Geeklog Forums

I want to add a new page to my site, one that consists exclusively of a static page.

I created a new topic, "Trials", and then created a static page containing the content that I want displayed on the "Trials" page.

Title = "Trials"
Add To Menu = unchecked
Label = "Trials"
Page format = "Left Blocks"
ID = "Trials"
Centerblock = unchecked
Position = "Entire page"
Topic = "Trials"
PHP = "HTML"

I want this "Trials" page to have a left block column only.

When I go to the "Trials" entry in Topics, I see left and right columns, and the middle says "There is no news to display".

How do I set things so I just get a left column and a static page in the rest of the page?

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Steven Weyhrich --

Umm, why? What's wrong with using just one static page?

bye, Dirk

Well, I suppose I might just be not understanding the who purpose of static pages, but ...

The web site being converted consists of a number of pages of different bits of information that I want to provide. Some of this information should be on the home page; some should be in other places on the web site; some should be editable by others, and some should NOT be editable by others. So in the process of making this come out the way I want, the only way I can figure out how to do it is to create the non- or rarely-changing info in static pages.

These static pages as they stand contain tables, graphics, etc.

If this is better done by making it a story on a page, just a single story, I don't really care (I might need to be better educated on just what static pages are best used for). But what I really do need is to not have the right column on some pages.

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Steven Weyhrich --

As the name suggests, they were meant for static content, as opposed to the dynamic content that you have on the index page. Things like an "about us" or a "mission statement" page or whatever content you have that doesn't really fit in a story.

The extra stuff (center blocks, PHP) was only added later.

Or, let me try it the other way around: The main purpose of a Geeklog site is to post some sort of "news" stories, so you typically want to have the most recent post on top. And when you post new stories, the older ones are pushed down and, eventually, off the front page. That's what I was referring to as "dynamic content" above.

A static page is something that stays as and where it is.

bye, Dirk

Here is how I do the static pages on my site. I create the static page and create a block for the topic I want that page listed in. I copy the static page link (found when editing the static page) and paste it into the content section of the block as a link.
Works real well this way. As Dirk stated, static pages are not dynamic, they are not like the news or whatnot.

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http://70.145.174.180/

Thanks for the suggestions. I do realize that static pages are not for dynamic content; the problem I am having is that I have several pages of static content that I want displayed in the center WITHOUT a right column.

I created a block, and pasted the static page link I had previously created in the content section of the block. However, when I viewed the page, I had a left column, a really narrow middle column that said there were no news stories at this time, and a wide right column with the URL of the static page listed at the top.

Obviously I did it incorrectly. Can you push me a little further in the right direction?

Or taking another approach: I put some static content on other pages on the site by putting a static page under a news story, with a limit of one story for that page, and that does work. However, it will not work except as three columns. The content I want to put on the page in question at this time really would look better if it were displayed with only a left column.

Again, suggestions are welcome.

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Steven Weyhrich --

Hmm. Which theme are you using?

But to me, it sounds like you're still trying to stuff static pages into a topic.

Have a look at our Resources block (first block on the left). It has a link to Geeklog Security, which is a static page. That static page has both left and right blocks, but that could be changed in that page's settings.

Isn't that what you want? Forget about the center block option and topics for a moment - things are much simpler than you think ...

bye, Dirk

The theme I am using is Blue Moo. And yes, I have been putting this static page in a topic, because I could not see how to get it to show up in the menu list on the left column unless I did it that way.

Perhaps my confusion stems from the menu issue. I did check the "add to menu box", but the only way I can display this page is if I click on the static page name in the static page editor; it does not appear any place where a user could see it.

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Steven Weyhrich --

By the way, when I say "menu", I am referring to the list in the left column (which is, I see labeled as "topics"). Should I be editing the list of menu items in the header.thtml file to point to that static page I've created that does not appear in the "menu" (topic list)?

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Steven Weyhrich --

That option refers to the menu bar, not to the blocks. In case the theme uses the {plg_menu_elements} variable, static pages with that option checked will be listed in that menu bar. That is the case for the XSilver and Smooth Blue themes, for example, and depending what theme you're using here on geeklog.net, you should see links to static pages entitled "Support" and "Themes" in our menu bar here. Maybe the Blue Moo theme doesn't use that variable.

Now, getting a static page in a block is something different entirely. First of all, the Topics block (called Sections here on the site and in older installs) is only meant for listing topics. There's no official way to add any other links to that block.

So, you could either create a new "normal" block and just put the links to your static pages in there (see the "Resources" block here on the site). Or you could try using the Menu plugin, which implements a customizable replacement for the Topics block (and others).

bye, Dirk

That may be my problem. I'll have to re-read the info about Blue Moo. The menu plugin would be another option I'll have to look into. Again, thanks.

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Steven Weyhrich --