Finally, I was able to redesign Pandan.ph Website, still using WordPress as a CMS, and still based on the old web design of the site. There’s really nothing major that changed externally but internally a lot were needed to be updated. I revised the CSS and PHP scripts to make use of the photo gallery feature of WordPress.
I was using a javascript within WordPress for the automatic slide of the old photo gallery. I removed those javascripts and made use of the gallery feature of WordPress. There are no more automatic slide shows, just a simple gallery but at least site visitors can write their comments now at the individual pictures.
Regarding color, I finally changed the background color from dark blue to light blue. This is one thing that some of the site visitors suggested as they have a hard time looking at the site longer because of the dark blue color. One suggestion was to change the background into green. I use the green color at the bottom and at the main menu instead.
The image below was the old WordPress theme of Pandan.ph Pandan Antique Philippines Website.
Other additional changes are the latest comments on the side bar instead of the web links, and the RSS feed subscription, making it quite really visible, now being linked to feedburner using feedproxy.google.com instead of being at the domain itself.
I now also use the WordPress Plugin FeedBurner FeedSmith to redirect the old RSS feed pandan.ph/feed to the new one at feedproxy.google.com/pandanph, WordPress Plugin ©Feed for copyright notice at the RSS feed, and Simple Recent Comments.
The WordPress Plugins are very useful, so if you like them, just grab them. 🙂
Updated on November 01, 2008
The old web design of Pandan.ph Website had two layouts. The front page, the other pages and its subpages were using a three-column layout while the News section was using a two-column layout, both with fixed width.
The new web design of Pandan.ph have also two layouts. The front page is using a three-column layout but the rest of the pages are using a two-column layout.
The images above are the three-column and two-column layouts of Pandan.ph Website.
Hi Sofie,
So what do you think? Should i upgrade my site? I have a really old version of WP, I’m afraid to even check hehe… I added too many jscripts + my W2G2 and even some lightbox stuff that I’m so so afraid to touch anything… But now that there’s the 2.7 coming up, I’m thinking I should start to think about it really seriously. What do you think Ms Web Developer hobbyist? 😉
Hello Jen!
I suggest that you upgrade to WordPress 2.7 later. The gallery feature of WordPress is good. Only that there’s really no automatic slide show. You won’t need the W2G2 anymore. You can even change your WordPress theme. But then upgrading to WordPress 2.7, with all the things you have in your site, you will have a lot of work to do. 🙂 Some pages might be broken if you upgrade depending on the scripts and WordPress Plugins that you are using right now. And oh, don’t forget to back-up your data and files. 🙂
Do you have a separate database for your gallery? If you have, you need to upload the pictures again at the WordPress installation itself not at the Gallery installation. I also tested that one before but I ended up not using it. I just used a javascript, not a WordPress Plugin, so there was no problem when I made use of the gallery feature of WordPress. Well, I uploaded the pictures outside the WordPress installation and no database for that.
I also have lightbox in my other site but not the WordPress Plugin so it won’t be a problem too. Pictures are also outside WordPress installation. I’m also going to update that site to make use of the gallery feature of WordPress. 🙂
I suggest that you make a separate installation of WordPress to give you an idea how it’s going to be. Just password protect that folder. Then try uploading pictures in that installation. So you will see how it works.
Hi Sofie,
Thanks for the insight. Actually, puwedeng bang 2 instances of WP? Nag-iisip akong i-activate ulit yung ljvjara that i was using sa godaddy. So i can test how to do the backup and restore and all that — siempre sa dreamhost ko i-activate… ‘Lam mo, andami ko k’seng ginawa dito kaya alangan ako to touch. I esp. like Gallery k’se sa subfolder capability nya — oo sa separate db sya. kaya nga di ko rin ma-try yung mga iba kong nababasa like automatically doing the lightbox in gallery itself, without coding it in the WP.
Sige, pag-isipan ko. Pero may tests pa ako sa tax… ibang project pa yun hehe…
Hello Jen!
Anong ibig mong sabihin ng 2 instances? 🙂
Anyway, you can install WordPress in another subfolder like /wp/ in one domain. Since yong current mo ngayon sa wordpress subfolder naman siya naka-install. The other folder will not be affected. Pero isang folder or installation lang ma-co-call mo of course from the domain name itself, yong isa laging with folder.
If you installed WP at /wordpress/ at yong index mo sa root folder called that subfolder, yon lang ang matatawag niya.
If you installed WP again at /wp/ you can no longer call that subfolder at the index sa root folder. Laging domainname.com/wp/ ang i-a-access mo talaga. Unlike sa first installation, you can access it at domainname.com kahit walang /wordpress/.
You can also use one database for that, pero sa second installation, dapat iba yong prefix mo para hindi ma-overwrite yong dating database. But you can also create another database para kung sakaling nakalimutan mong palitan yong default prefix walang database na ma-o-overwrite.
Now, if you would like to tranfer the web hosting of the other domain to Dreamhost. No problem, dahil ibang domain naman yan, you can install WordPress again. Walang maaapektuhan sa ibang domain.
If you don’t like to install WordPress all the time for every subfolder in your domain name, you can use WordPress MU. Kaya lang walang one-click install and one-click upgrade ang Dreamhost for that. E most web hosting naman yata e wala, WordPress lang meron pero not WordPress MU.
Ang maganda lang sa Dreamhost, you don’t need to upgrade WordPress by yourself kasi may one-click upgrade sila. Just make sure na may back-up ka ng database and theme files mo before upgrading. Also don’t forget to deactivate the plugins.
I only have one domain being hosted at Dreamhost, balak ko ring itransfer yong iba para di na ako mahirapan pang mag-upgrade. Pero sa tutuo lang, I like to upgrade the other sites on my own. Para di ko makalimutan yong process. Sa akin lang yon ha. Para sa yo, wag mo nang pahirapan sarili mo. 🙂 Just make use of the one-click install para magamit mo rin yong one-click upgrade. This way kung sakaling type mong mag-upgrade on your own, puwede. May case yata kasi na yong di gumamit ng one-click install, di rin nila magamit yong one-click upgrade.
Haba ng sagot ko ano? Kompleto may dagdag pa… 😀 😀
Hi Sophie, I just got created a blog with WordPress hosted in Dreamhost. I am figuring things out and looking for steps on how to change the theme. I migrated from Blogger and I can’t see any similarities especially when it comes to coding
I would appreciate any help you could offer. Thanks in advance.
Hi Dipoh,
Blogger and WordPress are definitely different. You just need to get used to it. It’s actually easy, have patience in reading especially the WordPress Codex.
Anyway, regarding the theme, you need to login to WordPress, to the site itself, not necessarily at Dreamhost. For example, yourdomainname.com/wp-login.php or dipoh.com/wp-login.php.
Then click Design, now you see Themes, Widgets, Theme Editor. Click Themes, but most of the time, you don’t have to as it is the default.
Now you see Current Theme, underneath are the Available Themes. The current theme is what you have right now, the WordPress Default Kubrick Theme.
Just scroll the Available Themes as you have a lot of choices, and if you see one that you like, just click the theme. Then a window will appear, and click Activate at the top right corner. That’s it.
if you like a theme that is not on the list, you can upload it via WebFTP. You have WebFTP access even if you don’t have a software installed in your computer. You need to login to your Dreamhost account, click Domains, and click WebFTP there. Make sure you have your FTP username and password from Dreamhost. You should have received them when you opened an account.
Well, that’s it. Good luck!
Thanks a lot for this reply Sophie. This is what I am looking for. I have asked help from other bloggers but only you who replied back.
I am reading the WordPress Codex right now and it helps a lot.
I saw one theme in another site and I want to use it. Your guide ablout the WebFTP is really what I need.
I really appreciate your help and hopefully whenever I got a question, you will always be there to answer back. Thanks a lot again ;o
Hi Dipoh,
You’re welcome.
I really try to reply as long as I know the answer to the queries.
Have a great week!