Category: Widget

Subscribe2 Widget

Widget conflict

~ Matthew Robinson ~ 62 Comments

A few comments posted here have raised an issue about the Widget.

Basically, there is a conflict between the Subscribe2 Widget and any other widget that makes use of the WordPress the_content function.

So far I am aware of the issue with:

And now the bad news 😦 There is no fix!

My widget is a hack so that the Subscribe2 form that was originally intended for display on a page only can be included in the sidebar. I’m really sorry that there is no fix to this – at least none I can figure out an I’ve spent hours trying!

So, solutions:

  1. Put up with an ugly side bar
  2. Remove the Subscribe2 Widget and replace it with a link to your Subscription Page
  3. Remove other plugins that conflict with the Subscribe2 Widget

Plural Widgets

~ Matthew Robinson ~ 14 Comments

Thanks to the work of Darrell Schulte there is now the option to add a Subscribe2 Sidebar using K2.

The code for this functionality is available on the SVN under widgets/K2.

To Install you should upload the code into the app/modules directory within their K2 directory hierarchy. You might also want to remove the regular widget to avoid confusion/conflicts.

I don’t use K2 so please report issues directly to Darrell through his website.

I’ve also upload the code used for the WordPress Widget to the SVN site.

Sidebar without a Widget

~ Matthew Robinson

I recently posed a question to Subscribe2 users about using the plugin in a sidebar without using the Widget. Based on the comments posted it appears that there are a reasonable number of people who want sidebar functionality but not via a widget.

I asked and you answered so I will post a method for putting the plugin into the sidebar but let’s just set some ground rules so everyone is clear.

  • I will only ever support sidebar implementation via the Widget
  • Manual implementations that mess up your sites presentation or look are your problem to fix
  • Manual implementations that mess up your database are your problem to fix
  • Manual implementations that don’t work as expected, or at all, are your problem to fix

That having been said I really can’t foresee any problems with this but use this code entirely at your own risk!! If that above scares you – use the Widget!!

If you are brave enough edit your sidebar code in your theme. Where you want the Subscribe Form or feedback to appear you’ll need to enter the following php code.

echo do_shortcode("[subscribe2]");

Or maybe this it you on an older version of the plugin:

$content = apply_filters('the_content', '<p><!--subscribe2--></p>');
echo $content;

Note: You may need to wrap these lines in php tags [opening (<?php) and closing (?>)] depending on how your theme is written.

That’s it! If you have any problems – read the above as comments are disabled on this post.

Sidebar Subscribe2 without a Widget

~ Matthew Robinson ~ 42 Comments

It seems that not a week goes by without at least one person asking me to tell them how to put Subscribe2 into the sidebar without using the widget. It usually involves several emails back and forth along the lines of:

  1. User -> Me: How do I put Subscribe2 into a sidebar
  2. Me -> User: With the widget
  3. User -> Me: But I don’t want to use the Widget because my theme isn’t widget enabled / I don’t use widgets / I don’t like widgets etc.
  4. Me -> User: I only recommend using Subscribe2 in a sidebar via the widget as I can offer any support to the infinite number of different sidebar implementations out in the WordPress world
  5. User -> Me: Pretty please!
  6. Me -> User: Groan!!!

For the record, there is a method of putting Subscribe2 into a sidebar without a widget. I cannot (and will not) support this method.

So, it’s time to enter your comment below. Do you:

  • Want the method posted but accept that if you use it you’re on your own!
  • Want to update your themes and start using the widget, getting help if things break!

Widget Installation

~ Matthew Robinson ~ 56 Comments
  1. Download the widget zip file to your local machine and unzip it
  2. Copy subscribe2widget.php to the /wp-content/plugins directory (or /wp-content/plugins/widgets for WordPress 2.0.x or 2.1.x) directory on your wordpress installation
  3. Make sure the WordPress Widget Plugin is activate.
  4. Activate the Subscribe2 widget in the Plugins admin panel.
  5. Add the Subscribe2Widget to your sidebar in the Sidebar Widgets admin panel.