The Archive Column

[Mrs. Muddled]

In my Google blog ... which in its entirety is my website at this point ... there is a list of dates running down the right side of the page. I only want a list of the posts I have added to my original blog. I don't want those numbers because they are all messed up since I started fiddling with my blog to re-arrange the way the posts open on the website.

 

Can I go into the edit mode and just remove the codes ... if so, which ones?

 

Will that removal effect the order of the posts?

 

How can I have the posts that open on my blog open in the order I want them to rather than when I added them to the blog? I really messed them up when I took it upon myself to simply go into edit and change the dates at the bottom.

[TweezerMan]

Can I go into the edit mode and just remove the codes ... if so, which ones? 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

If you're referring to the list of dates under the 'Archives' heading, yes, you can removed the code if you don't want it to display. I believe this is the code you'd need to remove:

> <MainOrArchivePage>
 <h2 class="sidebar-title">Archives</h2>
 
 <ul class="archive-list">
     <BloggerArchives>
  	 <li><a href="<$BlogArchiveURL$>"><$BlogArchiveName$></a></li>
  </BloggerArchives>
     <ArchivePage><li><a href="<$BlogURL$>">Current Posts</a></li></ArchivePage>
 </ul>
 </MainOrArchivePage>

 

Will that removal effect the order of the posts?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No, removing this code just removes the list from the page. It would not affect your posts at all.

 

How can I have the posts that open on my blog open in the order I want them to rather than when I added them to the blog?  I really messed them up when I took it upon myself to simply go into edit and change the dates at the bottom.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Blogger is pretty limited in functionality. As far as I know, the only way to alter the order of posts is to change to post dates.

[Mrs. Muddled]

If you're referring to the list of dates under the 'Archives' heading, yes, you can removed the code if you don't want it to display.  I believe this is the code you'd need to remove:

> <MainOrArchivePage>
 <h2 class="sidebar-title">Archives</h2>
 
 <ul class="archive-list">
     <BloggerArchives>
   	<li><a href="<$BlogArchiveURL$>"><$BlogArchiveName$></a></li>
  </BloggerArchives>
     <ArchivePage><li><a href="<$BlogURL$>">Current Posts</a></li></ArchivePage>
 </ul>
 </MainOrArchivePage>

No, removing this code just removes the list from the page.  It would not affect your posts at all.

Blogger is pretty limited in functionality.  As far as I know, the only way to alter the order of posts is to change to post dates.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Tks David.

 

I fiinally tripped over Archives in the help section (if all else fails huh?). I read it over - understood "some" of it. I have re-entered the blank and selected "Monthly." Hopefully that will take care of the now dysfunctional archive list. I'm really hesitant to start messing with codes. I haven't the vaguest clue what I'm doing yet, and I don't just want to mess everything up.

 

The more I study the subject, the more confused and over my head I feel. This HTML stuff is REALLY difficult to understand.

[abinidi]

The more I study the subject, the more confused and over my head I feel.  This HTML stuff is REALLY difficult to understand.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Don't worry if it is slow-going at first. And to be fair, the blogger code isn't really HTML. See, in HTML, the <BloggerArchives> tag isn't a valid tag. Neither is <$BlogArchiveURL$> or <$BlogURL$> or <ArchivePage> etc.

 

Blogger has added code to the page so that the server knows what to do when it creates the page.

 

The problem is this: pure HTML is static. That means that the exact copy of the page is stored on the server and when you go to that page with the browser, the server sends you only the code that is in the original HTML document.

 

Blogger (we're just talking about Blogger, because that is the tool you are using) is using your templates dynamically. That means that blogger gets your template, and then looks for special codes that tell it where to insert/modify extra stuff.

 

When you save a post in Blogger, their software goes to the template you have saved, and it looks for the <BloggerArchives> tag (and others), and it knows that when you use that tag, you are telling it that you want the system to insert some type of archive list there. It then looks for other tags like <$BlogArchiveURL$>, and adds whatever content is associated with that tag.

 

So, when you are trying to learn HTML, don't confuse it with the templates that you use in your blog. There are a finite number of tags allowed by HTML, and they have specific uses. But remember, pure HTML only generates static pages--pages that the server doesn't change automatically. Your Blogger code includes HTML tags and dynamic programming tags, that together generate the look and feel of your page.

 

Once you begin to understand more about HTML, it becomes easier to understand what the dynamic tags are doing. For example, in the following code:

><a href="<$BlogURL$>">Current Posts</a>

I know from my HTML experience, that the <a> tag is commonly used to form links. If I want to link to TCH, I could use the following HTML code:

><a href="http://www.totalchoicehosting.com">Link to TCH</a>

Since I know that the <a href="[something]"> format means a link is being created, I can look at the Blogger code, and know that the <$BlogURL$> tag will be replaced with a URL. The title of the tag makes me think that it will be the URL of some specific post.

 

See what I mean about learning the HTML first? Once you know more about HTML, you will begin to understand what Blogger is doing to add content dynamically to your templates. But if you are new to HTML, then I recommend that first you focus on learning the basics of static HTML. That will help you greatly understand what programs are doing to make your templates work.

 

Hope this helps. Best wishes to you.

[Mrs. Muddled]

Don't worry if it is slow-going at first. And to be fair, the blogger code isn't really HTML. See, in HTML, the <BloggerArchives> tag isn't a valid tag. Neither is <$BlogArchiveURL$> or <$BlogURL$> or <ArchivePage> etc.

 

Blogger has added code to the page so that the server knows what to do when it creates the page.

 

The problem is this: pure HTML is static. That means that the exact copy of the page is stored on the server and when you go to that page with the browser, the server sends you only the code that is in the original HTML document.

 

Blogger (we're just talking about Blogger, because that is the tool you are using) is using your templates dynamically. That means that blogger gets your template, and then looks for special codes that tell it where to insert/modify extra stuff.

 

When you save a post in Blogger, their software goes to the template you have saved, and it looks for the <BloggerArchives> tag (and others), and it knows that when you use that tag, you are telling it that you want the system to insert some type of archive list there. It then looks for other tags like <$BlogArchiveURL$>, and adds whatever content is associated with that tag.

 

So, when you are trying to learn HTML, don't confuse it with the templates that you use in your blog. There are a finite number of tags allowed by HTML, and they have specific uses. But remember, pure HTML only generates static pages--pages that the server doesn't change automatically. Your Blogger code includes HTML tags and dynamic programming tags, that together generate the look and feel of your page.

 

Once you begin to understand more about HTML, it becomes easier to understand what the dynamic tags are doing. For example, in the following code:

><a href="<$BlogURL$>">Current Posts</a>

I know from my HTML experience, that the <a> tag is commonly used to form links. If I want to link to TCH, I could use the following HTML code:

><a href="http://www.totalchoicehosting.com">Link to TCH</a>

Since I know that the <a href="[something]"> format means a link is being created, I can look at the Blogger code, and know that the <$BlogURL$> tag will be replaced with a URL. The title of the tag makes me think that it will be the URL of some specific post.

 

See what I mean about learning the HTML first? Once you know more about HTML, you will begin to understand what Blogger is doing to add content dynamically to your templates. But if you are new to HTML, then I recommend that first you focus on learning the basics of static HTML. That will help you greatly understand what programs are doing to make your templates work.

 

Hope this helps. Best wishes to you.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Paul,

 

Thanks so much for your heroic attempt to increase my knowledge of this rather vast subject.

 

As I just wrote to "Gail," one of the TCH members, I am completely flummoxed!

 

Yesterday I purchased Elizabeth Castro's 5th Edition HTML ... I was in a sweat just reading the index.

 

I've read 55 pages. I've used my highlighter. I have understood a minute amount.

 

Frankly I am in AWE of the so-called "geeks" who understand this language. I bow to you!

 

Everyone says it's a tough start for them. Whew, they aren't kidding.

 

I'll keep plodding away. So far I understand that XHTML is what I should be learning because it is the future. That's a start.

[TCH-Don]

When you are starting out to learn HTML

concentrate on learning to read the code and understand what you are reading.

Don't worry about creating HTML code for now.

When you start out you will most likely be modifying some code.

So if you can read and understand the code you are looking at, it may not seem so intimidating.

 

A simple web page needs only a few HTML tags or commands.

Practice the examples in your book using a text editor and viewing the results on you computer.

You may just become hooked at the thrill of seeing those few lines of code come to life

and have fun seeing what it takes to change what the page looks like.

[Mrs. Muddled]

When you are starting out to learn HTML

concentrate on learning to read the code and understand what you are reading.

Don't worry about creating HTML code for now.

When you start out you will most likely be modifying some code.

So if you can read and understand the code you are looking at, it may not seem so intimidating.

 

A simple web page needs only a few HTML tags or commands.

Practice the examples in your book using a text editor and viewing the results on you computer.

You may just become hooked at the thrill of seeing those few lines of code come to life

and have fun seeing what it takes to change what the page looks like.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hi Don ... thanks for the note.

I have been spending faaarrrr too much time reading the new book and trying to get a grasp on things. Gail has been super helpful. I found a very helpful website yesterday. I can't recall if someone told me to go there or if I just tripped over it ... but ... I arrived. It's called W3 schools on line. The site is very educational. It even lets me practice right on the site and then click and view what I've created. I'm impressed! What I'm am discovering is that I DO look at HTML pages and I DO see code that I understand now. Well, sort of.

 

As you can see by my website ... I am having a lot of fun just with my blog. I'm able to do pretty much all I want to do right in the Google Blog. I can write my stories and add animations or photos to them and I'm happy!

 

I think I messed up my archives when I tried to change the order of my stories. Of course I couldn't remember the original dates ... so I couldn't get them back to square one. Live and learn.