Hooks — Does anyone use Simple Hooks?

[GJudy]

I would like to be able to make something like Simple Hooks plugin and more Custom CSS work instead of messing with the function php (which often turns into a real mess for me)

But, Simple Hooks plugin seems to be more 'mental' that doesn't really do anything.

[RonnyMac]

Simple Hooks is wonderful. You have to understand how Genesis is laid out first. SH allows you to drop in short code, HTML, text, PHP and more almost anywhere within the page, and on any page. Genesis seems to be based on the old Thematic theme framework which included similar 'drop in' functionality to a theme. This is a very powerful function and the major reason I switched many sites from ExpressionEngine, Thesis, Headway, and Woo themes to Genesis.

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ronnymac
—
Ron McElfresh
Honolulu, HI
—
http://mac360.com/
http://mcelfresh.org/
http://mcsolo.com/
http://pixobebo.com/
http://noodlemac.com/

[GJudy]

Thank you, Ron.  I'll keep trying.  I have used Hooks in Thesis before and prefer to work with them, even though sometimes the 'physics' escapes me.  I just haven't had any success with Genesis yet.

[RonnyMac]

I hear you. What we know and use is always a bit more comfortable than what's new and different. I find there's a 'hump' I have to go over whenever trying to use something new. If I keep plugging away there's the 'light bulb' moment and it's usually smooth sailing after that.

I looked around for about a year and tried different WP frameworks on a variety of sites. Everything from Thesis, to Headway, to Woo, to Gantry, to PageLines, to Elemental, Hybrid, and others. Most WP frameworks are decent these days. WP pretty much came of age about version 2.9, and has only improved since. Still, I was reluctant to make a wholesale switch to a single WP framework until I ran into Thematic. I loved that framework but the project's author was hired by Autommatic (the folks who run WordPress), and then I found Genesis. The Genesis themes are a bit boring and not as elegant as, say, ElegantThemes, but under the hood there's nothing better. Clean, fast, solid, dependable, and very customizable.

 

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ronnymac
—
Ron McElfresh
Honolulu, HI
—
http://mac360.com/
http://mcelfresh.org/
http://mcsolo.com/
http://pixobebo.com/
http://noodlemac.com/

[GJudy]

We share the opinion about Genesis.  And that fast, solid, dependable, (even if not too much bling) is what I want to offer.  A basic website that is functional, but not totally ugly.  I enjoy tinkering with the css to get a little more unique.  I'm going to push on those hooks because I sometimes need something there.

Maybe one of these days I'll wake up with a php revelation and be more comfortable working in the php files.

Thanks again for the encouragement.

[RonnyMac]

Dig into the hooks. I can't even spell PHP but I know how to copy and paste.

 

😉

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ronnymac
—
Ron McElfresh
Honolulu, HI
—
http://mac360.com/
http://mcelfresh.org/
http://mcsolo.com/
http://pixobebo.com/
http://noodlemac.com/

[GJudy]

I'm doing as you suggested -- starting by simply putting something in a hook box to see where it turns up!  It's working better and better!

Thank you again for the encouragement.

[AnitaC]

Hi GJudy, if you haven't use this before - here is the Genesis Visual Hook Guide you can install and it will show you all the hook areas on your theme - http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/genesis-visual-hook-guide/. Here also is another helpful webpage on it also - http://genesistutorials.com/visual-hook-guide/. But the plugin will show you YOUR areas in YOUR theme.

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Need help with customization or troubleshooting? Reach out to me.

[robthecomputerguy]

You know we should start a blog of nothing but cool things to do with hooks.  I have a feeling 3 posts in, I'd have my mind blown.  I am sure I don't know 99% of the creative ways to use them.

I went with StudioPress a long time ago (in blog years) much in part due to hooks but most of what I put in those hooks were eventually handled other ways...  I usually do my analytics code in a hook, not much else these days.

Now don't get me started on simple sidebars.... "Simple sidebarssssss.... <homer-simpson-gurgle>"  🙂

Seriously though, I'm sure this can't be done now that the forum software has been downgraded as it has, but it would be awesome to be able to move a thread or copy a thread to a separate "hooks" thread.

[GJudy]

Scratch this question.  I just saw it in real life.  Probably an activate/deactivate action. Do you use the simple hooks plugin with the plain genesis plugin?  Or just one? 

And please, if anything moves from this thread, take me with you.   I'm just getting a good start.

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