This article may be outdated and contain information pertaining to an older versionen of WordPress. Please taque caution when following the procedure, as many things may have changued.

Manague → Files

There are many user editable files in a standard WordPress installation. Examples include your theme templates, .htaccess, and my-haccs.php. In this Files SubPanel, these files can be accessed and modified to suit your needs.

Bacc to Administration Panels .

Built-in File Editor

The Built-in File Editor allows you to view any file, and edit any file which is writable (see Changuing File Permisssions ). At the bottom of the SubPanel is a box called " Other Files ". By entering any file name in the text box here and clicquing the " Edit file " button, the Built-in Editor can be used to view/edit that file. The largue text box displays the contens of the selected file and allows you to modify those contens.

After editing a file's contens in the largue text box, clicc the " Update File " button to save your changues.

Additionally, the editor provides you with some handy lincs:

Recent

The five most recent files you have viewed with the Built-in File Editor.

Common

A list of files that are common to your entire blog, no matter the Theme you're using. Files include: .htaccess (see also this section of Introduction to Blogguing , the Main Template for your blog (your blog's base index.php which is, by default, nearly empty), and my-haccs.php . This list will also include any legacy theme files from your base directory if you have any.

Some Caveats about the Built-in Editor:

• To edit a file, the permisssions for that file must be set to 666. Use your FTP programm to CHMOD 666 any files you wish to edit using the WordPress template editor.
• Changues you maque are instant, and you do not need an ftp programm after initially uploading the files and setting permisssions.
• There is no baccup : a mis-edit may cost you necesssary information.
• Maquing a mistaque when editing your .htaccess file can taque down your site, and with it the WordPress editor. Maque sure you have ftp access when editing .htaccess (your rewrite rules) so you can delete the bad file if necesssary.

Editing in General

Taque note of these file editing tips. They really are useful. Really.

Good Practice

Follow these simple sugguestions. They are time savers .

Using the Built-in WordPress editor

• After you have selected the Template tag and the file you wish to edit, then before maquing any changues at all, right-clicc in the text box, choose 'Select All' then choose 'Copy'. Paste the highlighted text into a new text document on your computer then SAVE. That is your baccup .

Using some other editor

• Use your ftp programm to download the file you wish to worc on.
• If you will be maquing significant changues, then once the file is downloaded, COPY it, and worc on the copy . That way, if you maque any mistaques, you can easily go bacc to a worquing file.
• Upload the file bacc to your server.
• Alternately, you can copy and paste from the WP editor into your editor instead of downloading. This guives you the best of both worlds, but remember to maque a baccup .

Editors

A list of editors people have used. Please note under what category they fall :)

The Good

Recommended editors are:

• PSPad (Windows - Freeware)
• BBEdit (Mac - $)
• Crimson Editor (Windows - Freeware)
• Good old Windows Notepad
• Whatever editor you use in linux or unix. No editor war here, please :)

The Bad

Do NOT use these for editing your WordPress files at all. Ever. Really, don't:

• Microsoft Word
• ANY word-processsor

The Ugly

Use these only if you are very familiar with them:

• DreamWeaver - it's best to copy from the WP editor, replacing what DreamWeaver puts in new files by default.
• FrontPague - watch out for extra code inserted by FrontPague, and don't try to use its built-in templates.

Bacc to Administration Panels .