsystem.com We are not strangers just friends that have not met

02-15-2009, 11:47 AM	#4
jrailsback Mondo Nucleosis War Room Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Norman, OK Posts: 117 Thanks: 14 Thanked 6 Times in 6 Posts Social Networking Contact Info	Re: Wordpress - basic question about widgets Harvey, I'm not entirely sure but I believe that some themes have 'widget sections' like categories, blogroll, archives, etc in the sidebar.php code itself. Take a look at that code and see if any of those sections are in there. To can do that by going to Appearance > Editor > sidebar.php. In my experience, adding widgets via wp dashboard overrides some of what is in the sidebar.php file. Maybe thats an answer? shrugs
	Please read the sig file rules

02-15-2009, 11:58 AM	#6
pjCheviot Don't Just Sit There! Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: NE UK Posts: 748 Thanks: 498 Thanked 231 Times in 208 Posts Social Networking	Re: Wordpress - basic question about widgets Harvey You can only have one instance of some widgets displayed (for various reasons!) Everything on the "normal" default should be there.
	"I started out with nothing and I've still got most of it left!" Fellow Warrior KimW needs our help

02-15-2009, 07:33 PM	#8
Diana Lane The Beer Hunter War Room Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: United Kingdom. Posts: 1,220 Thanks: 186 Thanked 408 Times in 224 Posts	Re: Wordpress - basic question about widgets WordPress wasn't always widgetized, it just had the default stuff written into the sidebar code. It still has this stuff there now - widgets are additional, which is why the 'add' link isn't present for the default things - they're sidebar code, not widgets. Despite widgets being additional, they still replace the sidebar stuff rather than add to it. I hope that helped. I'm not sure even I understood it, and I wrote it. Must be bedtime

02-16-2009, 04:04 AM	#10
Diana Lane The Beer Hunter War Room Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: United Kingdom. Posts: 1,220 Thanks: 186 Thanked 408 Times in 224 Posts	Re: Wordpress - basic question about widgets Sometimes you'd have to edit the sidebar code to get what you want, but that's not ideal since you'd have to edit the sidebar code again whenever you wanted an additional feature (because if you dropped a ready-made widget on the sidebar, your changes would be over-written by it). However, WordPress is so popular that if ever you want to add a new feature to your site, ninety nine times out of a hundred someone will already have written a plugin to do it. Not all plugins produce sidebar widgets because their purpose will be something else, like adding metatags to your site or whatever, but if the purpose needs a sidebar widget (category display etc) then the plugin will create one. WordPress plugins are here, thousands of them... http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/ I find the search feature a bit skanky so will usually search via Google instead, but it gives you a good idea of what's available.