One interesting question, which we see occasionally in Blogger Help Forum: Learn More About Blogger, would be about making the blog easier to read - if the blog were static.How do I number the pages, in the blog?
This blog owner does not quite understand the concept of dynamic content.
With a static website, and each page linked linearly, one after the other, it might make sense to number the pages.
Blogger blog content is dynamic.
A Blogger blog has dynamic content. Each reader retrieves the posts, in reverse date sequence, in a number of contexts.
- In main page view, one page linked to the next - owner selectable maximum posts / page, auto paginated.
- In individual post view, one post linked to the next - one post / page.
- In an archive retrieval, one page linked to the next - a maximum of 20 posts / page, auto paginated.
- In a label search, one page linked to the next - a maximum of 20 posts / page, auto paginated.
Each label in the blog can generate a different label search, one search / label.
We say that the content is dynamic, because each of the above contexts use blog content, retrieved just when a reader clicks on a link.
Each time content is retrieved, for each reader, it will differ.
Each different retrieval will generate a series of physical pages of display, with a different combination of posts. Each retrieval will be paginated according to amount of content, by auto pagination.
If the posts are summarised using Jump Break, pagination will reflect the visible post content. With other "Read More" solutions, this may or may not be the case.
Dynamic indexes can use any combination of various dynamic accessories.
You can index the posts in a blog, using various dynamic sidebar gadgets.
- An archive index.
- A label index.
- Any number of linklists.
- Any number of feed gadgets.
Again, each index will be dynamic.For truly dynamic indexing, you can provide a single blog search - or a multiple blog search - or even a label combination search.
You can get installable gadgets, and custom templates, from various third party developers. Some gadgets and templates will let you setup an index (whether dynamic, or static), with page numbers. This will be third party code - and carries with it the risks of using third party code.
Non dynamic accessories require post template tweaks.
Non dynamic indexes generally install as code, inserted into the post template. The post template is not a blog component that should be tweaked, without understanding the risks.
Also, if you apply to host AdSense ads on the blog, you'll probably get a refusal, cited as "Difficult navigation". The AdSense crawler can't navigate JavaScript based links - and won't be able to analyse post content, to place ads.
The AdSense crawler can't navigate this blog, with numbered pages.
All of the above details affect how much content may appear on one physical page, and how many pages may be relevant to the retrieval. With these unknowns, it is not productive to identify each post - or set of posts - using page numbers.
How many index listings would you want to keep - especially considering that any one index could change, in the next minute, as a new post is published, or maybe a label is added to, or removed from, one or more posts?
Blogger content is dynamic. Treat it, dynamically.
We've been dealing with the limitations of the dynamic template - how you can't easily edit dynamic template HTML code, with a blog published to a dynamic template - for a while.
At one time, you could link a dynamic and non dynamic view of the blog - and let your readers use the sidebar, and the many options there, in non dynamic view - and switch back to dynamic view, for the comments and posts. That choice was taken away, in 2014, because of "privacy issues".
Like Designer and Layout templates, you can add a Pages gadget - and index dynamic pages, like label searches - as you may have done with gadgets on static pages.
Dynamic templates now support positioning of the Pages gadget, in the menu bar - and let you add both dynamic and static pages.
If your blog, published to a dynamic template, doesn't have a pages menu, in the menu bar, you can always index the label searches in your blog, from a linklist in the sidebar. Or, you can upgrade your blog.
Using a working Pages gadget, add dynamic pages, referencing one or more label searches which interest you. And make sure that the pages are properly sequenced, in "List Order".
Checkout the blog, using a non dynamic template, and make sure that the Pages gadget works as expected. Once you have what you like, go back to the Template wizard, and re select the non dynamic template.
With the blog once again using a dynamic template - and if you added / relocated the Pages gadget into the Tabs section of the template, you should now see your label searches, indexed in the menu bar, just below the title section of the blog. You can see my favourite topics, now indexed in my "Musings" blog menu bar.
You may not have room for every topic, in the menu bar - but you can pick your favourites. And you can still index all of the label searches, in a linklist, which will work in the pop out sidebar.
The "Configure Page List" wizard is an extremely useful - yet obscure - feature in the dashboard Layout page.
Not every blog owner sees the "Pages" gadget, in the "Layout" page and knows to click on "Edit", to access "Configure Page List". Nor do all owners know how many assorted functions, previously part of the "Pages" dashboard wizard, are now found, exclusively, under "Configure Page List".
"Configure Page List" is an essential component in the pages management suite, in the Blogger dashboard.
"Configure Page List" is accessible in two different ways.
- From the Layout dashboard menu - if the Pages gadget has been added to the blog.
- Using the appropriate "Quick Edit" icon - if "Quick Edit" is enabled, for the blog.
Add the Pages gadget, to the blog, if it's not present.
If the Pages gadget is not visible on the Layout display, you may need to add the gadget, to the blog.
To make the Pages gadget function as a horizontal link bar - the most popular layout - you add the gadget into the "crosscol" template section, in the dashboard Layout page. The "crosscol" section, on standard Blogger templates, contains CSS rules which make lists display horizontally.
Enable "Quick Edit", if necessary.
If you wish to use "Quick Edit" to access "Configure Page List", you may need to enable "Quick Edit".
"Configure Page List" has many functions.
Find the Page List gadget, in "Layout", and click on the pencil icon.
When you edit the Page List gadget, you get "Configure Page List".
Here, we see "Pages to show" (to select static pages), "Add external link" (to add dynamic pages), and "List Order" (to delete dynamic pages, using the "X").
"Configure Page List" has various functions, in managing both dynamic and static pages.
- Change the Title of the Pages gadget, in the Layout wizard display, using "Title".
- Hide / Show "Home" and various static pages, created by Page Editor, by using "Pages to show".
- Resequence the order of display of the various pages, by dragging and dropping using "List order".
- Add dynamic pages, previously called "Web address" entries, using "Add external link". Dynamic pages can include individual posts, archive retrievals, label searches, and other blogs or websites. Be very precise, when entering an "Add external link" entry for "Web address (URL)".
- Delete dynamic pages, by clicking on the "X", using "List order".
- Note that to change the caption or URL for a dynamic page, you must delete then re add a new dynamic page entry, using the desired name and URL.
- Let you remove the Pages gadget, using the "Remove" button.
To use "Configure Page List" effectively, you need to understand the differences between Pages and Posts.
The gadget will change form, depending upon location.
The "Pages" gadget may be present in various locations, in the blog - and may have different appearances, depending upon location.
In either appearance, if "Quick Edit" is enabled, you can access "Configure Page List" by clicking on the "Quick Edit" icon. Or, you can Edit the Pages gadget from the Layout menu in the dashboard.
History.
In 2014, Blogger reorganised the various pages maintenance utilities, and moved a wide assortment of functions into "Configure Page List". This change caused some confusion, with many blog owners.
Ever since the new Pages wizards have been in use, we've been seeing reports from blog owners, who have problems with adding, deleting, and re sequencing links on the dynamic template menu bars.
Most blog owners have gotten used to the idea of maintaining dynamic pages ("link pages", formerly known as "web address"), using the Layout Pages gadget - separately from maintaining static pages (formerly known as "blank pages"), using the dashboard Pages wizard.
Even understanding the changes, some blog owners, who publish blogs that use dynamic templates, cannot add or delete dynamic pages - or cannot resequence the various page links.
Some owners claim to have links on the menu bar that they can't delete. Others have added, deleted, or resequenced links - but have found their changes to be lost, when viewing the blog, after saving the changes.
It appears that some blogs have had multiple Pages gadgets.
Blogs using a dynamic template, with multiple Pages gadgets in their history, become a problem.
If we look at the "Edit" link of the Pages gadget, in most blogs, we find the gadget referenced as "PageList1".https://www.blogger.com/rearrange?blogID=1573647684922284136&widgetType=PageList&widgetId=PageList1&action=editWidget§ionId=sidebar-right-1
That is the "Edit" link for the gadget, for my dynamic template test blog.
Some blogs show signs of having had multiple Pages gadgets. "PageList2" - or even "PageList3" - are seen in some blogs.https://www.blogger.com/rearrange?blogID=3821418744348630367&widgetType=PageList&widgetId=PageList2&action=editWidget§ionId=sidebar-right-1
That is the "Edit" link for the gadget, for one blog with this problem.
Apparently the dynamic templates only use "PageList1" in the menu bar - even if "PageList2" or "PageList3" is the active "Pages" gadget. This is not a problem for non dynamic templates.
The workaround, in this case, is simple enough. The blog owner must edit "PageList1".https://www.blogger.com/rearrange?blogID=3821418744348630367&widgetType=PageList&widgetId=PageList1&action=editWidget§ionId=sidebar-right-1
Just extract the URL from the "Edit" link, paste it into the browser address window, change the "2" to "1", and hit Enter. Then add, delete, and rearrange links as necessary - and Save the changes.
The workaround is simple enough - but until Blogger Engineering fixes the problem, the blog owners affected have to use the workaround, each time they need to update Pages. And, if they ever switch back to a non dynamic template, they will need to update the active alias of "PageList", with any changes made to "PageList1".
Let's hope that Blogger Engineering can identify and fix the problem.
