Need to create a new page template (or other) file in your WordPress theme and don't have FTP access?

Here is a simple little procedure that will create the file for you. Once that is done, you need only copy and paste your code into it using the WordPress Appearance Editor.

Step 1: Determine the name of your theme's folder. You can do this by viewing the source code of your home page in your web browser and doing a search for the word /theme/ including the slashes. The word that appears right after that is the name of your theme. Take note of this.

Step 2: Create the new file. Next log into the WordPress admin panel (Dashboard) and click on the following menu items in the right column:

Appearance
-> Editor

In the left column, look for a file called header.php. Click on it to open it in the editor.

Add the following line to the very top of header.php to create the NoSideBar.php file.

<?php touch('wp-content/themes/panorama/NoSideBar.php'); ?>

Before you click the Update button to save it, be sure to change the word panorama with the name of your themes folder as determined above. In this example, we are creating a file called NoSideBar.php. Be sure to also replace this filename with the name of the file you want to create if it is different. You will not be able to easily rename or delete the file later.

Now view the Home page of your blog/website. The above line will create the NoSideBar.php file.

Step 3: Remove the code. Go back in into the WordPress Admin site and click on Appearance->Editor once again. Remove the code you just added from header.php. Be sure to only remove the code you added and nothing more. Click the Update button to save the file.

Step 4: Add your code into the new file. Your new file should also now appear in the list of files. Click on it to edit the file and cut and paste your code into it. Don't forget to click the Update button to save your new code.

Important Note: Be sure to keep a local copy of the file on your computer as well as a link to these instructions. If you ever update your WordPress theme, this file may need to be re-installed.

What if the above procedure doesn't work? I have come across some web host providers who have set their security settings extremely high. In fact, you may have even experienced problems before. In this case, I recommend you hire a professional web developer :-).

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