Custom page templates are created using the same basic approach as in previous versions:
http://codex.wordpress.org/Pages#Page_Templates
If you just want to remove comment links and comment forms from your current templates, see http://quirm.net/2009/06/16/removing-all-reference-to-wordpress-comments/.
Thread Starter
deko
(@deko)
Thanks esmi. The codex article wasn’t very clear, but I figured it out. You just create a php file in your theme directory (e.g. /public_html/my-blog-name/wp-content/themes/my-theme-name/page-custom.php) and define the name of the page template in the top of the php file like so:
<?php
/*
Template Name: my-custom-page
*/
?>
Afterwards, you will see a Template section with dropdown list when you go to Add a New Page. If no custom templates are defined, that section and the dropdown list is not there, which makes it confusing.
Thread Starter
deko
(@deko)
One thing I’m still not sure about is how to insert custom javascript into the header of my custom Page Template. I know I can call a .js file that contains my script, but I think that means editing the header.php file of my theme–and that will impact everything, not just the custom Page.
Is there anyway to include custom javascript in a custom Page Template?
Not necessarily. You could include it in your header.php file but using the is_page_template() conditional.
<?php if(is_page_template('custom_page.php')) :?>
<script src="<?php bloginfo('template_directory'); ?>/custom_script.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
<?php endif;?>
Thread Starter
deko
(@deko)
It sounds like is_page_template() should do it.
I’m still a little mystified over how Default and Custom Templates work, however.
I’ve renamed the page.php file in my theme directory to custom_page.php and added the appropriate php comments at the top of the file (I called it ‘Custom Template’). Now I can see ‘Custom Template’ in the drop-down menu when I Add New Page–but I also see ‘Default Template’. Where did this ‘Default Template’ come from?
It looks like this ‘Default Template’ simply uses index.php, which inserts the_content of the Page as well as the comments_template, sidebar and footer. I assume I can use is_page_template() to customize (or omit) each of these components as needed.
Since I want all my Pages customized the same way, couldn’t I just use is_page_template('Default Template') in each component file of my theme to effect my Page customizations? Why bother with a custom Page template?
