WordPress.org

1. debo
   Member
   Posted 3 years ago #

   I'm hoping this isn't a stupid question but I was told that WordPress is pretty easy to use if you know XHTML and CSS. I've chosen a template and have successfully edited the CSS as needed, but all I see are php files and I'm unable to add more navigation, edit the footer info and eliminate the blog title in the header. I'm an intermediate coder but am limited to xhtml and css only. Please help!

2. kmessinger
   Member
   Posted 3 years ago #

   If you want to edit the header or footer, just add your code using XHTML which is nothing more than HTML subject to a new set of standards.

   Open someones WP blog (you can look at mine if you want) and look at the source code. All the html you see in the heading was added to heading.php as XHTML compliant code. Same with the footer.

3. Garry Chahal
   Member
   Posted 3 years ago #

   You can use any desired XHTML tags in any php file to alter its functionality

4. debo
   Member
   Posted 3 years ago #

   My problem is that php is like looking at Chinese to me. I have no comprehension of either language. When I look at the online source code for my WP page, I see xhtml. That would be the only file I would be comfortable working with. I don't want to touch the php file because I don't understand it (and don't really care to either - I'm a designer, not a coder). If the XHTML shows up online, why doesn't it show up in my theme folder? I'm getting the feeling that WP is for hard core coders and not people like myself. I really only want WP as an extension of my current website to place email newsletter content but would I be better off just designing new pages for that content instead?

5. debo
   Member
   Posted 3 years ago #

   Hmmm...maybe I'm not explaining myself well. When I downloaded the theme design I wanted, there were a number of files associated with that folder - most were php files and there were also CSS files. I have edited the CSS files to my liking and now want to go into the XHTML files which show up in the online source code but are nowhere to be found in my theme folder. What I've done so far can be viewed here http://clearlygreendesign.com/blog/ . As you can see, the blog title is overtop of my graphics and the footer indicates "your name here". I also want to add more links - more than just "home" and "about". What I need is access to those xhtml files so I can customize the code for my purposes. I don't know how php works - it's like reading a foreign language with an indistinguishable alphabet to me. When I look at the index.php file, I see nowhere where I can edit xhtml. I need the index.xhtml file because I understand that code - I speak that language in other words. I see it online - it shows up there, but where is it?

6. kmessinger
   Member
   Posted 3 years ago #

   As you can see, the blog title is overtop of my graphics and the footer indicates "your name here". I also want to add more links - more than just "home" and "about".

   Depending on the theme, blog titile is done when you go to the Dashboard. Go to appearance, header image and color, toggle text display to get rid of the blog title. You also control the sidebar through widgets.

   Your links are probably coming from your style sheet . . . (the bold)
   

   <<strong>li class="current_page_item</strong>"><a href="http://clearlygreendesign.com/blog">Home</a></li>
           	<<strong>li class="page_item page-item-2</strong>"><a href="http://clearlygreendesign.com/blog/?page_id=2" title="About">About</a></li>

   As Garry said if you want to add to your footer, open the footer.php file and add the xhtml you want. Same with the header, open header.php and add what you want.

   As for the index.php (at least the one in your blog root, basically all it does is bring up your header file. Not much to edit there.

7. debo
   Member
   Posted 3 years ago #

   Thank you so much kmessinger! I was feeling a little overwhelmed by the php and the comfortable familiarity I have with CSS and xhtml. I think I can muddle along through this now with you direction. Thank you for your patience. :)

8. sharonknight
   Member
   Posted 2 years ago #

   I hope this thread isn't too dead...I have a similar question that isn't answered by just adding the xhtml code to the php, because I am trying to replace code, not just add to it. I am trying to replace the kubrick default background image with one of my own. I have mostly been successful making changes via the external style sheet but the background image is embedded in the xhtml document itself and therefore I have not been able to overwrite it using the external style sheet.

   Can anyone help? `

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