2097 Test Drive

Fixed error in tag listing.

joecentric — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 23:18:44 +0000

Just fixed an error in a foreach() call in the new jwr_show_tags() function in Squible’s wp_cats_as_tags(). Turns out that, for unknown reasons, the old implementation would barf when it saw a post without any tags, when get_the_tags() returned an empty list. Thanks to the examples described here, I’m using an if() to bail out of the function:
if (empty($posttags)) echo ""; else foreach

The old way to do this was to throw a break at the end of the function using an if() to check the size of the list:

if ( $displaycount == $limit) {break;}

Anyway, it works now.

Changelog.

joecentric — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 05:49:03 +0000

edited built-in tag cloud font range by directly editing wp_tag_cloud()
using CTC4.1 plugin widget, not built-in WP2.3 tag cloud
using old niftybox code (grey box) instead of tabbed niftybox in Squible-beta2
edited squible’s style.css to remove redundant “float:right” from the div#nifty entry
added new function jwr_show_tags() to wp_cats_as_tags.php to call actual tags instead of cats for Squible’s use; this function does almost everything the original show_tags() does, except for the fact that it uses an implementation of the built-in WP2.3 function get_the_tags() to grab all tags for the post.
edited Squible’s single.php to call jwr_show_tags() in the loop.
edited the old niftybox code to call jwr_show_tags() as well.

CTC, baby.

joecentric — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 05:33:50 +0000

Now currently testing CTC4.1, the “Configurable Tag Cloud”, which extends WP2.3’s built-in tag functionality. One of the best features, in my opinion, is that it’s able to display both tags and cats at the same time. This might help migration to an all-tag approach. For Squible, now the limited utility of the Tags list on the single-post page doesn’t have large impact anymore.

At the same time, however, that still leaves me with the issue of Asides. For this functionality to persist, Asides must remain astrict category. The plugin won’t see categories, at least not without some re-coding. Now

Aha, 2.

joecentric — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 05:17:12 +0000

Overall control over the Tag Cloud widget built-in to WP2.3 is wp_tag_cloud() located in /wp-includes/category-template.php. Remember that; it was hard to find the first time.

There’s more.

joecentric — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 23:15:51 +0000

Okay. Apparently, Squible-beta2 allows you to exclude category IDs from the front-page post slug area, which is useful for keeping “Asides” where they belong. However, if you’re excluding Asides in this way, the most recent post is an Aside, and you’re only showing 1 post on the front page, no post will be shown at all.

It’d be nice if the code would simply skip over Aside IDs and show the most recent “non-excluded” post.

Aha.

joecentric — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 23:11:23 +0000

Okay, so here’s a problem: the Tag Cloud on the main page is populated by actual tags, while the Squible show_tags() function on the single-post page shows cats as tags (since it only runs when wp_cats_as_tags is activated, duh). Sort that one out, why don’t you? This post, by the way, is in the “Asides (ID: 20)” category, but has tags “aside-tag1″ and “aside_tag2″.

A new post.

joecentric — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 22:05:32 +0000

Well, I’m trying yet again to get this Squible-themed site working well. Squible seems to be “down for the count”, so to speak, as far as support goes. Nevertheless, I like it. Currently, I’m wrestling with bringing it into the current WP2.3 era, meaning that I have to figure out how to get it to play nice with Wordpress’ now-native tag system.

We’ll see.

Perilously erudite.

joecentric — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 22:34:07 +0000

I’ve written previously on the attendant trials and tribulations accompanying a trip to a bookstore, especially for a person with choice disorder like myself. I was pleasantly surprised to discover a similar fate had once befallen Jason Kottke.

WWAKD?

joecentric — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 21:09:53 +0000

You’ll notice that I haven’t commented, at all, on the current pre-Presidential-campaign primary season. There are several reasons for that, ranging from “I don’t write that often” to “I think the story tells itself”. Honestly, though, I think this opinion piece speaks for itself. For all of my liberal hand-wringing, Alex P. Keaton used to be one of my media icons, and it’s nice to see his creator wax nostalgic for the heady days of prime-time television.

No saving throw.

joecentric — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 19:49:06 +0000

I’m unusually moved by the news that Gary Gygax, the father of Dungeons & Dragons, has passed away. I also feel a little older all of a sudden; not because of the obvious mortality issues, but because I haven’t played D&D in a long time. And that’s a shame, too. Anyone have a d20 handy?