how to create a miniblog on a page with in my main blog

Oh, if you don’t want custom content or design elements on your Alpha category that looks different from the rest of your category pages – you want it to basically look the same, just have the posts only from Alpha show up, then do most of nothing I just explained except to create a manual link wherever you want it to appear in your header.

When clicked, WordPress will automatically use the category template file (or whatever is its equivalent) to showcase ONLY posts in the Alpha category. All you have to do is provide the link, highlighted in whatever manner you like.

I have over 40 categories on my main site but on the header of every page, you only see the top 7, and I’ve manual links to specific categories all over my various sidebars, but the reader doesn’t realize it.

I also use custom category template files, as described above, on ALL 47+ categories, each one containing content and posts specific to each category. Poke around to see if this is more what you want to do.

See also Adding Asides as that is another similar technique.

THanks, Lorelle. This is a very helpful tutorial. I will set it up when I have some time to make sure it’s right.

YAY- It worked- I had to add the sub (/blog) level where my blog files are to the link.

It took me awhile to figure out where to put the manual link in my header template so it would show in the menu. I thought it had to be created on a Page, with a capital P.

I also had to add separate style sheet classes for that link to get it to match the others in the menu.(even though the link was within the div for those very classes for the pages call. go figure)

I did it without creating a category template, but I have also created one just copying the index.php file. Now I can edit it and style it a bit.

OK, the index template works fine, but with more than one post, it calls it an Archive. I don’t want that. Any suggestions?

This is so exciting. I never thought it would be so easy. Thanks Lorelle and all you others…

I’m getting a database error when I publish or edit to the mini-blog category, whose category is 72. (I use an asides sideblog as well) Does anyone know what might be causing this issue? I use a K2 theme.
thanks, David

WordPress database error: [You have an error in your SQL syntax. Check the manual that corresponds to your MySQL server version for the right syntax to use near ‘AND p2c.category_id <> 1 AND p2c.category_id <> 4 AND p2c.cat]
SELECT DISTINCT MONTH(p.post_date) AS month FROM wp_posts p INNER JOIN wp_post2cat p2c ON (p.ID = p2c.post_id ) WHERE YEAR(p.post_date) = AND p2c.category_id <> 1 AND p2c.category_id <> 4 AND p2c.category_id <> 36 AND p2c.category_id <> 41 AND p2c.category_id <> 72 AND p2c.category_id <> 57 AND p.post_date_gmt < ‘2006-11-17 06:49:32’ ORDER By p.post_date DESC

Are you using the Asides technique or the one I wrote manually above?

Hopefully someone will have a better answer, but we need to know the specifics. Sorry for the delay in responding. I’m still traveling.