I would be very grateful if...

[camrogers]

I could use some advice RE a website. I run one using WordPress. It uses a pre-fab theme, but I need to modify the HTML (specifically I need the header to include a graphic and a PayPal button in the sidebar. And I need to insert some code into the HEAD section.) Anyone out there feel like spending five minutes educating me about what I'm sure is bleedin' obvious?

Comments

[blithespirit]

Basically, your choice of theme determines in broad brush strokes the basic layout of your site (eg 2 or 3 columns, that kind of thing.
You should be able to upload an image into the header, but that involves editing the theme. I tend to avoid doing that, but it isn't a hugely difficult thing I'm led to believe. You should be able to find a step by step guide online. I'd google 'upload a graphic to wordpress header' and see what you find - or use the official WordPress codex.
You may find the slides from my WordPress workshop (with Kathy Reid & Anthony Cole):
http://blog.kathyreid.id.au/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/SFD10WordPress_Presentation.ppt

Also, if you haven't already started exploring them, plugins are your friend. They let you add different features to your wordpress site. Many will be available to you in the plugins menu of your dashboard - but you can also upload & use other ones - but chose reputable ones - as you want to avoid trojan plugins that do malicious things, or orphan plugins that don't get updated & maintained anymore.

[camrogers]

Thanks for that. Plugin solved one problem, but I might drop the theme designer a line and see if it can be wrangled to include a graphic somehow.

[reddragdiva]

PayPal button in sidebar: a text widget is good for this.

[camrogers]

My problem is this:

- To upload a widget I need to install WordPress.
- To install WordPress my server needs to be configured for PHP.
- It isn't. I can apparently modify a file in Notepad and upload that instead.
- I have no idea where to upload that file. Therefore I can't install widgets.

[reddragdiva]

Ah, sorry, I thought you meant "assuming Wordpress". Um ...

[camrogers]

Nevermind. The textbox solution fixed half my problem. Now if I could hack the header to include a single graphic I'd be laughing.

[reddragdiva]

I did this on http://rocknerd.co.uk by modifying header.php in the skin. This is, of course, a course of action fraught with trepidation. And depends what skin you're using.

[camrogers]

It's modifying the code that I'm stuck on. Cant seem to do it from within WP.

[reddragdiva]

In mine I go Appearance->Editor and can break my blog all I want. If your WP doesn't have this, what version are you running?

[camrogers]

Well, I can. I think. Sorta. Except the code I'm seeing contains nothing I recognise as being useful. Which is entirely me and probably nothing to do with WP.

[reddragdiva]

Yeah, what you're seeing there is actual PHP code, which is like raw HTML but actively malevolent. As a programming language, PHP feels to me like TRS-80 BASIC. Your mileage may vary.