The following code was added to a child theme for Twenty Eleven.

#access {
    background-color: #000;
    border-top: 4px solid red;
    box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.4);
    clear: both;
    display: block;
    float: left;
    margin: 0 -20px 6px;
    width: 100%;
    padding-left: 40px;
}

#access:after
{
	content: ' ';
	position: absolute;
	width: 0;
	height: 0;
	left: -20px;
	top: 212px;
	border-width: 5px 10px;
	border-style: solid;
	border-color: #666 #666 transparent transparent;
}

#access:before
{
	content: ' ';
	position: absolute;
	width: 0;
	height: 0;
	right: -20px;
	top: 212px;
	border-width: 5px 10px;
	border-style: solid;
	border-color: #666 transparent transparent #666;
}

I have not written much original code over the last 15 years. It is usually a copy/paste exercise as well as asking many people for suggestions and help. I decided to purchase the book Murach’s PHP and MySQL by Joel Murach and Ray Harris. The layout is exactly what I needed to get my knowledge confidence up to a point of actually trying to edit PHP code and insert my own.

The following video was posted on YouTube so that my family could see the progress on www.insanepolitics.com. The video shows the work being done on a TwentyTen child theme. There are some errors in it. For example, the image has a height of 1 px and not a width. Next, I had to change the code for the if statement to show the headline.

Let’s start from the beginning. The index.php, functions.php, and style.css were modified. These files sit in a child theme of the TwentyTen theme.

A child theme is easily created by adding a new directory in the themes folder and placing a style.css file with comments sitting at the top naming the theme and pointing to the parent. The template line must point to the parent. The first line of code after the block of comments is to import the style.css from the parent.

/*
Theme Name:     Tuxreports Politics
Theme URI:      http: //www.insanepolitics.com
Description:    Politics child theme for the Twenty Ten theme
Author:         LPH
Author URI:     http: //www.insanepolitics.com
Template:       twentyten
Version:        1.3.1
*/

@import url("../twentyten/style.css");

Now you are free to add your CSS. As many people will point out, test your CSS code using Firebug then add it to your style.css.

To change the site title color, change the text to uppercase and a larger font size then use the following code.

#site-title a {
    color: #03463B;
    font-size: 40px;
    text-transform: uppercase;
}

To decrease the height of the header image, filters were applied in the functions.php file. Create a file named functions.php if it does not already exist. Place it in your child theme. Add this code.

// The height and width of your custom header. You can hook into the theme's own filters to change these values.
	// Add a filter to twentyten_header_image_width and twentyten_header_image_height to change these values.
	define( 'HEADER_IMAGE_WIDTH', apply_filters( 'twentyten_header_image_width', 940 ) );
	define( 'HEADER_IMAGE_HEIGHT', apply_filters( 'twentyten_header_image_height', 1 ) );

The above code is not original but was found on the WP forums. However, look at the last numbers in the define lines and you will see you can adjust the width or the height by changing those numbers.

Next, I wanted a headline that was 100% across the top of only the home page. Plugins are available but this project was to see if I could create it without using someone else’s code. Now I didn’t start completely on my own. Theme Junkies News theme has something similar, therefore, I started by trying to understand their code and modifying it.

The following is located at the top of the index.php file, just after the get_header call.

		<?php

		wp_reset_query(); //might fix issue of this showing on pages

		if ( is_home() && !is_paged() ) { ?>

		<div id="home-featured">
		<?php
			query_posts( array( 'showposts' => 1, 'tag' => 'featured' ) );
			if( have_posts() ) : while( have_posts() ) : the_post();
		?>	

		<h1 class="entry-title"><a href="<?php the_permalink(); ?>" title="<?php printf( esc_attr__( 'Permalink to %s', 'twentyten' ), the_title_attribute( 'echo=0' ) ); ?>" rel="bookmark"><?php the_title(); ?></a></h1>

		<a href="<?php the_permalink(); ?>" rel="bookmark"><?php the_post_thumbnail('home-featured-thumb', array('class' => 'entry-thumb')); ?></a>

		<hr />

			<?php endwhile; endif; wp_reset_query(); ?>
		</div><!--end #home-featured-->

<?php } ?>

The biggest hangup was getting this code to only show on the home page. It turns out I kept trying || (OR) and so the headline was showing on all pages. When the AND was used then the code only shows on the home page.

This is the CSS used to get the headline showing at the top position.

#home-featured {
   font-size: 40px;
   font-weight: bolder;
   height: 300px;
   line-height: 75px;
   margin-left: 0px
   margin-bottom: 20px;
   position: relative;
   text-align: center;
   text-transform: uppercase;
   width: 100%;
}

The image array is still something that I’m trying to understand. I’ll tinker with it later today.

The footer was modified by changing footer.php file div id to site-tux and adding new CSS to the style.css file.

#site-tux a {
    color: #666666;
    display: inline-block;
    line-height: 16px;
    padding-left: 20px;
    text-decoration: none;
}

Other changes include changing the CSS to a sticky post.

.home .sticky {
    background: none repeat scroll 0 0 #D7FCF5;
    border-top: 4px solid #000000;
    margin-left: -20px;
    margin-right: -20px;
    padding: 18px 20px;
}

The work is not complete. The 1px image needs to be changed to a solid black image. I might also try to just remove the image.

Hope this helps someone else get started on a WP, PHP, and CSS journey. Let me know if you have any questions or maybe you have a better way to do the work. I love to learn!

global $XF, $wpdb;

if($XF->options['use_thread_creation_page'] == 'on')
{
	add_action('publish_page', 'xf_edit_post');
}

if($XF->options['use_thread_creation'] == 'on')
{
	//the edit post actions
	add_action('publish_post', 'xf_edit_post');

	//the post creation actions
	add_action('pending_to_publish', 'xf_new_post');
	add_action('draft_to_publish', 'xf_new_post');
	add_action('new_to_publish', 'xf_new_post');
	add_action('future_to_publish','xf_new_post');
}

This code is a php file sitting in the mu-plugins directory. Name the file anyway you please.

/* Removes parts of the admin bar */

function trn_admin_bar_remove() {
        global $wp_admin_bar;

        /* Remove their stuff */
        $wp_admin_bar->remove_menu('wp-logo');
        $wp_admin_bar->remove_menu('my-sites');
        $wp_admin_bar->remove_node('search');
        $wp_admin_bar->remove_node('my-account');
}

add_action('wp_before_admin_bar_render', 'trn_admin_bar_remove', 0);

/* Fix the height of the admin bar */

function add_wpadmin_styles() {
	echo '<style>#wpadminbar {
	font-size: 14px;
	font-family: Arial, sans-serif;
	color: #ffffff;
	background: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8);
	min-height: 50px;
	line-height: 28px;
    	left: 0;
 	min-width: 600px;
    	position: fixed;
    	top: 0;
    	width: 100%;
    	z-index: 99999;
    	padding-left: 0px;
    	padding-top: 15px;
	!important;
 	}</style>';

/* Shift labels to the right */

echo '<style>
#wpadminbar .quicklinks {
    border-left: 1px solid transparent;
    float: right;
    padding-right: 20px;
}
</style>';

/* Fix for the header themes */

	echo '<style> body {
	position: relative !important;
	top:45px;
	}
 	</style>';
}

add_action('wp_before_admin_bar_render', 'add_wpadmin_styles');

/*
Alternatives to render the admin bar

admin_bar_menu
wp_head
*/

/* Builds the menu */

function add_trn_admin_bar_link() {
	global $wp_admin_bar;

	$wp_admin_bar->add_menu( array(
	'id' => 'trn_link',
	'title' => __( 'Tux Reports Network'),
	'href' => __('http://www.tuxreportsnetwork.com')
	));

	// Add sub menu link "Community"
	$wp_admin_bar->add_menu( array(
		'parent' => 'trn_link',
		'id'     => 'trn_community',
		'title' => __( 'Community'),
		'href' => __('http://www.tuxreportsdebates.com/community')
	));

	// Add sub menu link "Education"
	$wp_admin_bar->add_menu( array(
		'parent' => 'trn_link',
		'id'     => 'trn_education',
		'title' => __( 'Education'),
		'href' => __('http://www.tuxreportsdebates.com/community'),
		'meta'   => array(
			'class' => 'st_menu_download')
	));
		$wp_admin_bar->add_menu( array(
			'parent' => 'trn_education',
			'id'     => 'trn_apenviro',
			'title' => __( 'AP Environmental Science'),
			'href' => __('http://www.apenvironmentalscience.com')
		));

		$wp_admin_bar->add_menu( array(
			'parent' => 'trn_education',
			'id'     => 'trn_chem',
			'title' => __( 'The Chem Book'),
			'href' => __('http://www.thechembook.com')
		));

		$wp_admin_bar->add_menu( array(
			'parent' => 'trn_education',
			'id'     => 'trn_classic',
			'title' => __( 'Classic Education'),
			'href' => __('http://www.Educlassics.com')
		));

		$wp_admin_bar->add_menu( array(
			'parent' => 'trn_education',
			'id'     => 'trn_green',
			'title' => __( 'Green Enterprise'),
			'href' => __('http://www.avgreen.org')
		));

		$wp_admin_bar->add_menu( array(
			'parent' => 'trn_education',
			'id'     => 'trn_retaining',
			'title' => __( 'Retaining Teachers'),
			'href' => __('http://www.retainingteachers.com')
		));

		$wp_admin_bar->add_menu( array(
			'parent' => 'trn_education',
			'id'     => 'trn_secondary',
			'title' => __( 'Secondary Classroom'),
			'href' => __('http://www.secondaryclassroom.com')
		));

	// Add sub menu link "Entertainment"
	$wp_admin_bar->add_menu( array(
		'parent' => 'trn_link',
		'id'     => 'trn_entertainment',
		'title' => __( 'Dogs Times'),
		'href' => __('http://www.dogstimes.com')
	));

	// Add sub menu link "News"
	$wp_admin_bar->add_menu( array(
		'parent' => 'trn_link',
		'id'     => 'trn_news',
		'title' => __( 'News'),
		'href' => __('http://www.tuxreportsnews.com')
	));

	// Add sub menu link "Politics"
	$wp_admin_bar->add_menu( array(
		'parent' => 'trn_link',
		'id'     => 'trn_politics',
		'title' => __( 'Politics'),
		'href' => __('http://www.insanepolitics.com')
	));

	// Add sub menu link "Technology"
	$wp_admin_bar->add_menu( array(
		'parent' => 'trn_link',
		'id'     => 'trn_technology',
		'title' => __( 'Technology'),
		'href' => __('http://www.tuxreportstech.com'),
		'meta'   => array(
			'class' => 'st_menu_download')
	));
		$wp_admin_bar->add_menu( array(
			'parent' => 'trn_technology',
			'id'     => 'trn_amd',
			'title' => __( 'AMD Views'),
			'href' => __('http://www.amdviews.com')
		));

		$wp_admin_bar->add_menu( array(
			'parent' => 'trn_technology',
			'id'     => 'trn_android',
			'title' => __( 'The Android Buzz'),
			'href' => __('http://www.theandroidbuzz.com')
		));

		$wp_admin_bar->add_menu( array(
			'parent' => 'trn_technology',
			'id'     => 'trn_apple',
			'title' => __( 'Apple iPad Buzz'),
			'href' => __('http://www.appleipadbuzz.com')
		));

		$wp_admin_bar->add_menu( array(
			'parent' => 'trn_technology',
			'id'     => 'trn_kindlebuzz',
			'title' => __( 'Kindle Buzz'),
			'href' => __('http://www.kindlebuzz.com')
		));

		$wp_admin_bar->add_menu( array(
			'parent' => 'trn_technology',
			'id'     => 'trn_mobile',
			'title' => __( 'Mobile Questions'),
			'href' => __('http://www.mobilequestions.com')
		));

		$wp_admin_bar->add_menu( array(
			'parent' => 'trn_technology',
			'id'     => 'trn_notebooks',
			'title' => __( 'Notebook Questions'),
			'href' => __('http://www.notebookquestions.com')
		));

		$wp_admin_bar->add_menu( array(
			'parent' => 'trn_technology',
			'id'     => 'trn_tabletpcquestions',
			'title' => __( 'Tablet PC Questions'),
			'href' => __('http://www.tabletpcquestions.com')
		));

		$wp_admin_bar->add_menu( array(
			'parent' => 'trn_technology',
			'id'     => 'trn_linux',
			'title' => __( 'Tux Reports'),
			'href' => __('http://www.tuxreports.com')
		));

		$wp_admin_bar->add_menu( array(
			'parent' => 'trn_technology',
			'id'     => 'trn_tech_aggregate',
			'title' => __( 'Tux Reports Tech'),
			'href' => __('http://www.tuxreportstech.com')
		));

		$wp_admin_bar->add_menu( array(
			'parent' => 'trn_technology',
			'id'     => 'trn_tech_win',
			'title' => __( 'What Is New'),
			'href' => __('http://www.whatisnew.com')
		));

	// Add sub menu link "Staff"
	$wp_admin_bar->add_menu( array(
		'parent' => 'trn_link',
		'id'     => 'trn_staff',
		'title' => __( 'Staff'),
		'href' => __('http://www.tuxreportsdebates.com'),
		'meta'   => array(
			'class' => 'st_menu_download')
	));
		$wp_admin_bar->add_menu( array(
			'parent' => 'trn_staff',
			'id'     => 'trn_layne',
			'title' => __( 'Layne P. Heiny'),
			'href' => __('http://www.layneheiny.com')
		));

		$wp_admin_bar->add_menu( array(
			'parent' => 'trn_staff',
			'id'     => 'trn_lora',
			'title' => __( 'Lora J. Heiny'),
			'href' => __('http://www.loraheiny.com')
		));

		$wp_admin_bar->add_menu( array(
			'parent' => 'trn_staff',
			'id'     => 'trn_loren',
			'title' => __( 'Loren C. Heiny'),
			'href' => __('http://www.lorenheiny.com')
		));

		$wp_admin_bar->add_menu( array(
			'parent' => 'trn_staff',
			'id'     => 'trn_robert',
			'title' => __( 'Robert W. Heiny'),
			'href' => __('http://www.robertheiny.com')
		));

}
add_action('admin_bar_menu', 'add_trn_admin_bar_link', 1);

Ellie checks out the new palm tree and calculates the amount of time required to eat the palm.

Let’s see if this works

[pb_vidembed title="Leanne And Walter's Wedding" caption="" url="http://www.layneheiny.com/wp-content/uploads/videos/LeanneNWalterWedding.mp4" type="op" w="600" h="480"]

• Awful Technology
• AMD Views

A few minor corrections were fixed for the network and plugins were updated. The biggest update was BuddyPress to version 1.5.

The idea, though, is clever. There is more engagement on G+ – and more likely for an audience to be gained.

As an experiment, I’ve changed the domain LPH.ME over to my Google+ profile. It’s easier than telling people my G+ profile address.

My students loved the Answers theme from Templatic. It was easy for them to ask and answer questions. The section, though, overwhelmed the rest of the site. After changing themes to BuddyBoss, I started to look around to find a way to get the smoothness of the Q & A feeling. The Q & A plugin was just the ticket.

Installation was the typical ftp upload to the plugins directory and activation in the control panel. Next, settings were adjusted. In order to customize the sidebars, it was important to copy the php files from the default-templates directory of the plugin into the root of the theme. A missing file is the sidebar-question.php file. Additional CSS was necessary to get the sidebar to match the rest of the site.

A quick test run of the plugin appears to work. Since the school year is basically done, students will probably not use the section until the fall. At least it’ll be ready for them.