How to use custom sidebars for 3 column pages

[Patagonia]

Hi, apologies if this is obvious, but I can’t see it:

– I created 2 custom sidebars
– I created a page with template 2 sidebars (left+right).
– at the bottom of the page edit screen I can choose 1 sidebar to add to the page

Questions:
– How can I choose 2 sidebars?
– If I can only choose one, which one will it be and which one will populate the other on the 2-sidebars templates?

Thanks!

Edit: it seems that the chosen sidebar appears left, while the right sidebar is empty (my default sidebar has widgets, so that one is not appearing). How to choose left and right sidebar?

[Abe]

hi, I the Appearance – Widgets you will see another Sidebar named “Extra – for 3 columns pages” which is used in 3 columns pages

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[guy_fraser]

So you can change one sidebar on a page by page basis, but the 2nd sidebar is static site-wide? While we can customise the widgets on that 2nd sidebar, we can’t actually swap it out for a completely different sidebar?

[Patagonia]

Yes, what Guys_Fraser said: the problem is that one (the right one) is defined: the extra sidebar.

After choosing a 3-column design (doesn’t matter if it 2 sidebars left or sb-content-sb etc), the right sidebar is already fixed (the Extra-for 3 column pages sidebar).

You can only choose which sidebar you want as a left sidebar, as there is only one option for a sidebar.

This is very limiting, as mostly I want the right sidebar often to be different on 3-column pages and the left sidebar for certain categories etc as well. We need two choice options when using a 3-column page, else the entire 3-column set up is useless as it has no flexibility..

Thanks!

[Patagonia]

To clarify: if you choose the extra sidebar when editing the page, then you end up with the same sidebar, twice (the extra sidebar for 3-column pages).

[Abe]

No don’t choose the extra sidebar in any other page. Just add another sidebar from Appearance – Sidebars

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[Patagonia]

??? I am not sure if you understand the problem:

– you can create unlimited sidebars on Appearance – Sidebars. That works.
– you can add/choose any sidebar (standard or custom) to any 2 column page. That works, too.

However:
– if you created a page with template 2 sidebars (left+right, or 2 left or 2 right), then at the bottom of the page edit screen I can choose only 1 sidebar to add to the page. The other (always the right one) is fixed (the extra sidebar for 3 columns).

I don’t want the same right sidebar on every 3-column page! We should be able to choose both sidebars.

[guy_fraser]

Put another way, when editing a page/post that has 2 sidebars there should be two drop-down lists – one for changing which sidebar appears in the first sidebar, and the other for choosing which sidebar appears in the second sidebar.

Currently there is only one drop down – so at page/post level we can only currently alter one of the sidebars for that specific page. Having the additional drop down would allow us to alter the second sidebar for that specific page/post.

[guy_fraser]

I’m going to try this plugin… http://wordpress.org/plugins/content-aware-sidebars/

[Abe]

I understood what you need but the 2nd sidebar from the 3 column pages can’t be changed right now.
You can easily create a full width page and split the content into columns and add a Wigdetized sidebar element

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[guy_fraser]

That plugin I mentioned above seems to work 🙂 It allows me to say “in <whatever> location, substitute Extra – for 3 column pages sidebar with <some other> sidebar” – and so far it seems to be working. In fact, I can replace even things like footer columns, etc. IMHO that plugin would be worthwhile bundling with the theme.

[Abe]

Good to know 🙂

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[guy_fraser]

#winning 😀

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[guy_fraser]

@patagonia – did the plugin I mentioned earlier work for you? If so, please mark topic resolved 🙂

[Patagonia]

Hi guys,

@guy_fraser thanks, but though the plugin works great (and I am definitely going to use it), it does not solve this problem.

Somehow the extra 3rd column sidebar on the 3-column template is not a real sidebar (?), and it cannot be replaced by this plugin (I tried, nothing happens, while every other sidebar on any other page can be replaced).

@abe I tried to use VC with a fullwidth template and add 2 sidebars in columns, but that also creates problems, see this thread:
https://archived.seventhqueen.com/forums/topic/page-title-outside-container-when-editing-with-vc-and-other-bugs

So we are still stuck with the same problem: we need to be able to choose the 2nd sidebar in 3 column templates.

[Author]

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