Primer on WordPress content and theme areas

To understand how Themer works, it helps to understand some aspects of the WordPress architecture.

In WordPress, a post or page has a single content area, and you fill in that content using the WordPress text editor. In the following diagrams, boxes shaded in gray are controlled by the active theme, whereas the content area is the place where contributors enter content on individual posts or pages.

Traditionally, if you wanted to add a more complex layout to the content area, you'd add a widget area as a sidebar or a footer. The active theme also controls the option to add a particular sidebar or footer widget area in a particular location on the page.

In addition, the theme controls display and placement of information about Posts: Post title, Post info such as author and date, comments, categories, and post navigation.

The PageBuilder plugin gives you the ability to lay out and add content to many small pieces of content inside the WordPress content area. Suddenly layouts became much more interesting than adding widgets in a sidebar.

Themer is an add-on to the PageBuilder plugin. It lets you use the PageBuilder editor to create "Themer layouts" in areas that are traditionally handled by themes. While an active theme is still required, Themer layouts override the active theme's control when necessary.

IMPORTANT

  • The header, footer, location of the sidebar, and Post information and metadata are controlled by the active WordPress theme. Themer overrides this control as appropriate.
  • WordPress allows only one content area on a Post or Page.
  • The Singular Themer layout lets you create PageBuilder layouts for the information that lies outside the content area of a single post. To use PageBuilder for the content area of a post, use a regular PageBuilder layout. Be sure to enable the Posts post type in the PageBuilder settings.