For example, you can separate the real comments from the trackbacks. You often see links or lines of codes mixed up with the original conversation and that can be annoying to the commentator or the people just reading the comments. They might have lost track of the conversation because of the mixture.

Showing Comments Only

The trick to show real comments only is very easy to implant with the use of the comment.php file. The first thing you need to do is open comments.php.

Step 1. Locate the following lines of codes:

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<?php foreach ($comments as $comment) : ?>

Figure 1.1

Right after, you need to add a couple lines that filter real comments from trackbacks and pingbacks. The following codes add that functionality:

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<?php $comment_type = get_comment_type(); ?>
<?php if($comment_type == 'comment') { ?>

Figure 1.2

You need to close this function or your comments.php file will give an error.

Step 2. Locate the following line:

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<?php endforeach; /* end for each comment */ ?>

Figure 2.1

Right before that line close the tag:

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<?php } ?>

Figure 2.2

It is really important you past that line before the endforeach tag.

Showing The Trackbacks/Pingbacks

As of now, you have real comments left by real people only (if you have a proper spam protection installed), no links will interfere with your conversations.

We aren’t done yet, because we (most likely) want to show appreciation to the blogs that linked to us. We do that by adding trackbacks or pingbacks only too. You have two choices:

1. Before the comments
2. After the comments

Depending on which spot you choose you have to place the following codes somewhere else.

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<h3>Trackbacks</h3>
<ol>
<?php foreach ($comments as $comment) : ?>
<?php $comment_type = get_comment_type(); ?>
<?php if($comment_type != 'comment') { ?>
<li><?php comment_author_link() ?></li>
<?php } ?>
<?php endforeach; ?>
</ol>

Figure 3.1

Before the comments. If you want to place these codes before the comments, locate the following codes. Remember if you are using a customized theme this might differ a little:

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<h2 id="comments"><?php comments_number('No Responses', 'One Response', '% Responses' );?> to “<?php the_title(); ?>”</h2>

Figure 3.2

Add the codes shown in Figure 3.1 right after these codes.

After the comments. If you prefer to put the trackbacks right after the comments (which is in my opinion the best spot to encourage user commenting!) you should locate these codes:

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<?php else : // this is displayed if there are no comments so far ?>

Figure 3.3

Add the codes shown in Figure 3.1 right before these codes.

A Gravatar (like used above) is coupled to an email address you registered at gravatars.com. If you want to install Gravatars to your theme registering a email address is the first thing you should do.

Install Gravatars To Your Theme

Fortunately Gravatars have been included in the WordPress core codes just yet, so we don’t need any additional plugins to make everything run smoothly.

• First you have to make sure Gravatars are activated. Navigate to Settings > Discussion in the WP-admin section of your blog. Scroll down to Avatars and choose the settings you like.
• Open up comments.php
• Find:

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<ol class="commentlist">

• The codes below are ‘how your comment will be shown when listed’. You can place your Gravatar where you want. I suggest you choose a spot close to the commentators name.
• Codes:

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<img src="<?php gravatar(); ?>" alt="Gravatar" />

• We can add parameters to this template tag:

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<?php gravatar("rating", "size", "default", "border"); ?>

• Rating – Rate which Gravatars to show:
  • G — Suitable for all audiences
  • PG — Possibly offensive, usually for audiences 13 and above
  • R — Intended for adult audiences above 17
  • X — Even more mature than above
• Size – Default size of your Gravatar is 80x80px. Change that to anything you like.
• Default - The default avatar when the email address isn’t registered at Gravatar.com. Use an URL here.
• Border – If you want to have a border around your Gravatar, change this. Add a HEX color code to change the color of your border.

Use Right Away

A fully functional Gravatar function you can use right away is below:

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<img src="<?php gravatar("R", "32", "", CCCCCC); ?>" alt="Gravatar" />

I asked Google, but there wasn’t a clear article that helped me along the way and I guess more people are struggling with this situation. After some research I finally found the solution on OrangeScale.

Widgets Core

To let WordPress Widgets preform on your blog, you should have the functions.php file ready with the right codes. This widget codes in the functions.php file usually looks like this:

PHP

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

To give your WordPress installation more sidebars, we have to extend these codes. We have to add more ‘options’ and we do that by adding more codes to the function and by given those seperated functions names like Sidebar 1 and Sidebar 2.

PHP

Sidebar 1

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<?php
if ( function_exists('register_sidebar') )
register_sidebar(array('name'=>'Sidebar 1',
'before_widget' => '<li id="%1$s" class="widget %2$s">',
'after_widget' => '</li>',
'before_title' => '<h2 class="widgettitle">',
'after_title' => '</h2>',
));

Sidebar 2

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<?php
if ( function_exists('register_sidebar') )
register_sidebar(array('name'=>'Sidebar 2',
'before_widget' => '<li id="%1$s" class="widget %2$s">',
'after_widget' => '</li>',
'before_title' => '<h2 class="widgettitle">',
'after_title' => '</h2>',
));

Name your Sidebar

To get more sidebars you need to name them and in our case, we will call them Sidebar 1, Sidebar 2 etc. as many as you would like. Here is how you do that:

PHP

You are able to change the values of before_widget, after_widget, before_title and after_title to whatever you like. These are just the example of what I use myself.

How to insert Multiple Widgets to your Theme

Open up the file you would like to have your widgets shown. When you already have one sidebar in place you will find the following codes:

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<?php if ( !function_exists('dynamic_sidebar') || !dynamic_sidebar() ) : ?>
<?php endif;?>

Now, find all the places you would like to add widgets. Insert Sidebar 1 where sidebar 1 should be located, and so on. Here we go:

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Sidebar 1

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<?php if ( !function_exists('dynamic_sidebar') || !dynamic_sidebar('Sidebar 1') ) : ?>
<?php endif; ?>

Sidebar 2

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<?php if ( !function_exists('dynamic_sidebar') || !dynamic_sidebar('Sidebar 2') ) : ?>
<?php endif; ?>

Ready

After you’ve saved your file you will have two dynamic sidebars you are able to edit via WordPress Widgets. Of course, al lot more sidebars can be created and all the creativity that follows next, that’s up to you. Do you want to style your widgets now?