Introduction

I transformed bits and pieces from a wonderful theme created by Ian Main. You can see the result in my Web log. In this page I wish to share this theme while recognising the praise Ian must get.

Requirements

Please ensure that you have:

• downloaded the most recent version of WordPress (any version beyond 1.2 ought to work).
• successfully installed the package on your site.
• decent understanding of HTML.

Installation

Follow the steps below, which assume you have FTP access (or the like) to your filestore.

• Make a backup of your Web log, just in case you are unhappy with the results.
• Download index.php~ from my site and rename it to index.php (there is no simpler way to download .php files).
• Overwrite the corresponding index.php file on your Web site with the file above. WARNING: If you use a very modern version of WordPress, you might want to skip this stage.
• Download wp-layout.css from my site.
• Replace your existing style sheet (bearing the same name) with this new file.
• Your new theme should work now (verify this by viewing your Web log again). There are only some graphics files which you must get (highlighted are ones which are custom-made for my site):
  
  
  • titlesbg.jpg
  • bg.gif
  • basic_bg.gif
  • fg.gif
  • bullet.gif
  • date.gif
  • footer.gif
  • header.png
  • posts.gif
  • rss092.gif
  • rss2.gif
  • today.gif
  • footbar.gif
  • xml.gif
  • ntbg.png
  • back_top.gif
  • fade.png
  • pl.gif
  • link.png
  • link-visited.png
  • quote.png
  • up.png
  • b_intro.jpg
  • b_sitemap.jpg
  • b_about.jpg
  • icon_comment.gif
  • icon_mail.gif
  • pdf.png
  • input_bg.gif
  • print.png
  • pd_level_1.png
  • pd_level_2.png
  • nicetitle.css (in Web log installation directory)
  • nicetitle.js (in Web log installation directory)
  
  
• Modify the paths specified for images in index.php and wp-layout.php to ensure they fit the structure of your Web site. Place the images in a rational location, e.g. /IMG/blog_css in my case.
• If you put an icon file named favicon.ico in your site's main directory, it will be bound to your Web log.

Extended Menus

To set up the extended menu layout, download the following files as well:

• vcss.png
• vxhtml.png
• wp-button-5.gif
• xfn-btn.gif
• Download index-extended.php~ from my site and rename it to index-extended.php.

Printer-friendly Version

You might wish to then add a printer-friendly page layout

• Download index-printer.php~ from my site and rename it to index-printer.php.
• Download print.css from my site and use it to overwrite the existing file named print.css.

narchives PHP

An additional PHP files (narchives.php) dynamically sets up archives which are sortable. The script was not created by myself; it was imported and very slightly changed. You can find examples of what it does on this domain and on Harvey Tobkes.

To install this file, go through the following simple instructions:

• Download narchives.php~ from this site and rename it to narchives.php.
• Place the file in the main Web log directory, e.g. /Weblog/ and create a link to it.

Note: a similar feature is implicitly included in WordPress 1.5 (and later), but the following variation of narchives.php displayed an excerpt for each entry. Excerpts are otherwise unused outside feeds, which is a wasteful.

PHP Code and WordPress Hacks

• Mini-plug-in: Send a Friend
• PHP Change Image by Time
• WP2PDF - a possible bug and fix

Web Log Graphics

• Shareable Graphics
• Hanging Caps

Help

Contact me if you have any problems.

Acknowledgements

Full list of acknowledgements to reflect on influences and work I relied on.