For all you WordPress users out there who like creating your own templates, here is a tip to help you on your way. The information below was taken from www.tips4developer.com and the owner retains all copyright to his/her post.

If you are looking forward to create your own widget area in wordpress, then you are at right place. Creating custom widget area is something like creating your own sidebar widget area, but with the flexibility to place it anywhere in between your template code, so that might be in header.php, footer.php, page.php or index.php. And with the help of which you can display widgets of your own choice.

1. Locate functions.php in your active theme folder and add the bellow code in it.

if ( function_exists(‘register_sidebar’) )
register_sidebar( array(
‘name’ => __( ‘My Custom Widget Area – 1’),
‘id’ => ‘myCustomWidgetArea1’,
‘description’ => __( ‘An optional widget area for your site footer’, ‘twentyeleven’ ),
‘before_widget’ => ‘

“,
‘before_title’ => ‘

‘,
‘after_title’ => ‘

‘,
) );

2. Next step is calling widgets area from theme template files. For that you just have to place this code in the div or any other container you wish. You can place the bellow code in – header.php, footer.php, page.php, index.php, single.php or any other template related files.

< ?php
// Custom widget Area Start
if ( !function_exists(‘dynamic_sidebar’) || !dynamic_sidebar(‘My Custom Widget Area – 1’) ) : ?>
< ?php endif;
// Custom widget Area End
?>

Here you are done, your widget area is ready to drag your widgets in it. What are you waiting for go ahead and drag widgets to display on your website.

Tags: websites, wordpress