Adding static page to WordPress

This post is updated for WordPress v2.5x

Introduction

Has anyone wonder why he couldn’t just add a static page to WordPress without resorting to external site ? After all, it make sense to have this capability given that a blog site is really a web site that can contains page that store both static content and moving content.

If you are one of those who think likewise, you are not alone because the Page feature of WordPress is one of the most underrated function of the venerable blogging system due to poor marketing and communication. It is really one of those important features that will make your site more appealing and better organized (of course, depending on how you use it to your advantages).

In fact, there is a default Page create automatically by WordPress. The About Me tab is actually a Page that can be edited just like any other Post.

Speaking of my own experience, I once disappoint at the lack of supporting Page feature in WordPress because of lack of understanding of what WordPress can do. After which, I decide to write this post to ensure that this Page feature is communicated clearly to those WordPress newbie so to reduce the frustration. After all, computing will be fun if only one knows how to do it ! So let’s do it.

 

Difference between Page and Post

Before explaining the difference, it might be useful to understand what blog means to many people. In common term, a blog is merely a site to store a chronological timeline of entry/article submitted (I like to use article rather than Post, because Post is more verb than noun eg Post entry/article means submit entry/article) and that what make a blog site different from a website. And it is exactly this common definition of blog that the Page feature is underused or even ignored.

That to say, the difference between Page and Post is subtle. A post in blog definition means that it is a entry that subjected to chronological timeline, meaning that the entry will be stamped with date and time. So as one add more Post, the recent post will normally appear on top of site (Depending on sorting order) in LIFO (LastInFirstOut) basis (Last Added, First to display). Overtime, the post will be lost/archive as it give way to more recent post. So a post is perceived as a moving target.

On the other hand, a Page can be literally taken as fixed target many come to know in a normal website. The Page is fixed in order and does not change over time as it has not associated with any chronological timeline. It remain in position as it is really part of the site layout.

With this, it can be seen how important is Page feature after all the Page is used to define website since the beginning of the web ! By combining Post and Page, there’s really nothing the blog site can’t do. The imagination, the limit !

 

Support for Internal and External Page

Thankfully, WordPress includes support for both external page and internal page. So what is the difference between them ?

The external page is actually a Page in a external website that is referenced explicitly using its URL (eg. http://geekycoder.byethost13.com/geezer.html) and is not stored as part of WordPress repository.

Whereas, the internal page is one that is created within WordPress and therefore store in WordPress repository. To WordPress, a Page has the same editors and tools used to create a Post (As we should seen later).

So why should we use internal page rather external page ? To me, it just merely convenience and matter of better integration. Editing both the Post and Page easily within WordPress or external blog editor is lot more efficient in term of time and effort than to edit the same page using dedicated HTML editor like Dreamweaver. Notwithstanding, one can simply login to WordPress site and edit it on online.

Another major difference is that Internal Page always appear in the same Window (Tab change) whereas External Page can appear in same Window or a New Window.

Note too that External Page can also be supported through using Delicious widget by adding to sideBar (Presentation tab -> Widgets). However, there is currently no way to open the external page in another new window using this method and snd sorting is done entirely by Delicious  instead by WordPress.

 

Adding and Accessing A Page in WordPress

The way to add and access both Internal Page and External Page is different in WordPress.

WordPress has undergone some facelift and has restructured the layout to be more initiative and easier to use. Therefore the screen for previous version of 2.3x and the latest version of 2.5x are noticeably different. The new version is used in WordPress.com and start to be supported by paid host service.

 

For Version 2.5x & after (latest version)

To add a Internal Page

There are two ways to access the Write Page screen. 1) First login to WordPress, and then access the Write Page screen by the following ways - By Write Tab Navigator to the Write tab and Select the Page option.   - By DashBoard This is the first screen that user see after login. Select Write A New Page button and the above Write Page screen will appear.

2) As you can see, the editor is similar as that for Post, and whatever you can do to a Post, you can do to a page ! The difference is there are some controls which allow you rearrange the page among the settings. 4) For a start, all you need is just add the Page Title and its Page contents and save it. Note that setting the Page Parent, means that Page will appear under its Parent, and not as tab. In the widget, it will display as indented to signify a child page.

5) Once added, go to Pages screen to display a list of pages added. (Manage -> Pages) Now, you can edit and delete it just like a Post entry. To edit the page, click on the title in blue. To delete page, click on the checkbox of the page to be deleted, and then click on Delete button.

The newly created page will appear as a tab in WordPress, and on the sidebar as Page widget. The Page widget must be enabled before it is shown on the SidePanel (Default is off). So from now, on you can just click on the tab or the link in the widget to access the internal page. What’s a convenience ! To show the Page widget, go to <Design-> Widgets> tab. And then drag the Pages widget from the <Available Widget> panels to Current Widgets panel. Remember to save the changes. That’s it !

 

To add a External Page

1)  To add a external Page, go to <Manage -> Links> tab. A list of links will be shown. 2) Click on <Add new> link to add new Link. The Add Link screen will appear. Note that this screen also allow to edit and delete link entry.

3)  For a start, add a name, address link and description. Another important option is the Target which allow you to open it in the a new Window instead of same window as blog site. Select the _blank option in Target to open it in new Window. If for some reason, you need to disable it, just set its visibility option. Assign it to default Category. All the category name can be changed. 4) When done, click the Add Link button. Return back to BlogRoll list to check if new link is added. If you need to change the Category name, just go to Category tab to change it.

The BlogRoll will show the newly add link in the sideBar panel. Make sure that the BlogRoll widget is enabled to show it.

To enable the BlogRoll widget, Go to the Widget Screen, and drag the <Links> widget from the <Available Widgets> panel and then save the changes.

 

Tips in Edit/Add Page

I highly recommended that a desktop blogging tools like Windows Live Writer (WLW) for editing and adding Page. The desktop editor is more powerful and feature-packed than editor in WordPress. Whatever that WordPress editor can do, the desktop equivalent can do it better, faster and easier, in a much enjoyable way. I especially prefer WLW because of its strong real-time spell checker and table capability.

WLW make it a childplay to add a Page just like a Post.

 

Wow . That is quite a post and lot of work on my side, spending about 2hrs in a single sitting to finish this post. Glad that it is done. Now that you know how to create a Page, why not start adding this to your blog site.

 

For those using version 2.3x, click on Page 2

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