I’ve created a 3 column layout for the default WordPress template: Dots.
It isn’t ideal, the default WordPress template doesn’t make a 3 column template easy. I initially wanted to put the links on the right, but there isn’t a way to target all the links groups together as a block. Instead, I’ve taken the calendar, search box and the archives and put them on the right hand side. The calendar and search box were chosen because they both have a predictable height, and the archives list will grow longer than the categories list for most people. It isn’t ideal, but its a start.
You can download this and many other designs on my WordPress Styles page.
I’ve also updated the CSS Style Switcher to handle deleted styles more gracefully and alphabetically sort the list of styles (it already did this for some people, not others). I also included the new Dots style and removed the Golf style from the styles included in the .zip file.
Popularity: 7% [?]
Michael Baas adds this Comment:
Very nice.
March 31st, 2004 at 4:39 pm
Brad adds this Comment:
Looks very nice. Thanks for the new template.
March 31st, 2004 at 10:51 pm
Sushubh adds this Comment:
Thanks Alex, I was looking for just this sort of template!
April 1st, 2004 at 1:09 am
isma adds this Comment:
Hey! Just after the WP CSS contest I created a 3 column template by adapting “pink lilies” to my own needs.
You can see how it looks like at www.ictlogy.net and download the style at http://www.ictlogy.n[...]gy/style.css
I’ve yet to fix some things, but in general, it works nice.
April 1st, 2004 at 3:37 am
Weblog Tools Collection adds this Trackback:
3 Column Template for WordPress
Alex King has hit a triple header (?)! He has released a nice new 3 Column CSS template/theme for WordPress. It is pretty, is compliant (right Alex) and walks the dogs on Sunday mornings!
Seriously, well done Alex! I might be using that basic design f…
April 1st, 2004 at 5:48 am
Alex adds this Comment:
isma, that is a nice design, but it doesn’t work with the default WordPress template.
April 1st, 2004 at 9:57 am
Anonymous adds this Comment:
Excellent design. I love it.
April 1st, 2004 at 7:06 pm
Geodog adds this Comment:
I don’t mean to be rude, but how about using the styleswitcher on your own site? I find the tiny white text on soft blue background very hard to read.
April 1st, 2004 at 11:49 pm
Alex adds this Comment:
I’ve been meaning to add an option to swap the dark and light colors. Need… more… time…
Your browser has controls to increase the text size.
April 1st, 2004 at 11:54 pm
MaThIbUs adds this Comment:
My blog uses a three column lay-out too, but mine doesn’t make text inaccessible when the window gets resized…
April 5th, 2004 at 12:38 pm
Alex adds this Comment:
But yours doesn’t work with the default template, does it Mr. Navright/Navleft?
April 5th, 2004 at 5:09 pm
echeng adds this Comment:
Alex - the 3-col layout works great in IE, but in FireFox, if you reduce the size of the window horizontally, the left-column truncates itself.
April 6th, 2004 at 4:29 pm
Alex adds this Comment:
I’ll happily accept a patch. I haven’t been able to reproduce this yet - maybe I need to download another nightly.
April 6th, 2004 at 5:31 pm
Abri adds this Comment:
Hey,, that looks really nice.. Thanks!
April 7th, 2004 at 9:11 am
ed adds this Comment:
Thanks for the 3-Column layout. It looks great, do you know if there is any way to put “stuff” on the right hand side. The additional stuff I have on my left hand column is added through the template file. I would like to put some of it on the right hand side.
April 8th, 2004 at 8:29 am
Alex adds this Comment:
Not really, unless you have fixed height items that can be put above the archives.
April 8th, 2004 at 8:48 am
Chris' Corner adds this Trackback:
Style sheet
I thought I should mention that this blog is currently using a very nice stylesheet designed by Alex King called Dots. The graphics used right now are also his. I plan on changing that stuff around a bit so it doesn’t look like I ripped off his site…
April 10th, 2004 at 10:08 pm
isma adds this Comment:
nope, actually it does not work with WP original template: some changes need to be done. This are the cons
Pros are I can put in whatever column whatever I like
April 21st, 2004 at 1:48 am
Israel Barros adds this Comment:
I think that you 3 colums css is realy great and a would like thank you to develop it. I try to changes some little things to make more personnal. I try to move the calendar to de botton of 3th colum, you know if is possible? Maybe I’ll put a picture in the place and get the following sequence: Picture, search, calendar and archives. What you think about that?
Thanks for all
May 25th, 2004 at 3:16 pm
Alex adds this Comment:
Re-ordering pieces that have a static height is possible. Things like the archives need to be at the bottom in the right hand column so they can grow.
May 25th, 2004 at 3:32 pm
paul adds this Comment:
Dots is the best wp template I have seen to date. But there are 2 additional things I’d like to be able to do with it.
1) Display a gif as a footer.
2) Add a bar between the header and the blog with links such as about, contact, etc.
Is there a simple way to do either of these things?
Thanks & keep up the good work
October 25th, 2004 at 8:27 am
Alex adds this Comment:
There isn’t an easy way to add a footer because the columns are absolutely positioned CSS (since there are no column elements to use in the XHTML).
Adding a bar below the header wouldn’t be hard, you’d just need to move down the rest of the elements.
October 25th, 2004 at 8:31 am
paul adds this Comment:
Thanks for that, but where (in the index or the css file) & how would one move down the other elements…I’m very new to this.
Thanks.
October 25th, 2004 at 8:37 am
Alex adds this Comment:
Sounds like a good learning opportunity.
October 25th, 2004 at 8:49 am
paul adds this Comment:
Any chance you could at least point me n the right direction for this learning opportunity?
October 25th, 2004 at 10:45 am
Alex adds this Comment:
I always start here.
October 25th, 2004 at 10:47 am
Don adds this Comment:
Will this 3 column template work on googles Blogger? I have been looking for a 3 comlumn template for a while and this one is the best yet!
Thanks
Don
November 18th, 2004 at 9:46 am
Alex adds this Comment:
I guess if you have a Blogger template that matches WordPress’ XHTML it would.
November 18th, 2004 at 9:51 am
Rian adds this Comment:
I modifed this theme slightly, and I’ve been trying to modify it more. It would be perfect if it was resizeable, rather than having an absolute width. I played around with making it resizeable, and it screwed everything up. Do you think you could work your CSS-fu and create a version that used relative instead of absolute widths?
May 16th, 2005 at 5:39 am
Alex adds this Comment:
This was designed to work with the stock HTML shipped in WP 1.2 so it works within those limitations.
May 16th, 2005 at 10:02 am