I recently started to use widgets in all my WordPress blogs. It’s really easy to add new features via widgets but some times you may need some changes to be done which are not available in WordPress widgets.
For example: I decided to show recent comments in my WordPress blog via widgets but before using the widgets, I used to show the recent comments as URLs to the comments. But via WordPress widget, the recent comment was shown something like this:
“Author Name” on “URL to the Comment”
Where I like to only have this:
“URL to the Comment”
I thought it will be easy to change this but I was wrong. There is no option available in WordPress widgets that can change this. So I tried to find some other solution.
In order to show only the URL to the recent comments in WordPress using widgets, you will have to edit a WordPress file.
The file name is: “widgets.php”
I am changing this article as this solution is no longer valid for the latest WordPress release.
Now instead of “widgets.php”, download/edit this file:
“default-widgets.php”
And it can be found here
\wp-includes
You need to search for this function in the “widgets.php” “default-widgets.php” file
function wp_widget_recent_comments($args) { function widget( $args, $instance ) {
Below this function, look the line that starts with this code:
echo ‘<li class=”recentcomments”>’ . sprintf(__(‘%1$s on %2$s’)
echo '<li class="recentcomments">' . /* translators
Now you have to change this
(‘%1$s on %2$s’)
To this:
(‘%2$s’)
Save the file “widgets.php” “default-widgets.php” and upload it to your server. From now on, only the URL to the recent comment will be shown.
Administrator
November 12, 2008 9:41 amI tried to find the code you mentioned, which is,
“$widget_title = sprintf( _c(’%1$s: %2$s|1: widget name, 2: widget title’ ), $sidebar_args['widget_name'], $widget_title );”
In the widgets.php, I was failed to find it [2.6.3].
Anyway, open the widgets.php file which is in wp-includes and look for this code
->comment_post_ID) . ' < / a > ' ) . ' < / li > ' ;
You need to add “< /*br > ” in the last part which is
“'< / a > ') . '< /li > ';So the code which will give you one line break will be like this:
->comment_post_ID) . '< / a > ') . '< / li > < / br > ';NOTE: Remove all “*” “Asterisk”
If you want more space, then add more line breaks
Shafi
November 12, 2008 9:14 amI am using WordPress 2.6.3.
How do I get a line-break like a between comments in the Recent Comments widget.
I have this statement in widget.php file:
$widget_title = sprintf( _c(‘%1$s: %2$s|1: widget name, 2: widget title’ ), $sidebar_args['widget_name'], $widget_title );
Thanks
Shafi
Truncal
February 6, 2009 9:05 pmThanks for the post. I was wondering where to find that file. Q. would you know how to modify it to add a class to the name? I would like to control the styles a bit better.
Justin
June 14, 2009 2:58 amThanks for the post. This has helped me to get much closer to what I’m looking to do: I want in my Recent Comments widget to display Commentator’s Name: Comment – but if “%1$s” is the commenter, do you know how can I find what string = comment?
Bill
June 26, 2009 7:54 pmNow that 2.8 is out, the new name of the file is “default-widgets.php”.
osman
July 2, 2009 11:49 pmthx bill. for 2.8 info. luv ya
haydi bastir fener
July 3, 2009 1:00 amhow can i comment_content to the recent comments list?
sonia
September 19, 2009 4:21 amthanks for telling me how to remove the author name from the recent comments. excellent
Dyce
January 7, 2010 10:42 amI also wanted to display the actual comment instead of the link. did anyone figure this out?
Administrator
January 8, 2010 12:19 amFor people who want to show comment content:
The Echo command which I have mentioned in the post: go there and you will find functions like:
get_comment_author_link() etc
There is also a function:
get_comment()
I am pretty much sure that this is the function that fetches comment body from DB.
I currently am not using this widget in my site: so I have not tried it.
You just need to try few different coding changes in the Echo command mentioned above and I am sure that you will be able to pull the content body instead of comment URL.
ot
March 17, 2010 11:33 pmThanks admin