Add Widgets, Functions to Home Page in News Pro

[jhuotari]

Hello,

I'm currently using the News theme on our website Oak Ridge Today (http://oakridgetoday.com). I want to upgrade to News Pro but will have to modify the home.php, functions.php, and CSS files.

I modified the News theme we're using now, adding widget areas in the main content area on the home page by adding functions through the home.php and functions.php files. I'd like to do the same with News Pro, although this time I'd like to add even more widget areas.

What I want to do is modify and duplicate the sidebars already in the main content area of News Pro and add more to insert ads. But my preliminary layout could include more than two dozen sidebars, including three Top Stories sections (featured, headlines, and recent), three News sections (featured, headlines, and recent), a dozen or more ad spots (small and large), and sections for Obituaries, Opinion, Polls, and Videos.

Is that too much? Is there a limit to the number of functions you can register in functions.php and include in the home.php loop? Will more functions create a resource drag? And is there a more efficient way to add many functions?

Thank you for any help you can provide.

John Huotari
Oak Ridge Today
Oak Ridge, TN

http://oakridgetoday.com

[nutsandbolts]

If you need multiple sidebars, it might make sense to look at the Genesis Simple Sidebars plugin. It allows you an easy way to create new ones and switch them out based on page, post, category, etc.

As for the rest, it should be fine to redo what you've done on the existing site. Widget areas are a fairly efficient way of organizing content, though the number of ads could be a drag on load times. The site actually loads pretty quickly considering the enormous amount of external requests on the homepage.

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Andrea Whitmer, Owner/Developer, Nuts and Bolts Media
I provide development and training services for designers • Find me on Twitter and Google+

[jhuotari]

Thank you, Andrea. I appreciate it.

I do have the Genesis Sidebars installed, but since I've mostly added sidebars through hook positions, I've usually added them through the functions and home files.

I take steps to keep page load times down, including keeping ad images and news photos at or below 60kb and 80kb. I'll check into external requests and appreciate your tip on that.

Since posting my questions here, I got the impression from a post by Brad Dalton that an unlimited number of widgets could be added to a StudioPress child theme. (See http://wpsites.net/web-design/flexible-responsive-widgets-template-for-genesis/) So, between your reply and his post, I presume what I have in mind should be okay.

Thanks again.

[jhuotari]

I successfully upgraded from the News theme to News Pro and was able to duplicate and modify the home page widgets to create more sections.

Take a look if you like: http://oakridgetoday.com.

Thank you.

[justjimmy]

I successfully upgraded from the News theme to News Pro and was able to duplicate and modify the home page widgets to create more sections.

Take a look if you like: http://oakridgetoday.com.

Thank you.

How did you add an ad to the top right of your home page? Is that a widget?

[nutsandbolts]

Looks like he used the Header Right widget area.

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Andrea Whitmer, Owner/Developer, Nuts and Bolts Media
I provide development and training services for designers • Find me on Twitter and Google+

[jhuotari]

That's correct, Andrea.

justjimmy, I used the Header Right widget area that comes with News Pro.

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