Creating a custom widget

Today let’s learn a simple quick trick on how to create a custom widget. For my example I will show you how I created my Showcase widget located in the middle, to the right of the posts.

First under your functions.php file type in the following:

<?php // Custom Widget
function MyCustomWidget() { ?>
<li class="widget">
    <h2 class="heading">Latest Showcase</h2>
        <ul>
         <?php include(TEMPLATEPATH . '/includes/showcase.php'); ?>
        </ul>
</li>

<?php }

register_sidebar_widget('The Custom Widget for Showcase', 'MyCustomWidget'); ?>

• Always make sure your code is between the <?php and ?> for it to work.
• Once we call the function, the rest is assuming html code that you may or may not need.

• For instance, you may just put in a picture and call it a day. But my code starts with <li< because my sidebar’s start and end with <ul<.
• Any way, once your done, just set the final “register_sidebar_widget('the widget title', 'the name of the function');“

That’s it! Now you have a custom widget with what ever you want!