Josh Stauffer» WordPress

Redesign – March 2011

Josh Stauffer — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 05:25:12 +0000

A redesign for my blog was long overdue. I’ll continually be making tweaks and improvements but I am really pleased with how it came out. This design is a child theme for the Genesis Framework. I tried to add some flavor by incorporating some jQuery effects, CSS3 styles, the Google Font API, and some Genesis hooks. My favorite feature is probably the scrolling background in the header area. Take a look around and if you have any comments, please fire away.

Build Your Own Wicked WordPress Themes – Review

Josh Stauffer — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 05:09:49 +0000

This book was on my Amazon wish list for a few months before I bought it from Barnes & Noble last Saturday. I literally just got done reading it and honestly, I would have finished it sooner but life got in the way. It’s a fairly short read, less than 200 pages with some full page images, but don’t be fooled, the book’s packed with essential information for aspiring WordPress theme designers.

There were a lot of things I already knew but I was still able to pick up quite a few tips. I have several pages of notes to prove it. My notes were spurred from thoughts like, “Man, I didn’t know WordPress did that” to “I better write this down so I don’t forget it.” I strongly recommend this book to anyone interested in building WordPress themes either for business or pleasure.

As I mentioned, I bought the book from Barnes & Noble for roughly $43 only because I wanted it at that moment. However, Build Your Own Wicked WordPress Themes can be purchased from Amazon for about $22 depending on the condition.

Who’s behind the book?

Allan Cole – a Thematic framework guru who specializes in front-end user experience and WordPress customization. (allancole.com)
Raena Jackson Armitage – a former SitePoint technical editor who speaks at some of the more popular geek conferences. (raena.net)
Brandon Jones – a designer who’s developed some of the Web’s best-selling WordPress themes. (epicerastudio.com)
Jeffrey Way – manages CodeCanyon and Nettuts and also ran ThemeForest for 2 years. (jeffrey-way.com)

What’s in the book?

Introducing WordPress
Planning Your Theme
Theme Design 101
Theme Frameworks
Advanced Theme Construction
Widgets
Theme Options
Selling Your Theme

My to do list

Read “Build Your Own Wicked WordPress Themes.” – Check
Build some wicked WordPress themes. – In progress

Have you read the book? Is there anything you want to mention?

Free Genesis Child Themes

Josh Stauffer — Fri, 26 Nov 2010 23:53:20 +0000

The Genesis Framework by StudioPress is quickly becoming one of the most popular Theme Frameworks for WordPress. StudioPress currently offers 30+ turn-key designs that may be purchased individually or you can get the Pro Plus All-Themes package which gets you all updates and future themes. If that’s not enough, you can take advantage of these free Genesis Child Themes that developers release from time to time just to give back to the growing community.

Free Child Themes for Genesis

Here’s an updated list of the free child themes for the Genesis Framework. Themes are listed in alphetical order by author.

Adaptation by Aaron Hartland
Latitude by Aaron Hartland
Tee Box by Alan Smith
Base by Bill Erickson
Genesis CRM by Bill Erickson
Buster by Bradley Potter
Full Width by Christopher Cochran
Charisma by Cristian Antohe
Autobahn by David Decker
Fringe by Greg Rickaby
Twenty Diez by Jared Atchison
Bookmarks by John Hawkins
Sinatra by Josh Stauffer – that’s me
Transchild by Josh Stauffer – that’s me again
Go Green by Len Kutchma
Birow by Marco Galasso
Inzornade by Marco Galasso
Zirconium by Mark Howe
FlipBlog by Marx Benzon
Mini Press 1.0 by Rafal Tomal
Fairway by StudioPress
Georgia by StudioPress
Nomadic by StudioPress
Sample by StudioPress
Simply Sweet by Susan Nelson
Persevero by WPBeginner
Something missing? click here →

Please keep in mind that although these are free child themes, they will require the Genesis Framework to run properly.

Adaptation - Genesis Child Theme

Latitude - Genesis Child Theme

Tee Box - Genesis Child Theme

Buster - Genesis Child Theme

Charisma - Genesis Child Theme

Autobahn - Genesis Child Theme

Fringe - Genesis Child Theme

Twenty Diez - Genesis Child Theme

Bookmarks - Genesis Child Theme

Sinatra- Genesis Child Theme

Transchild - Genesis Child Theme

Go Green - Genesis Child Theme

Birow - Genesis Child Theme

Inzornade - Genesis Child Theme

Zirconium - Genesis Child Theme

FlipBlog - Genesis Child Theme

Mini Press 1.0 - Genesis Child Theme

Fairway - Genesis Child Theme

Georgia - Genesis Child Theme

Nomadic - Genesis Child Theme

Sample - Genesis Child Theme

Simply Sweet - Genesis Child Theme

Persevero - Genesis Child Theme

Ternary Operators Anyone?

Josh Stauffer — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 00:51:43 +0000

While reading through the WordPress Coding Standards, I read some good advice to follow when using ternary operators.

To keep things from getting confusing when using ternary operators, always have the statements test for true instead of false.

// (if statement is true) ? (do this) : (if false, do this);
$basketballteam = ( 'lakers' == $team ) ? 'champions' : 'blah';

In the example above, you’ll notice that the variable is on the right side of the comparison. This way, if an equal sign is omitted, a parse error will be thrown and execution will halt. If you can save one bug, do it.

Genesis Framework: List of Theme and Location Constants

Josh Stauffer — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 04:31:43 +0000

Here is a partial list of Theme Name/Version Constants, Directory Location Constants, and URL Location Constants that are defined by the Genesis Framework by StudioPress. This list should be useful for child theme developers and can be used by simply echoing the constant, e.g. would output http://www.joshstauffer.com/wp-content/themes/prose.

For a complete list of constants see: /wp-content/themes/genesis/lib/init.php

Constants

PARENT_THEME_NAME = Genesis
PARENT_THEME_VERSION = 1.3.1
PARENT_THEME_RELEASE_DATE = September 15, 2010

PARENT_DIR = /path/to/public_html/joshstauffer.com/wp-content/themes/genesis
CHILD_DIR = /path/to/public_html/joshstauffer.com/wp-content/themes/prose
GENESIS_IMAGES_DIR = /path/to/public_html/joshstauffer.com/wp-content/themes/genesis/images

PARENT_URL = http://www.joshstauffer.com/wp-content/themes/genesis
CHILD_URL = http://www.joshstauffer.com/wp-content/themes/prose
GENESIS_IMAGES_URL = http://www.joshstauffer.com/wp-content/themes/genesis/images

Simple Way to Track 404 Error Pages with Google Analytics

Josh Stauffer — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 01:11:41 +0000

Sometimes visitors to your site may receive a 404 Error or “Page Not Found”. This may happen when they click on a link that no longer exists or perhaps they typed the address incorrectly. If it’s a business website, a 404 Page Not Found could mean lost money but no matter the type of site, visitors hate 404 Errors. Unfortunately, they will typically leave your site instead of try to find the page they were intending to see.

With this understanding, tracking 404 Error Pages and correcting those errors is good practice and should help keep your visitors happy. Best of all, there’s a simple way to setup Google Analytics to track those pesky 404s for us.

Since I’m a WordPress lover, the code below is specifically meant for WordPress websites although the code can be easily modified for any website platform you use.

Here’s the code to use

Be sure to replace UA-XXXXXXX-X with your Analytics Web Property ID.

Basically what’s happening above is we use the WordPress is_404() conditional tag to check if there’s a 404 error. If an 404 Page Not Found error occurs, this code is output:

_gaq.push(['_trackPageview', '/404.html?page=' + document.location.pathname + document.location.search + '&from=' + document.referrer]);

And for all other pages, this code is output:

_gaq.push(['_trackPageview']);

And it’s really as simple as that.

How to Install Google Analytics on WordPress

Josh Stauffer — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 02:21:35 +0000

Google Analytics is a free service that generates detailed statistics about the visitors to a website. Setting up and installing Analytics is one of the first things I do after launching a WordPress site. There are basically three ways to installing the script: copy and paste it in the theme’s header.php file, install a plugin like Google Analytics for WordPress or Google Analyticator, or insert the code into the theme’s function file (functions.php).

Since I prefer to use as few plugins as possible, I usually insert the code into the theme’s functions.php file using the wp_head action hook. Here’s the code that needs to be inserted into functions.php:

Don’t forget to replace UA-XXXXXXX-X with your Analytics Web Property ID.

Sample Content for Genesis Theme Development

Josh Stauffer — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 17:49:42 +0000

I am trying to use the Genesis Framework for all of my WordPress projects moving forward. The other day while working on such a project, I needed some sample content to make sure certain elements were styled to my liking. The elements used in the sample content are not exhaustive. I just consolidated some of the content from the StudioPress child theme demos. If it’s helpful for me, maybe it’ll be helpful for others.

Here’s what the Sample Content Looks Like

Sample Post With Image Aligned Left
Sample Post With Image Aligned Right
Sample Post With Image Centered
Sample Post With an Unordered List
Sample Post With an Ordered List
Sample Post With a Blockquote
Sample Post With Headlines

This is an example of a WordPress post, you could edit this to put information about yourself or your site so readers know where you are coming from. You can create as many posts as you like in order to share with your readers what exactly is on your mind. This is an example of a WordPress post, you could edit this to put information about yourself or your site so readers know where you are coming from. You can create as many posts as you like in order to share with your readers what exactly is on your mind.

Sample Post With Image Aligned Left

Here’s a sample caption with an image aligned left.

Sample Post With Image Aligned Right

Here’s a sample caption with an image aligned right.

Sample Post With Image Centered

Here’s a sample caption with an image centered.

Sample Post With an Unordered List

Unordered list item #1
Unordered list item #2
Unordered list item #3
Unordered list item #4
Unordered list item #5

Sample Post With an Ordered List

Ordered list item #1
Ordered list item #2
Ordered list item #3
Ordered list item #4
Ordered list item #5

Sample Post With a Blockquote

This is an example of a WordPress post, you could edit this to put information about yourself or your site so readers know where you are coming from. You can create as many posts as you like in order to share with your readers what exactly is on your mind. This is an example of a WordPress post, you could edit this to put information about yourself or your site so readers know where you are coming from. You can create as many posts as you like in order to share with your readers what exactly is on your mind.

Sample Post With Headlines

Headline 1

Headline 2

Headline 3

Headline 4

Headline 5

Headline 6

Headline 1

Headline 2

Headline 3

Headline 4

Headline 5

Headline 6

Here’s the HTML for the Sample Content

This is an example of a WordPress post, you could edit this to put information about yourself or your site so readers know where you are coming from. You can create as many posts as you like in order to share with your readers what exactly is on your mind.

Sample Post With Image Aligned Left
Sample Post With Image Aligned Right
Sample Post With Image Centered
Sample Post With an Unordered List
Sample Post With an Ordered List
Sample Post With a Blockquote
Sample Post With Headlines

This is an example of a WordPress post, you could edit this to put information about yourself or your site so readers know where you are coming from. You can create as many posts as you like in order to share with your readers what exactly is on your mind. This is an example of a WordPress post, you could edit this to put information about yourself or your site so readers know where you are coming from. You can create as many posts as you like in order to share with your readers what exactly is on your mind.

Sample Post With Image Aligned Left
Here's a sample caption with an image aligned left.
This is an example of a WordPress post, you could edit this to put information about yourself or your site so readers know where you are coming from. You can create as many posts as you like in order to share with your readers.
This is an example of a WordPress post, you could edit this to put information about yourself or your site so readers know where you are coming from. You can create as many posts as you like in order to share with your readers what exactly is on your mind. This is an example of a WordPress post, you could edit this to put information about yourself or your site so readers know where you are coming from. You can create as many posts as you like.
This is an example of a WordPress post, you could edit this to put information about yourself or your site so readers know where you are coming from. You can create as many posts as you like in order to share with your readers what exactly is on your mind.
This is an example of a WordPress post, you could edit this to put information about yourself or your site so readers know where you are coming from. You can create as many posts as you like in order to share with your readers what exactly is on your mind. This is an example of a WordPress post, you could edit this to put information about yourself or your site so readers know where you are coming from. You can create as many posts as you like in order to share with your readers what exactly is on your mind.

Sample Post With Image Aligned Right
Here's a sample caption with an image aligned right.
This is an example of a WordPress post, you could edit this to put information about yourself or your site so readers know where you are coming from. You can create as many posts as you like in order to share with your readers.
This is an example of a WordPress post, you could edit this to put information about yourself or your site so readers know where you are coming from. You can create as many posts as you like in order to share with your readers what exactly is on your mind. This is an example of a WordPress post, you could edit this to put information about yourself or your site so readers know where you are coming from. You can create as many posts as you like.
This is an example of a WordPress post, you could edit this to put information about yourself or your site so readers know where you are coming from. You can create as many posts as you like in order to share with your readers what exactly is on your mind.
This is an example of a WordPress post, you could edit this to put information about yourself or your site so readers know where you are coming from. You can create as many posts as you like in order to share with your readers what exactly is on your mind. This is an example of a WordPress post, you could edit this to put information about yourself or your site so readers know where you are coming from. You can create as many posts as you like in order to share with your readers what exactly is on your mind.

Sample Post With Image Centered
Here's a sample caption with an image centered.
This is an example of a WordPress post, you could edit this to put information about yourself or your site so readers know where you are coming from. You can create as many posts as you like in order to share with your readers what exactly is on your mind.
This is an example of a WordPress post, you could edit this to put information about yourself or your site so readers know where you are coming from. You can create as many posts as you like in order to share with your readers what exactly is on your mind. This is an example of a WordPress post, you could edit this to put information about yourself or your site so readers know where you are coming from. You can create as many posts as you like in order to share with your readers what exactly is on your mind.
This is an example of a WordPress post, you could edit this to put information about yourself or your site so readers know where you are coming from. You can create as many posts as you like in order to share with your readers what exactly is on your mind.
This is an example of a WordPress post, you could edit this to put information about yourself or your site so readers know where you are coming from. You can create as many posts as you like in order to share with your readers what exactly is on your mind. This is an example of a WordPress post, you could edit this to put information about yourself or your site so readers know where you are coming from. You can create as many posts as you like in order to share with your readers what exactly is on your mind.

Sample Post With an Unordered List
This is an example of a WordPress post, you could edit this to put information about yourself or your site so readers know where you are coming from. You can create as many posts as you like in order to share with your readers what exactly is on your mind.

Unordered list item #1
Unordered list item #2
Unordered list item #3
Unordered list item #4
Unordered list item #5

This is an example of a WordPress post, you could edit this to put information about yourself or your site so readers know where you are coming from. You can create as many posts as you like in order to share with your readers what exactly is on your mind. This is an example of a WordPress post, you could edit this to put information about yourself or your site so readers know where you are coming from. You can create as many posts as you like in order to share with your readers what exactly is on your mind.

Sample Post With an Ordered List
This is an example of a WordPress post, you could edit this to put information about yourself or your site so readers know where you are coming from. You can create as many posts as you like in order to share with your readers what exactly is on your mind.

Ordered list item #1
Ordered list item #2
Ordered list item #3
Ordered list item #4
Ordered list item #5

This is an example of a WordPress post, you could edit this to put information about yourself or your site so readers know where you are coming from. You can create as many posts as you like in order to share with your readers what exactly is on your mind. This is an example of a WordPress post, you could edit this to put information about yourself or your site so readers know where you are coming from. You can create as many posts as you like in order to share with your readers what exactly is on your mind.

Sample Post With a Blockquote
This is an example of a WordPress post, you could edit this to put information about yourself or your site so readers know where you are coming from. You can create as many posts as you like in order to share with your readers what exactly is on your mind.
This is an example of a WordPress post, you could edit this to put information about yourself or your site so readers know where you are coming from. You can create as many posts as you like in order to share with your readers what exactly is on your mind. This is an example of a WordPress post, you could edit this to put information about yourself or your site so readers know where you are coming from. You can create as many posts as you like in order to share with your readers what exactly is on your mind.
This is an example of a WordPress post, you could edit this to put information about yourself or your site so readers know where you are coming from. You can create as many posts as you like in order to share with your readers what exactly is on your mind. This is an example of a WordPress post, you could edit this to put information about yourself or your site so readers know where you are coming from. You can create as many posts as you like in order to share with your readers what exactly is on your mind.

Sample Post With Headlines
This is an example of a WordPress post, you could edit this to put information about yourself or your site so readers know where you are coming from. You can create as many posts as you like in order to share with your readers what exactly is on your mind.
Headline 1
Headline 2
Headline 3
Headline 4
Headline 5
Headline 6
This is an example of a WordPress post, you could edit this to put information about yourself or your site so readers know where you are coming from. You can create as many posts as you like in order to share with your readers what exactly is on your mind. This is an example of a WordPress post, you could edit this to put information about yourself or your site so readers know where you are coming from. You can create as many posts as you like in order to share with your readers what exactly is on your mind.
Headline 1
This is an example of a WordPress post, you could edit this to put information about yourself or your site so readers know where you are coming from. You can create as many posts as you like in order to share with your readers what exactly is on your mind.
Headline 2
This is an example of a WordPress post, you could edit this to put information about yourself or your site so readers know where you are coming from. You can create as many posts as you like in order to share with your readers what exactly is on your mind.
Headline 3
This is an example of a WordPress post, you could edit this to put information about yourself or your site so readers know where you are coming from. You can create as many posts as you like in order to share with your readers what exactly is on your mind.
Headline 4
This is an example of a WordPress post, you could edit this to put information about yourself or your site so readers know where you are coming from. You can create as many posts as you like in order to share with your readers what exactly is on your mind.
Headline 5
This is an example of a WordPress post, you could edit this to put information about yourself or your site so readers know where you are coming from. You can create as many posts as you like in order to share with your readers what exactly is on your mind.
Headline 6
This is an example of a WordPress post, you could edit this to put information about yourself or your site so readers know where you are coming from. You can create as many posts as you like in order to share with your readers what exactly is on your mind.

WordPress: Get Tags for a Specific Category

Josh Stauffer — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 15:08:19 +0000

WordPress is such a powerful tool out of the box that it is surprising to find something that it doesn’t have a function for. Here is a code snippet that will allow you to show tags that are related to a specific category. The nice thing about this snippet is that it does not require any complicated custom DB queries but uses WordPress’ built in features.

It is as simple as pasting this code wherever you would like to display tags for a specific category. If you would like to change the appearance of the tags, take a look at the options available for wp_tag_cloud(). Don’t forget to change the category name on line 1.

have_posts()) :
	while ($custom_query->have_posts()) : $custom_query->the_post();
		$posttags = get_the_tags();
		if ($posttags) {
			foreach($posttags as $tag) {
				$all_tags[] = $tag->term_id;
			}
		}
	endwhile;
endif;

$tags_arr = array_unique($all_tags);
$tags_str = implode(",", $tags_arr);

$args = array(
'smallest'  => 12,
'largest'   => 12,
'unit'      => 'px',
'number'    => 0,
'format'    => 'list',
'include'   => $tags_str
);
wp_tag_cloud($args);
?>

Get Post Slug in WordPress

Josh Stauffer — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 21:49:54 +0000

I needed to get just the post slug for a project I have been working on. I found several sites that had similar ways of getting the post slug but I came up with an approach that utilizes WordPress’ get_permalink() and PHP’s basename().

The common approach:


$post_obj = $wp_query->get_queried_object();
$post_ID = $post_obj->ID;
$post_title = $post_obj->post_title;
$post_slug = $post_obj->post_name;

My approach:


$slug = basename(get_permalink());