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Dynamic Templates, And Problems Editing The Layout Pages Gadget

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.

Comments

FscoMisc said…
Thenk You!

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