Modify column width in themes…
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Hey,
I’m doing a little bit of research for my boss on a WordPress blog and need a little help. Is it possible to modify the column width in themes? Something tells me this is hard-coded into the HTML/PHP of the theme itself and not achieved through CSS customization.
I appreciate any and all help.
Thanks
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I’m sorry but we cannot begin to address your question until you post the complete clickable URL for the blog in question starting with http://
Will you please do that now? -
On all modern themes, all the styling and positioning of page elements is done in the CSS. There is virtually no positioning done in the PHP files (and anyone doing that should have their theme designer privileges revoked).
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timethief – There is no blog, yet. As I stated, I am doing research.
sacredpath – So it is possible to make columns a little wider/thinner as desired? My boss is peculiar and likes some of the themes, but wants to be able to modify them slightly. I have minimal coding experience, but I would definitely need to read up on my CSS a little before I start fooling with that.
Thanks again for all of the help.
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With the CSS upgrade, yes you can change widths. Some themes are more difficult than others since some of them use interlocking images to form the background for the theme and content area, so those become more of a photoshop nightmare than anything else. Also, it is never just a matter of changing one “width” setting. It typically requires resizing a bunch of different parent and child elements. In some it might be only two or three. In some it might be six or eight.
Also keep in mind, and let your boss know that over 40% of internet users are still on 1024 x 768px monitors, so you should not go more than about 990-1000px in maximum outer width on a theme or over 40% of your visitors are going to have to horizontally scroll just to see the rest of the content.
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You’re welcome.
It just all depends on the theme. There are ways to structure the markup and the CSS so that all flows together and is easily modified. Some designers simply don’t know about that or don’t bother to think about it and create massive jigsaw puzzles.
One of the best designed themes I’ve ever seen (from a CSS standpoint) required changing only one width and all other elements inside the main wrapper adjusted perfectly to that new width.
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The main thing you have to understand before starting on CSS editing is how the markup (XHTML/HTML) and the CSS relate to one another. Once that is understood, then it becomes much easier to make modifications.
My advice is to not worry too much about colors or anything like that. Find a theme that is structured, or can be structured through the theme options, and with the header and all the major elements in the basic position. The changing of fonts or colors, adding a background and such is much easier than trying to move a sidebar from the left over to the right or move a navigation bar from below a header image to above it.
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Hi elbrando
What I know, in developing Webpage <‘table’> <‘/table’> was used before a lot .
Now, <div> </div> is used widely which can be manipulated easily by using css.
So,whatever the coding knowledge you have, you can easily work with <div>, If you are working with WordPress just check the HTML code (View->Source of your browser), you will see there are lots of <divs>.
Thanks
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You know while CSS certainly isn’t nuclear physics, depending on how much experience the theme designer actually possessed, the seemingly simple job of widening a post/page content area can get complex (some theme designers like puzzles I guess). I don’t remember the theme name, but I do remember I had to change widths for 22 divs in the CSS just to widen the content area on a theme.
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