Article Directory Popular Article Directory On WordPress Engine

As you know, WordPress is the universal platform, that may be used not only for blog creating, but also for other web-site types.

Once me and my friend have created WordPress build for the article directory, but this build have one essential shortcoming.

To display the list of categories on the main page I had to edit source files of WordPress engine. But it has deprived of possibility to use WordPress as the article directory at release of new versions, because changing of the source codes each time is not reasonable decision.

The idea of creation of universal and convenient instrument for realisation on WordPress the catalogue of articles did not leave me. As a result I have created a Article Directory plugin.

The primary task of this plugin is display on the main page (or any another) the structured list of categories, which can be easily customized with CSS. Also plugin allows authors to publish articles and change their profile bypassing the admin interface.

Demo

You can see the demo here – Articlesss.com/demo/.

Plugin features

Standard features for categories list:

• Showing an amount of articles in parent and child categories.
• Showing a category description in link title.
• Showing the empty categories.
• Using hierarchy for subcategories.
• Excluding a specified categories.

Special features for categories list:

• Simple and handy design using CSS. The structure of categories is the multilevel list, which can be altered easily with CSS, as you need. The parent category have the <div> container to mark it out with CSS as a parent.
• Parent category is showing amount of articles in subcategories. The character also include the number of articles in this parent category.
• Showing a specified amount of child categories (2nd level).
• Showing a categories in specified amount of columns.
• Hiding all subcategories.
• Adding an icons for each category in the list using CSS.

Additional features:

• Authors can add articles and change their profile bypassing the admin interface.
• Displaying the “Terms of article publication” on article submission page.
• Excluding the child categories articles from the parent categories archive pages.
• Ability to get an article source code.

Requires WordPress version: 2.9 – 3.0.4.

Download

Donation

If you enjoy this plugin, you can thank me and leave a small donation.

Donation

Installation

Attention: if you are using the plugin simultaneously with Article Directory WordPress Theme, miss the 5, 6, 7 and 8.1 points of installation:

1. Copy the article-directory folder in WordPress plugins directory (/wp-content/plugins/).
2. Activate the plugin through admin interface.
3. Activate the “Membership (Anyone can register)” option on the “General Settings” page of admin area.
4. On the same page select “Author” or “Contributor” in the option “New User Default Role”.
5. Add the following code in the index.php file of your theme (or in another file in a place, where you want to display the categories list):

   <?php if (function_exists('article_directory')) article_directory(); ?>

6. Add the following code in a place of your theme (for example, in sidebar.php), where you want to see the authorization form:

   <?php if (function_exists('article_directory_authorization_form')) article_directory_authorization_form(); ?>

7. Add the following code in the header.php file before the </head> tag:

   <link rel="stylesheet" href="<?php bloginfo('wpurl'); ?>/wp-content/plugins/article-directory/author-panel.css" type="text/css" media="screen" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="<?php bloginfo('wpurl'); ?>/wp-content/plugins/article-directory/categories.css" type="text/css" media="screen" />

8. Select a prefered interface for authors in corresponding option at the “Settings → Article Directory” page of admin area. If you have selected the “Author panel”, then follow these subpoints:
   1. Create in directory with your theme a new PHP file, for example author-panel.php and paste the following code in it:

      <?php
/*
Template Name: Author panel
*/
if (function_exists('article_directory_author_panel')) article_directory_author_panel();
?>

   2. Create in admin area a new page and select the template “Author panel” in page attributes. Through this page authors will add new articles and change their profile. Access in admin area for authors will be forbidden.
   3. Specify ID of this page in corresponding option at the “Settings → Article Directory” page of admin area.
9. That’s all. If it’s necessary, you may customize other options of plugin.

Customization

There are two things, that you can customize:

1. If it’s necessary, you may customize the author-panel.css and categories.css files under the site design.
2. Customize options on “Settings → Article Directory” page.

How to add icons for parent categories

It’s doing using CSS. You need to add the styles for icons in style.css file of your theme.

Styles should be like this:

#cat-23 {background: url(i/icon.gif) 4px 3px no-repeat}

Here the digit 23 means, what this icon will be added in the 2nd column for the 3rd parent category from the top. Accordingly, it is necessary to create as many of such styles, how many you have parent categories, and specify the corresponding number for each icon.

i/icon.gif – this is the path to an icon file, beginning from a folder with your theme.

4px – icon shift value from the left of the parent category block.
3px – icon shift value from the top of the parent category block.

The plugin also lets you to display the list with the links to categories RSS feeds. To do this you must:

1. Create a new page template.
2. Add the following code:

   <?php $rssfeeds=true; ?>
<?php if (function_exists('article_directory')) article_directory(); ?>

3. Create a new page in the admin interface and select the created template in page attributes.

FAQ about Article Directory Theme and Plugin

How can I have the outside background (grey stripes) and the border like on this site? How to add a logo in the header before the site title? How can I change the width of the sidebars? How to place a banner in header? Etc.

Sorry, I can't help you with such a questions. Please read and study CSS manuals or find a freelancer that make this things for you.

I have installed your theme "Article Directory", but I don't see the "Register" link on my site.

You need to activate the "Membership (Anyone can register)" option on the "General Settings" page of admin area.

Is there a simple way to quickly add the categories (instead of adding it one by one)?

Yes. You can use the Post Corrector plugin for this.

Is there a version of Article Directory theme just for a regular blog?

Yes. You can get it here - ADSimple WordPress theme.

What should I enter in the "ID of author panel page" in the plugin options? What should that look like?

Go to the "Pages" in admin menu. Hover the mouse cursor on the title of the author panel page you have created. Now look at the status bar of your browser. You'll see something like this:

The number after post= is the ID of author panel page.

Is there a way let users edit their posts not in WordPress admin area?

Sorry, but that's not possible.

How do I allow authors to upload images?

Unfortunately, it's impossible in the author panel. But they can upload an image on the free image hosting (for example imageshack.us) and then paste a link on it.

Can you share or sell theme like on your site articless.com?

No, this theme is not for share or sale.

Version history