In this tutorial, you will learn how to make different side bar for each individual page of your website.

Introduction

Let’s begin by listing the files that we will be needing:

• sidebar.php – already in the themes folder
• sidebar_main.php – will be creating
• sidebar_pages.php – will be creating

Let me explain what each of the files above will be doing.

sidebar.php:
This is your original sidebar. This is what I call the “remote control”. This page will call up either sidebar_main.php or sidebar_pages.php; depending on what page you are on.

sidebar_main.php:
This file will show up on your index.php.

sidebar_pages.php:
This file will be called up when you visit one of your pages.

Step One

Now, it is time to start coding your very own dynamic sidebar.

Open: sidebar.php

• Copy all of the codes.
• Open Notepad.exe or any other coding program that you may use
• Paste the codes in there
• Save it as sidebar_main.php

Step Two

Open: sidebar.php
Paste the following codes in there:

<div id="sidebar">

<?php if (is_home()) {
include (TEMPLATEPATH . "/sidebar_main.php");}
else {
include (TEMPLATEPATH . "/sidebar_pages.php");
}
?>

</div>

Save it.

You will need to change the id to reflect on your theme’s CSS.

Step Three

Open: Notepad.exe or any other coding program.
Paste the following codes:

<?php if (strstr($_SERVER['REQUEST_URI'], '/YOUR DIRECTORY HERE/')) { ?>
This is the side bar on your profile page. ADD THE CONTENTS HERE.

<?php } elseif (strstr($_SERVER['REQUEST_URI'], '/YOUR DIRECTORY HERE/')) { ?>
This is your side bar on your domain page. ADD THE CONTENTS HERE.

<?php } ?>

And save it as sidebar_pages.php.

You obviously need to edit /YOUR DIRECTORY HERE/. For example, if your page is called “visitors” then, your directory will be called /visitors.

The coding above it set up for only two pages. If you’d like to create a sidebar for another page, you’ll need to add another include.

You’ll need to include another line of this code:

<?php } elseif (strstr($_SERVER['REQUEST_URI'], '/YOUR DIRECTORY HERE/')) { ?>
This is your side bar on your domain page. ADD THE CONTENTS HERE.

Finish . . .

And you’re done. Upload everything to your themes folder and you should have a dynamic sidebar working.

If you’re stuck, here’s a copy of my dynamic sidebar files as reference.
sidebar.php — sidebar_main.php — sidebar_pages.php

Need Assistance?

If you have any question(s), please don’t hesitate to contact me. I’d be glad to help you out.