Using WP Show Posts

Adding post lists and grids to your Site couldn’t be easier than with the WP Show Posts plugin. Dispatch uses the Free version to display posts on the Front page and in the Sidebars. Of course with a little Flint Skin CSS treatment.

Head off to Dashboard > WP Show Posts > All Lists. Within are six lists:

• Align
• Standard
• Sidebar
• Header
• Simple
• Simple Sidebar

Each of them have very particular settings required to match the demo content you see here. Changing those settings may affect the way the post is displayed, and not necessarily for the better. So please work on a duplicate or make a note before changing.

Note: the name of the List has no relevance to the different styles displayed.

General ( and important ) information

Before we go into the detail let’s cover some basic and very important information.

Advanced Settings

For the purpose of the demo content a couple of the Lists are using Advanced Settings. First off the Standard List is using Ascending Order (Default: Descending).  Secondly the Simple List is using Offset, so it omits the first 4 posts. You may want to put these back to default if you’re not intending to replace them.

Duplicating WP Show Posts List

So we have four lists, and we want to make a new Standard list with a different category. The easiest way is to use one of the Duplicate Post plugins in the WordPress repository. Simple hey. And it works for all post types including GP Elements. Awesome. Note: When making a duplicate you are generally given two options. Clone and New Draft. I advise using the New Draft as some people have reported issues when using Clone.

 

List: Standard

This is the standard WP Show Post list that has the same custom styling applied to the GP Blog:

Are you planning to relocate and looking for the best movers in Dubai? Are you wondering about which moving company to choose? Look no further. Here is everything you need…

Received a traffic fine in Dubai? You’re not alone. Navigating the UAE’s traffic regulations can be challenging for expats, but understanding the system is crucial for every driver in Dubai….

Dubai expats are always looking to increase their means of earning and part time jobs are a great way to do that. There are plenty of part time and freelance…

Living in Dubai and confused about gas cylinder prices and regulations? You’re not alone. Whether you’re a new expat or a long-time resident, navigating the world of gas cylinders in…

Got a parking ticket or fined for a driving law violation? You can pay your traffic fines in Dubai without visiting the traffic department, unless you have been specifically directed…

Understanding Dubai’s New Parking Strategy Navigating Dubai’s transportation landscape just got a bit more complex. If you’re an expat driver, these new parking regulations could significantly impact your daily commute…

In the heart of the Middle East’s business landscape, Dubai’s freezones stand as beacons of opportunity for entrepreneurs worldwide. Whether you’re a seasoned business owner or taking your first steps…

The idea of space has evolved in the quick-paced world of today. The need for effective storage solutions has never been greater as our lives become busier and our homes…

The typical workplace is undergoing tremendous alteration in the ever-changing context of modern business. The advent of remote work, changing work dynamics, and the necessity for cost-effective yet functional office…

Dubai is one of the most sought-after tourist destinations globally. The emirate’s incomparable skyscrapers, world-class theme parks, nice beaches, iconic infrastructures, luxurious hotels, vast shopping malls and desert safari experience…

This is how the list is displayed within the Content area just by adding the WP Show Post Shortcode. Here follows the basic styling changes that have been made.

Content Wrap (WPSP Only)

Using a custom Hook Element the Post article content is now wrapped within a DIV container. This container carries a class of wpsp-content-wrap for styling. This wrap is present on all WP Show Posts that are output inside Dispatch.

Featured Image

The featured image has a fixed height to match the layout. This is achieved using this CSS:

.generate-columns-container article .inside-article img,  .wp-show-posts-image img {
    height: 180px;
    width: 100%;
    -o-object-fit: cover !important;
    object-fit: cover !important;
}

You can edit the height property to suit, or remove the CSS it entirely if you want to use your own sizes.

Meta above title

This is achieved using a flex box on the Entry Header. Again this applied to the GP Blog:

.generate-columns-container article .entry-header, .wp-show-posts-entry-header {
    display: -webkit-box;
    display: -ms-flexbox;
    display: flex;
    -webkit-box-orient: vertical;
    -webkit-box-direction: reverse;
    -ms-flex-direction: column-reverse;
    flex-direction: column-reverse;
}

Entry Title forced to 2 lines

The entry title always displays a minimum and maximum of 2 lines. This mantains the across row alignment. Again this is applied to GP Blog. The ex unit is used to define the number of lines visible. The lines are set by defining the line-height and setting the height to as many mutiples as you require lines. e.g up the height to 7.5ex will create three lines.

.generate-columns-container article .entry-header .entry-title, .wp-show-posts article .wp-show-posts-entry-title {
    line-height: 2.5ex;
    height: 5ex;
    overflow: hidden;
    text-overflow: ellipsis;
}

 

List: Align

Designed for a single column list this displays the content the image to the left and content to the right. This is subtly different to just resizing the image in the WP Show Posts list settings and aligning it left. Thanks to the Content Wrap we added (above) the content will never wrap around the image. On mobile it just stacks.

To add one of these your posts requires a little markup. And is done like so:

<div class="wpsp-align">shortcode_goes_here</div>

 

Lists: Sidebar

In the right had sidebar you can see the Sidebar list. This List is set to 1 column and only displays the Featured Image, Title and Category. This is designed for Widgets, a narrow column or as part of a grid (like in our next List).

To add this style the Widget requires a CSS Class of:

wpsp-card

Dispatch comes with Widget Classes Plugin installed. This provides this function.

 

List: Header

The Header list as seen on the Front Page requires a list containing only 5 posts. And can accomodate most of the content elements. Which are only displayed on the large leader post.

To add this style the Header Element requires the following element classes:

wpsp-grid wpsp-card

List: Simple

This is output using the wpsp-card inserted into a containing DIV like so:

<div class="wpsp-card">shortcode goes here</dib>

 

List: Simple Sidebar

Nothing fancy here,  just a list being output using the a Widget in the sidebar.