Classic (HTML) Templates Get A New Lease On Life

As a result from a few (justified) complaints about Auto Pagination and its effects on blogs with classic (HTML) templates, Blogger has released an enhancement which will make classic templates, in general, more usable.

In Creating pagination links on Classic Templates, we see two new options for classic templates.

If you are using Classic Templates and would like to add pagination links to your blog, there are currently two options for setting this up. Both involve adding a snippet of code to your blog's template, which can be done from the Template | Edit HTML tab.

You even have the ability to customise the link caption, with the phrase of your choice, or even a graphic - as you can see on some of my blogs.

• "<$BlogPaginationLinks$>" (for language automatic, "Older / Newer" captioned links).
• "<$NewerPosts$>" / "<$OlderPosts$>" (for manually labeled custom captions).

Anybody with a blog with a classic template will enjoy using these options, and especially those with blogs subject to unwanted display segmentation. You may see my initial test, in my Classic Template Laboratory. Here's my implementation, with copious amount of detail removed.

<!-- Begin #main -->
<div id="main"><div id="main2">

<Blogger>

<BlogDateHeader>
<h2 class="date-header"><$BlogDateHeaderDate$></h2>
</BlogDateHeader>

<!-- Begin .post -->

...

<!-- End .post -->

<!-- Begin #comments -->
<ItemPage>

...

</ItemPage>

<!-- End #comments -->
</Blogger>
</div>
<$BlogPaginationLinks$>
</div>
<!-- End #main -->

You need to insert the extra code at the very end of the "main" section. Note that precise placement, after the right "</div>", is essential.

You'll note that neither "<$BlogPaginationLinks$>" nor "<$NewerPosts$>" / "<$OlderPosts$>" provides the exact functionality of the links that are built in to designer / layout templates. If you want full functionality, you have to upgrade. Fortunately, since FTP Publishing was terminated, there is no real need to remain with classic templates.

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