Can't Add Or Reposition A Gadget?

In a Blogger template, the dashboard Layout wizard is one of the neatest features for accessorising your blog.

The wizard is very versatile, and resilient. But sometimes, you won't be able to add or reposition a gadget (previously called a "page element"), where you want to.

There are several settings in the template, which affect changes in any important template section.

The Footer, Header, Main (Posts), Sidebar, and other sections have settings, that can affect your ability to add a new gadget into that section - or edit or reposition specific gadgets.

• Maximum gadget count.
• Preferred container flag.
• Show link to "Add a Gadget".
• Container / gadget lock.

To change template section settings, use the Template Editor.

To view and change any of these settings, find the section in question, using the Template Editor.

With the template editor window open, position the cursor in the window, and double click. You need the cursor properly positioned. Then, hit Ctrl - F, for "Find". You will need the "Find" function in the template editor - not in the browser.

Use the Template Editor "Jump to widget" button.

Once the template editor is open, use the "Jump to widget" button, to find "Header1".

Here's a typical Header gadget, from the Edit HTML wizard for a Minima template.

<div id='header-wrapper'>
<b:section class='header' id='header' maxwidgets='1' showaddelement='no'>
<b:widget id='HTML3' locked='false' title='' type='HTML'/>
</b:section>
</div>

Further down in the template, we have a Sidebar gadget.

<div id='sidebar-wrapper'>
<b:section class='sidebar' id='sidebar' preferred='yes'>
<b:widget id='LinkList1' locked='false' title='Key Articles' type='LinkList'/>
<b:widget id='Label1' locked='false' title='Topics' type='Label'/>
</b:section>
</div>

Examine the key settings, which affect use of the Layout page.

There are several key settings, in these examples.

• The maxwidgets='1' setting in the Header section, says only 1 gadget, ie the header, can be part of the Header section. Change this count to a greater value, or delete what's there right now, if you wish to add (or reposition) a gadget here.
• The preferred='yes' setting in the Sidebar section says that any new gadget, by default, will be placed at the top of the Sidebar. To add a new gadget into the header, and with the other settings permitting, you must drag the new gadget from the sidebar, into the header.
• The showaddelement='no' setting in the Header section says that there will be no link to add a new gadget in the Header. To add a new gadget into the Header, and with the other settings permitting, you must select the "Add a Gadget" link in the Sidebar section, add a new gadget into the sidebar, then drag the new gadget from the sidebar, into the header.
• The locked='false' setting says that this gadget can be edited or moved, with the other settings permitting.

Alternatively, you may be able to use the Template Editor "Revert widget templates to default" wizard.

Now, besides the key settings, which affect the ability to add gadgets in general, some folks may need to be reminded of what gadgets are.

Gadgets == Page Elements == Widgets!

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Can't Add Or Reposition A Page Element?
http://blogging.nitecruzr.net/2007/11/cant-add-page-element.html
Can't Add Or Reposition A Gadget?
http://blogging.nitecruzr.net/2007/11/cant-add-or-reposition-gadget.html