Can I just add “The Loop” into my existing xhtml home page and style it a bit and be done?
That’s basically it! ^_^ Here are a few helpful resources:
http://codex.wordpress.org/The_Loop_in_Action
http://codex.wordpress.org/The_Loop
I am understanding it a little better now. Ok, does this have to be done through an interface like in Textpattern or can I do it all externally in say Dreamweaver or something?
This sounds like exactly what I need!
You can code the page anyway you want. You will need to install Wp somewhere in the background, and if you don’t want to use “dashboard” (the admin panel) to post, I believe there are options for that as well (however I use the admin panel strictly, so I don’t know for sure).
Most Loop users still use the WordPress backend (which has to be installed) to post, but there are a few external alternatives, and Dreamweaver is not one of them. You can find a short list here: http://codex.wordpress.org/Weblog_Client
Ok, I have been reading up on this a little more and I think that I have the general idea of what I need to do. Would you guys happen to have any links to sites that are doing something like I want to do?
I am thinking that I should just control the home page via WordPress and just all of the others remain static as they are. Couldn’t I just dump the default CSS and paste my style sheet in and then just paste my xhtml code in and add The Loop into that where I need it, all using the WordPress interface?
I don’t need the footer, sidebar and all that, I just want the posts themselves to appear on the home page as well as a place for people to access the archives. Everything else on the page around it will be my stuff that I have already created. Does that make sense?
Couldn't I just dump the default CSS and paste my style sheet in and then just paste my xhtml code in and add The Loop into that where I need it, all using the WordPress interface?
Yes You can. Also the sep footer sidebar etc is there as default, I’m not sure if having one file will work, I haven’t read the guidance on it. It should work though, in theory as one file.
I would back up a theme already in your install, rename the folder, in the syle.css change the info from whatever it is to name it your theme or something, and then save it. Copy all the contents from the sidebar, footer into your index.php, and I suppose header.phgp into your index.php and then upload that one file with the theme. I still prefer using one file for everything; the flexibility in seperating them seems a little mythical, but what do I know?
Try http://codex.wordpress.org for the documentation on WP
