Adding custom field to sidebar

[viper]

I’m trying to add a custom field to display at the top of all default right sidebars. I created the custom field in a random post.

There are probably a few ways to do this. With the slightly confusing deep levels of nested actions and relationships in different files, I have gone with adding a function in the functions file, and using add_action, based off the Primary Framework Action Hook location, which in this case seems to be: themeblvd_fixed_sidebar_before.

In my functions file it looks like this

The styling shows up, but it’s not returning the value associated with the variable (custom field).

I would prefer to know where to place this code in the exact sidebar location itself, but at least this mostly works too.

Pardon me if this is a general WordPress question.

Thank you very much…

Topic

[Jason Bobich]

I think it’s because you’re trying to access the global $post object without first referencing it. At the top of your function, try putting this:

global $post;

function sidebar_top() {
	global $post;
	?>
	...
	<?php
}

[viper]

Hmm… nothing happening. The only result is the styling (I set a background color) is now gone, so it’s just empty space.

This is both a custom field and a Jumpstart exercise, so is this approach (creating a custom field in a random post and using a function and add_action with the primary action hook location) at least sound?

[viper]

I would think adding a custom field to a random post is not the best way, because it seems the custom field is only “created,” or called for, if/when that particular post is called for.

Obviously I’m not a WordPress/php expert, I’m just trying to figure out how to create a custom field to place at the top of the sidebar…

Thank you.

[Jason Bobich]

I also just noticed this is incorrect with what you’re doing.

This:

get_post_meta($post->ID, 'subtitle', $single = true);

Should be this:

get_post_meta($post->ID, 'subtitle', true);

Does that solve it?

[Jason Bobich]

Yeah, the custom field would belong to whatever page/post you’re showing at that time.

[viper]

That did work! Some combination of both corrections have been successful. The custom field value (text) is appearing.

More generally, if you wanted something to appear at the top of ALL right sidebars, not just for a single post, where would you define that custom field, if not to an individual post?

Would you have to just add text in the function itself for adding above sidebars?

Then I’ll let you go, thank you…

[Jason Bobich]

Yeah you’d just add text it in the function itself.

If you wanted it configurable from somewhere else, one thing with this framework you could do is to add your own theme option:

http://dev.themeblvd.com/tutorial/add-remove-edit-theme-option/

And then in your function hooked to the top of your sidebar, you’d pull it with themeblvd_get_option:

http://dev.themeblvd.com/tutorial/get-a-theme-options-value/

[viper]

Thank you I will look at all that. Appreciate your help, cheers.

[Jason Bobich]

And I guess it’s probably worth mentioning, that if you wanted you could pull a custom field for some post across your entire site by just putting the ID directly into retrieving the custom field.

So instead of this:

get_post_meta($post->ID, 'subtitle', true);

You’d do this:

get_post_meta(123, 'subtitle', true);

Where “123” is the ID of whatever post that custom field is attached to. Just seems kind of weird to do that though, I guess.

[Author]

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