You may remember my post from last week describing Justin Tadlock’s amazing Query Posts Widget Plugin, and you may have seen the video showing a quick overview of this plugin’s functionality here or here. When I created that first post and video, I knew the possibilities were numerous, and I had read about using this plugin in conjuction with widgetized page templates, but I was having trouble getting my head around the concept. Mostly because I hadn’t taken advantage of widgetized page templates yet. If you aren’t familiar with widgetized page templates, download the Hybrid theme.
I have seen the light folks, and I’ve created video to show you the true power of combining the Query Posts Widget plugin, a Widgetized Page Template, and the Widget Logic plugin. It’s 9:52 long, but it’s filled with information. If you have any comments about the plugins or the video, please leave a comment below.
27 Comments
The Query Posts widget looks interesting thanks for the tutorial! We created a plugin called Widget Locationizer that is similar to Widget Logic but it does a few more things. You can find it in the WP repository: wordpress.org/extend/plugins/widget-locationizer
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Great video came over from Theme Hybrid. There is so much to Hybrid, Query Posts, and Widget logic, that you are only bound by your imagination.
I have been using Query Posts since it was in beta and have had a blast finding ways to use it. I am looking forward to more video’s like this and I am sure Justin wouldn’t mind either, save him a little time on the forum’s.
Thanks!
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Thanks for the kudos Craig, you’re absolutely right about the innumerable uses of this combination of tools. I know Justin is a busy guy and it’s my way of trying to give back for all he’s done for the WP community (and me). I’ll keep the videos coming as I learn more…
Hi Kevin,
Thanks for letting us know about your Widget Locationizer, it looks like a valid alternative. Nice work!
Thanks a lot for this. I’ll be watching your blog for more video tutorials. I have been wondering what all the fuss is about, you are demystifying quite a few things for me.
Keep up the good work!
Hey Rusti,
You’re quite welcome, and I will do my best to keep it up. I like your site too, the look really fits your intended message.
Thanks, I am just waiting to redesign it this summer with WP. I just really learned about WP in the past few months and had all but retired from my small business. I am a teacher and couldn’t find the time, but I think with WP and people like you and Justin contributing your talents I can make a go of it.
Welcome to the wonderful world of WordPress:)
Thanks for that plugin man! Thats awesome i was looking for. I am looking forward to more video’s like this.
I’ll be watching your blog for more video tutorials. To the bbokmarks).
Query post widget plugin, just another leaf from the think tank of Justin Tadlock.
And well done modder, as you said, the video is full of information..
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Hey Im not seeing the thumbnails option is there something you need to do to see that?
@ Sriraj,
Thank you, I hope to create several more tutorial videos…
@Christina,
The thumbnails option is called get_the_image. There could be a couple reasons that you’re not seeing it. From the Query Posts Widget Plugin readme.txt file:
= How do I show thumbnails? =
This plugin integrates quite nicely with the Get the Image plugin. If you’ve activated that plugin, you will have an additional checkbox to show thumbnails. Thumbnails will not be shown if `list` is selected for `display`.
i got a few questions about that thumbnail thing and widget logic –
1. what if there are 2 or more images in the posts?
2. how can i edit how the posts are displayed? e.g. the thumbnails on the right side
3. is it possible to use widget logic like:
“display this widget: if page ID = 5 OR page ID = 58″ ?
@ Sumit,
1. It grabs the first image in a post, but there are some options, please see the readme.html that’s included with the get_the_image plugin.
2. The get_the_image plugin adds css classes to images that it gets. You can style your images (move them to the right). This is explained in further detail in the readme.html.
3. Yes. You need to put the page IDs in an array, like this:
is_single(array(151, 158, 123))
I hope that helps:)
helps a lot! Cheers man
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Hi. This plugin seems to be all that I need to do my site navigation very nice and to finish my blog. I saw the video tutorial but I can’t see on my write page the field “template” you tell should be at the bottom of the page, neither the menu where there is “Utility:Widgets template”. I use WP 2.7.1.
It depends on the fact I don’t use Hybrid theme? I can’t use the Query Posts and Widget Logic plugins in my widgetized theme? Should I also have the Get the Image plugin? Please, tell me I can do it…
Hi kkri,
To do exactly what the video describes, you would need the Hybrid theme by Justin Tadlock. His theme contains the “widgetized” page template and the “Utility: Widgets Template” widget that is used in conjunction with the “widgetized” page template.
Having a widgetized theme is necessary, but to do what I’ve done above, you would also need a widgetized page template and the “Get the Image” plugin.
This post should help: http://themehybrid.com/support/topic/help-with-creating-a-widgetized-page-and-integrating-query-posts-plugin
If you found this useful, please share a link to my site anywhere you feel it’s appropriate:)
Nice Job on the video. Very helpful.
Hi, WordPress Modder.
I installed the plugin Query Posts ,”With A Little Help from my friend”
I need to know how the creation of thumbnails work. I mean: this is the line I have in the query-posts.php actually:
array( ‘feature_img’ ), ‘default_size’ => ‘thumbnail’, ‘width’ => ‘100′, ‘height’ => ‘75′, ‘image_class’ => ‘feature’ ) ); ?>
I had to changed it because otherwise with
array( ‘Thumbnail’, ‘thumbnail’ ), ‘default_size’ => ‘thumbnail’ ) ); ?>
it doesn’t change the image size. I set WP settings–> media into thumbnail size w 100 and h 75 and checked to cut the image at the right size. But it always create bigger thumbs, size 300×300. Should I change something in the Get The Image plugin?
Which are the correct settings from the Wp dashboard and the right code to put in the query-post.php?
I’m so near to see the right result, and I can’t get it! Awful!
Oops, sorry:
actually I have:
array( ‘feature_img’ ), ‘default_size’ => ‘thumbnail’, ‘width’ => ‘100′, ‘height’ => ‘75′, ‘image_class’ => ‘feature’ ) ); ?>
and before it was:
array ( ‘Thumbnail’, ‘thumbnail’ ), ‘default_size’ => ‘thumbnail’ ) ); ?>
Thanks…
It’s not my fault! I paste all…
array( ‘Thumbnail’, ‘thumbnail’ ), ‘default_size’ => ‘thumbnail’ ) ); ?>
and
array( ‘feature_img’ ), ‘default_size’ => ‘thumbnail’, ‘width’ => ‘100′, ‘height’ => ‘75′, ‘image_class’ => ‘feature’ ) ); ?>
Hope it’ok now…
Thanks for this great video explanation for this great plugin
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Great post,
I always had problems wrapping my head around the Widget Logic plugin, this video helped clear it up a little bit.
Thanks
Thanks Ron, glad I could help out:)
Is it possible to put this in a sidebar? or maybe someone would know a solution to my problem I am having… I want to have certain “things of the month” like DJ of the month and Producer of the month on my wordpress page…. I want there to be a thumbnail image in the sidebar with maybe their name and a little caption…. when the user clicks on it I want it to go to a page similar to how the pages look with the query post… how they are all lined up with the thumbnail and the excerpt of the story…so you can see all the past “people of the month ” as well.. sdoes anyone have any suggestions on the best way to do this?
Wonderful videos! Explanations very clear, and followups to queries ditto.
Now I’ve got …curve ball
Supposing I have a static HOME page. (blog is, obviously, on the BLOG page). Supposing I have 5 categories of BLOG posts. I want to display 3 of those categories on the static HOME. Now…
How can I get the static HOME page to have 3 instances of the Query Post plugin in order to display from my three chosen categories?
thanks!
%%robert
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[...] To go one step further you can combine this plugin with the Widget Logic plugin to show or hide it using WordPress Conditionals. For more information about this technique refer to WordPress Modder’s post Query Posts Widget Plugin + Widgetized Page Template + Widget Logic = WordPress Gold. [...]