Wow thanks for all the responses!
Well basically what I was wanting to achieve was to be able to have completely different headers, originally I was only concerned about having the ability to display different static images for pages within the same category.
I developing the website I had created a standard Thematic header in my child theme , I had added a logo to the header and 2 separate widget ready areas. 1 widget area was for the product search and the other widget area was for a slideshow of images.
There seems to be limited documentation on adding different headers to the thematic child theme. So I thought I would post my way of achieving different headers in thematic.
Unfortunately I cannot show the example as it is being developed on my local server in mamp.
This is the long way around to achieve what I wanted :) I am sure lastraw and ScottNix, you would do this differently. If you know of a shorter route please add your way of achieving this :)
I had transformed the thematic header in my functions php file :
function remove_branding() {
remove_action('thematic_header','thematic_brandingopen',1);
}
add_action('init', 'remove_branding');
// We wrap #branding and #header-aside with #header-box
function childtheme_brandingopen() { ?>
<div id="header_box">
<div id="branding">
<?php }
add_action('thematic_header','childtheme_brandingopen',1);
// Now we need to close #header-box
function header_box_close() { ?>
<!-- close header-box --></div>
<?php }
add_action('thematic_header', 'header_box_close', 9);
// And we add the unchanged thematic_access() with the new priority 10
function add_header_aside($content) {
$content['Header Aside'] = array(
'admin_menu_order' => 50,
'args' => array (
'name' => 'Header Aside',
'id' => 'header-aside',
'before_widget' => thematic_before_widget(),
'after_widget' => thematic_after_widget(),
'before_title' => thematic_before_title(),
'after_title' => thematic_after_title(),
),
'action_hook' => 'thematic_header',
'function' => 'thematic_header_aside',
'priority' => 7,
);
return $content;
}
add_filter('thematic_widgetized_areas', 'add_header_aside');
// And this is our new function that displays the widgetized area
function thematic_header_aside() {
if (is_sidebar_active('header-aside')) {
echo thematic_before_widget_area('header-aside');
dynamic_sidebar('header-aside');
echo thematic_after_widget_area('header-aside');
}
}
//Add widget area for menu to header-box
function add_header_menu_aside($content2) {
$content2['Header Menu Aside'] = array(
'admin_menu_order' => 51,
'args' => array (
'name' => 'Header Menu Aside',
'id' => 'header-menu-aside',
'before_widget' => thematic_before_widget(),
'after_widget' => thematic_after_widget(),
'before_title' => thematic_before_title(),
'after_title' => thematic_after_title(),
),
'action_hook' => 'thematic_header',
'function' => 'thematic_header_menu_aside',
'priority' => 8,
);
return $content2;
}
add_filter('thematic_widgetized_areas', 'add_header_menu_aside');
// And this is our new function that displays the widgetized area
function thematic_header_menu_aside() {
if (is_sidebar_active('header-menu-aside')) {
echo thematic_before_widget_area('header-menu-aside');
dynamic_sidebar('header-menu-aside');
echo thematic_after_widget_area('header-menu-aside');
}
}
// add blog title logo instead
function childtheme_override_blogtitle() { ?>
<div id="blog-title"><h1><img src="wp-content/themes/constantia-wines/images/constantia-wines-logo.png" alt="Constantia Wines Online Store"></h1></div>
<?php }
add_action('thematic_header','childtheme_override_blogtitle',3);
function childtheme_override_blogdescription() {
}
add_action('thematic_header','childtheme_override_blogdescription',5);
This left me with the issue of how to have different images in the header on static pages that are in the same category but using different page templates.
I also wanted to have the ability to add other widgets to these widgets areas in the future. This is where I became stumped and decided that using conditionals to display different widgets in the header widget ready areas on the different pages would become a bit too complex and may limit me / my client in future.
I decided it was best to create new thematic headers for the various templates I would be using.
To start I created a new php file. I named it "new-headers.php" (any name can be used) and saved it to my library folder in my child theme along with the widget areas file I had created before to keep my functions.php file as clean as possible.
into this file I copied , pasted and modified the thematic_header function (copies the thematic_header() for the header-extensions file in the library folder of thematic) :
//add thematic header2
// Used to hook in the HTML and PHP that creates the content of div id="header">
function thematic_header2() {
do_action('thematic_header2');
} // end thematic_header
// Functions that hook into thematic_header()
// Open #branding
// In the header div
if (function_exists('childtheme_override_brandingopen2')) {
function thematic_brandingopen2() {
childtheme_override_brandingopen2();
}
} else {
function thematic_brandingopen2() {
echo "<div id=\"branding\">\n";
}
add_action('thematic_header2','thematic_brandingopen2',1);
}
// Create the blog title
// In the header div
if (function_exists('childtheme_override_blogtitle2')) {
function thematic_blogtitle2() {
childtheme_override_blogtitle2();
}
} else {
function thematic_blogtitle2() { ?>
<div id="blog-title"><span><a>/" title="<?php bloginfo('name') ?>" rel="home"><?php bloginfo('name') ?></a></span></div>
<?php }
add_action('thematic_header2','thematic_blogtitle2',3);
}
// Create the blog description
// In the header div
if (function_exists('childtheme_override_blogdescription2')) {
function thematic_blogdescription2() {
childtheme_override_blogdescription2();
}
} else {
function thematic_blogdescription2() {
$blogdesc = '"blog-description">' . get_bloginfo('description');
if (is_home() || is_front_page()) {
echo "\t\t<h1 id=$blogdesc</h1>\n\n";
} else {
echo "\t\t<div id=$blogdesc</div>\n\n";
}
}
add_action('thematic_header2','thematic_blogdescription2',5);
}
// Close #branding
// In the header div
if (function_exists('childtheme_override_brandingclose2')) {
function thematic_brandingclose2() {
childtheme_override_brandingclose2();
}
} else {
function thematic_brandingclose2() {
echo "\t\t</div><!-- #branding -->\n";
}
add_action('thematic_header2','thematic_brandingclose2',7);
}
// Create #access
// In the header div
if (function_exists('childtheme_override_access2')) {
function thematic_access2() {
childtheme_override_access2();
}
} else {
function thematic_access2() { ?>
<div id="access">
<div class="skip-link"><a href="#content">"><?php _e('Skip to content', 'thematic'); ?></a></div><!-- .skip-link -->
<?php
if ((function_exists("has_nav_menu")) && (has_nav_menu(apply_filters('thematic_primary_menu_id', 'primary-menu')))) {
echo wp_nav_menu(thematic_nav_menu_args());
} else {
echo thematic_add_menuclass(wp_page_menu(thematic_page_menu_args()));
}
?>
</div><!-- #access -->
<?php }
}
add_action('thematic_header2','thematic_access2',9);
// End of functions that hook into thematic_header()
I then added the widgetized areas I required. It does not have to be the same as the original widget areas you added. I just changed them slightly.
//add themtic header 2 widgetized area
function remove_branding2() {
remove_action('thematic_header2','thematic_brandingopen2',1);
}
add_action('init', 'remove_branding2');
// We wrap #branding and #header-aside with #header-box
function childtheme_brandingopen2() { ?>
<div id="header_box">
<div id="branding">
<?php }
add_action('thematic_header2','childtheme_brandingopen2',1);
// Now we need to close #header-box
function header_box_close2() { ?>
<!-- close header-box --></div>
<?php }
add_action('thematic_header2', 'header_box_close2', 9);
// And we add the unchanged thematic_access() with the new priority 10
function add_header_aside2($content) {
$content['Header Aside Groot '] = array(
'admin_menu_order' => 60,
'args' => array (
'name' => 'Header Aside Groot',
'id' => 'header-aside2',
'before_widget' => thematic_before_widget(),
'after_widget' => thematic_after_widget(),
'before_title' => thematic_before_title(),
'after_title' => thematic_after_title(),
),
'action_hook' => 'thematic_header2',
'function' => 'thematic_header_aside2',
'priority' => 7,
);
return $content;
}
add_filter('thematic_widgetized_areas', 'add_header_aside2');
// And this is our new function that displays the widgetized area
function thematic_header_aside2() {
if (is_sidebar_active('header-aside2')) {
echo thematic_before_widget_area('header-aside2');
dynamic_sidebar('header-aside2');
echo thematic_after_widget_area('header-aside2');
}
}
//Add widget area for menu to header-box
function add_header_menu_aside2($content2) {
$content2['Header Menu Aside Groot'] = array(
'admin_menu_order' => 61,
'args' => array (
'name' => 'Header Menu Aside Groot',
'id' => 'header-menu-aside2',
'before_widget' => thematic_before_widget(),
'after_widget' => thematic_after_widget(),
'before_title' => thematic_before_title(),
'after_title' => thematic_after_title(),
),
'action_hook' => 'thematic_header2',
'function' => 'thematic_header_menu_aside2',
'priority' => 8,
);
return $content2;
}
add_filter('thematic_widgetized_areas', 'add_header_menu_aside2');
// And this is our new function that displays the widgetized area
function thematic_header_menu_aside2() {
if (is_sidebar_active('header-menu-aside2')) {
echo thematic_before_widget_area('header-menu-aside2');
dynamic_sidebar('header-menu-aside2');
echo thematic_after_widget_area('header-menu-aside2');
}
}
// add blog title logo instead
function childtheme_override_blogtitle2() { ?>
<div id="blog-title"><h1><img src="wp-content/themes/constantia-wines/images/constantia-wines-logo.png" alt="Constantia Wines Online Store"></h1></div>
<?php }
add_action('thematic_header2','childtheme_override_blogtitle2',3);
function childtheme_override_blogdescription2() {
}
add_action('thematic_header2','childtheme_override_blogdescription2',5);
Now I had the new thematic header function that gave me new widgetized areas that I could add whichever widgets I wanted to it.
I then in my functions.php file added the code :
include('library/new-headers.php');
At this stage the new widget ready areas are displaying in the widgets in the Dashboard. You can drag the widgets you want into these areas but they will not display on the pages where you want a different header.
I then created a new header file.
I simply copied the code of the header.php file in the thematic file area. I renamed the new file too " header-new.php". In the code I changed the thematic_header() to the new header function I created. In this case I changed it too thematic_header2();
Having done this, it still will not change the header. You need to add the call for the new header in the post or page template file that you want the new header to be display on.
I opened my template file and added the new from header-new.php to the get_header()
it looked like this :
get_header(new);
Now any widgets I add to the new widget areas will be displayed in the header of the template I added the new header function too.
I am not sure if this is the best way to create a new header file, it is a lot of work but does allow you the freedom to add all sorts different things to the different header functions you wish to create.
Unfortunately you will then need to style the new header .
I am sure there are easier ways to do this, however this way works without any errors or issues.
