Confused – how to modify widgets and where is data stored?

  • jstevans

    (@jstevans)


    16 years ago

    Hi,

    I’m a newbie who really did search the forums and support for answers to my questions – really. I think I may not know how to phrase the searches.

    I have a couple questions and would be grateful for help. As background, I am using the WordPress Default theme at the moment, I figured I should start slowly.

    1. How to modify a widget – I want to add text with a link to my RSS feed showing an RSS icon. I tried using the RSS Widget but never could get it to work, apparently it requires getting my hosting service t open ports – not easy with these guys. One post I read said to skip that and just use the text widget to add the link.

    I found the “edit themes” admin function but it doesn’t make sense to me. Am I supposed to edit the PHP right there? Or, am I also able to open that file in an external editor?

    2. Where is my custom information stored? Part of my problem is understanding where my information is. For example, where is the text that specifies the header info stored (meaning the title of my blog)? And, since I modified the titles of the “Categories” widget where is that information stored?

    I hope these questions make sense. As said up front, I’m a beginner with WordPress (though I have worked successfully with PHP before).

    Thanks for any help you can offer. It will be appreciated.

    Jay

Viewing 11 replies - 1 through 11 (of 11 total)
  • Moderator Samuel Wood (Otto)

    (@otto42)

    WordPress.org Admin

    16 years ago

    1. How to modify a widget – I want to add text with a link to my RSS feed showing an RSS icon. I tried using the RSS Widget

    No, an RSS widget pulls in the contents of an RSS feed and displays those contents. If you just want to show some text/HTML, use a text widget to show it.

    2. Where is my custom information stored? Part of my problem is understanding where my information is. For example, where is the text that specifies the header info stored (meaning the title of my blog)? And, since I modified the titles of the “Categories” widget where is that information stored?

    In the database. All information other than the blog’s running code is in the database.

    Thread Starter jstevans

    (@jstevans)

    16 years ago

    Wow, thanks for the speedy reply. Very kind of you.

    As for the RSS widget – I’ve been unable to get it to work. Now that I’ve read your explanation I see that using this widget is a better approach than using a text widget. However, no matter what URL I put in there it always responds “Error: could not find an RSS or ATOM feed at that URL.” Oddly, or so it seems to me, the little “Entries (RSS)” hyperlink at the bottom of the page works fine and it has the same link I tried (after reading many posts) for the RSS widget – http://vigneaux.org/blog/?feed=rss2

    Do I really need to force my host to open a port? And if so, could you please tell me which port I’d ask them to open?

    Regarding the storage location for the data – where is the actual database? Or, is this one of those “third rail” type of things – touch it and die?

    Thank you again for your speedy assistance.

    Jay

    Moderator Samuel Wood (Otto)

    (@otto42)

    WordPress.org Admin

    16 years ago

    It might be that your host does not allow connections outside your domain.

    Does the dashboard show the Incoming Links and WordPress News correctly? Those are doing the same sort of things as an RSS widget is.

    Regarding the storage location for the data – where is the actual database? Or, is this one of those “third rail” type of things – touch it and die?

    The database is the one you created when you installed WordPress. Remember editing the wp-config.php file to add the database details?

    Or let me guess, you used an automatic installer of some sort… Sigh, I wish those things did not exist.

    Anyway, you shouldn’t need to worry about the database except to make a backup of it every once in a while. Ask your host how to do that.

    Thread Starter jstevans

    (@jstevans)

    16 years ago

    Well, actually I did worse than using an automated installer (hangs head in shame) – I let the nice folks at WordPress install it for me. Hey, they offered and I was more interested in getting it up and running that particular day.

    I’m not sure if the dashboard shows the Incoming Links and WordPress News correctly. I think it is not though I posted a web page with a screen shot in ti if you’d be good enough to take a look – the link is here:
    http://www.vigneaux.org/new_page_2.htm

    Thanks again for your help.

    Moderator Samuel Wood (Otto)

    (@otto42)

    WordPress.org Admin

    16 years ago

    Yeah, the stuff I talked about isn’t showing.

    Most likely, your host isn’t allowing outside connections from your server on port 80 (the web port). I’d ask them about it.

    Oh, and the Install4Free people are better than automated installers, at least they’re real people who know what they’re doing when they set it up. The automated installers cause people to break things. Frequently. I have no problem with you having somebody else do it, I just hate the automated systems. 🙂

    Thread Starter jstevans

    (@jstevans)

    16 years ago

    Thanks, I just walked through the admin web site, can’t find anything about opening port 80 there. So, I submitted a trouble ticket. These guys aren’t fast so it may be a couple days before I hear, especially since I submitted it on a Friday.

    More when there’s more – and thanks again, you’ve been very helpful and generous with your time.

    rosiembanks

    (@rosiembanks)

    16 years ago

    I found the “edit themes” admin function but it doesn’t make sense to me. Am I supposed to edit the PHP right there?

    I used to do that, but I quickly learned that if I made a mistake I was in trouble!

    Now what I do is open a text editor that’s good with PHP and HTML (I use skEdit for PHP & quickie CSS adjustments; for major CSS work I use CSSEdit — both are Mac programs) and make the changes there.

    Then I copy and paste the changed file into the edit page. Sometimes I just work on the documents on my computer and upload them via FTP.

    You want to pick a way you’re comfortable with or that allows you to “undo” if you make a mistake. CTRL Z is my best friend! But I can’t use it after I’ve saved changes in the edit theme screens unless I kept a copy of my previous versions on my computer using one of the methods described above.

    Thread Starter jstevans

    (@jstevans)

    16 years ago

    Well, this just isn’t going to be easy. I asked my ISP to open Port 80 which I expected would be a fairly simple request. Nope. I have pasted the transcript of the trouble ticket, maybe one of you can explain to me what I ought to be saying to them – otherwise I’m stuck with a blog nobody can subscribe to. Thanks.

    ======== Transcript starts here =========
    A: Hello,
    Outgoing connections on port 80 means that script running on our web server may connect to remote web servers and open any site on internet. We do not allow that.

    We CAN allow you to open some site on remote server (if you provide an IP address of that server) but we cannot allow you to connect to ANY web server.

    Please note that this has nothing to do with visitors of your website. The incoming connections on port 80 are not restricted and anyone can connect to your website on port 80.

    Regards
    Vladimir
    ——————————————————-
    Q: Hello,

    Thank you for such a quick reply. I am sorry but I do not understand your response. I will try to explain my need a bit more clearly.

    I am running a personal blog within my web site of vigneaux.org. In order for people to subscribe to my blog outgoing connections must be enabled on your server.

    I do not need outgoing connections enabled to a specific IP address. Rather, they need to be enabled generically. That is, all outgoing connections on port 80 should be enabled.

    I hope that clarifies things.

    ——————————————————-
    A: Hello,
    Yes, we had blocked outgoing connections on port 80. If your script needs it, please let us know the IP address where you want to connect to and I will ask our admin to add open port 80 for outgoing connections to that IP address.

    If there are several IPs, please list them all.

    Regards
    Vladimir
    ——————————————————-
    Q: Hello,

    I have recently added WordPress blog software to my site – all is working fine with one exception.

    I am unable to “see” the RSS feed info. I believe this is because you do not currently allow outside connections from your server on port 80 (the web port).

    Two questions:

    1. Is my analysis correct that you do not currently allow outside connections from your server on port 80?
    2. And if so, how to I open Port 80 or do I need to request you to?

    Thank you.

    ======== Transcript ends here =========

    End of post.

    Thread Starter jstevans

    (@jstevans)

    16 years ago

    Can anyone help out? I’m really stuck and would be very grateful.

    Thank you,

    Jay

    Moderator Samuel Wood (Otto)

    (@otto42)

    WordPress.org Admin

    16 years ago

    Switch hosts. Really, that’s all there is to it. What you’re asking for is what they explicitly said they do not allow. Therefore they do not fit your needs, so back up your site, cancel your account with them, and find a host willing to work with you instead of against you.

    Life is too short to deal with bad webhosts.

    Thread Starter jstevans

    (@jstevans)

    16 years ago

    Harumph! I believe that is a properly professional response to the situation with my loser of a host, right?

    Thanks for the counsel. Now I just need to find another super-low cost host ($30 annually for all the traffic I’ll ever get).

    Jay

Viewing 11 replies - 1 through 11 (of 11 total)
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