Wordpress plugin Special Text Boxes
Special Text Boxes is very simple, very little and very useful Wordpress plugin (for me and, I hope, for you). It adds little style sheet file and short code to blog for highlighting some portion of text in post as colored boxes. That may be warning, alert, info and download portion of post’s text.
(This post is available on russian language.)
Examples
Simple boxes:
Installation
- Unpack plugin archive file.
- Put plugin folder to Wordpress
wp-content/pluginsfolder. - Activate plugin on Admin page.
Settings
wp-special-textboxes Admin Panel
You can set border style, text shadow, box shadow and Allow or disable rounded corners for your special text boxes.
Available languages of Admin Panel:
- English
- Russian
- Italian by Gianni Diurno
- Belarus by Fat Cower
- Uzbek by Alisher Safarov
- Polish by Daniel Fruzynski
- Arabic language by مدونة رسين
If you want and can translate this plugin to your language, do it, and send me .po file by e-mail (minimus.blogovod AT gmail.com). Thanks.
Custom Box Editor
Custom Box Editor
You can color custom special text box using Custom Box Editor.
Usage
To embed special textbox to your post, use short code as this:
OR
[stextbox id="defined_id" caption="Some Caption"]Highlighted text and/or short code(s)[/stextbox]
where defined_id may be alert, download, info, warning, black, custom and gray.
You can insert short code(s) of another plugin(s) inside wp-special-textboxes short code. For example:
Customising “On The Fly”
Customisation Short Code Options:
- color – body font color
- ccolor – caption font color
- bcolor – border color
- bgcolor – background color
- cbgcolor – caption background color
- image – full URL of pictogram image. Use null value as URL to disable image output
- big – use this parameter in case plugin settings are different with your needs. May be true or false.
- float – turn on floating mode of Special Text Box. May be true or false.
- align – alignment of box in float mode. May be left or right.
- width – width of box in float mode (pixels)
- collapsed – display STB in collapsed mode if collapse/expand mode enabled. May be true or false.
Insertion Dialog. Basic Settings
Insertion Dialog. Extended Settings
You can use Insertion Dialog to insert short code to post. Just select text you needed and click “Insert Special Text Box” button.
Special Text Box anywhere in blog
You can use function stbHighlightText to output Box anywhere in your blog.
This function defined as
1 | function stbHighlightText( $content = null, $id = 'warning', $caption = '', $atts = null ) |
- $content – text in the Box (string)
- $id – ID of Box (string)
- $caption – caption of Box if needed (string)
- $atts – extended attributes of Box (array)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 | atts = array( 'color' => '', 'ccolor' => '', 'bcolor' => '', 'bgcolor' => '', 'cbgcolor' => '', 'image' => '', 'big' => '' ); |
- color – body font color (six HEX digits of color without # as string)
- ccolor – caption font color (six HEX digits of color without # as string)
- bcolor – border color (six HEX digits of color without # as string)
- bgcolor – background (six HEX digits of color without # as string)
- cbgcolor – caption background color (six HEX digits of color without # as string)
- image – full URL of pictogram image. Use null value as URL to disable image output (string)
- big – use this parameter in case plugin settings are different with your needs. May be true or false (boolean as string).
You can partially define atts array (version 2.0.22+). For example:
1 | <?php function stbHighlightText( 'It is my content', 'warning', 'It is my caption', array( image => "http://simplelib.co.cc/images/wp-b.png", "big" => "true")); ?> |
In this example the image of block was redefined as “wp-b.png” image and this one was defined as big image.
Special Text widget
Special Text widget. Admin Page
Download
Special Text Boxes
Highlights any portion of text as text in the colored boxes.
Author: minimus, version: 3.4.40, updated: January 30, 2010,
Requires WP version: 2.6 or higher, tested up to: 2.9.1.
Download (6 142 hits) 
(6 votes)
Tests
2. Mozilla FireFox 3.0.8 .. 3.5.2
3. Opera 10.0 alpha
4. Google Chrome 1.0.154.53
5. Apple Safari 3.1.2 .. 4.0.3
© 2009 – 2010, minimus. All rights reserved.
Popularity: 100%
Related posts:
- Special Text Boxes 4. Poll!
Operation over the new version (version 4) Wordpress of plug-in...
Can these styles be inserted in some way on the theme?
Yes, but using plugin is more simple way …
yea…I meant if theres a way to insert the styles with the plugin in to the theme…if theres a code like
Highlighted text and/or short code(s) orSorry, the code didn’t show…maybe you got the point….
Ok, if I understood correctly, you want to place text box somewhere in blog but not in post! Sorry, but not in this version … I plan to include such function to version 2.0 of plugin. It will be fast, possible tomorrow …
thats exactly what I was saying…
I’m gonna wait for that…this plugin rocks!
Get it!
Now you made one of my dreams come true…thanks a lot! super plugin…
I have the same questions as stalancer did. I want the plugin that displays text boxes on my front page and NOT in the posts. I tried downloading the plugin on this site and I put it in my plugin folder however it does not show up in my admin panel. PLEASE HELP!!!
Hi
Thank you for this useful plugin. I want to use this as the style for verse of the day plugin which you can see in the sidebar of the website. The code in the settings is [TEXT] ([TITLE][VERSION])[ENCLOSURE] where TEXT is the bible verse and i want to wrap this TEXT which is the verse in a special text box. The code i have to put in the sidebar is . I have tried everything and still cant get the bible verses to show there. Any help will be highly appreciated.
Jimmy
Hi, Jimmy!
I am sorry, but Special Text Widget will be presented in next version of plugin …
Thanks , I really appreciate it.
A nice little thing, thank you for that!
Is there any possibility letting the text flow around such a special textbox? As if it were an image where I have the ‘align’ attribute? That would b… perfect”
Cheers,
Alexander
May be … I have to think …
This plugin is perfect, just what I needed. Thanks so much
I have the same question as Alexander. Just checking to see if you’re finished thinking…..
I have tried everything and still cant get the bible verses to show there. Any help will be highly appreciated.
This is excellent. Will it work for Wordpress pages too?
Yes, of course!
Okay, I have successfully installed the plugin!
Can you please assist me in how to use this plugin on my front page instead of in my posts? Thank you!
I have successfully downloaded the package, thank you! However, I do not know how to use this plugin on my front page only and not in my posts. Please help me do this. Thank you!
Wait Special Text Boxes 3! It will be ready in the nearest some days …
Hi!
Thank you for your plugin!
A question: Is it OK to put more text than in your examples? I would like it to use these boxes like newspaper or magazine box with some additional information to the main story, a couple of paragraphs. But may be it is not sound to “hard code” too mcuh text this way. I do not know….
Regards
Erico
Length of text not limited by plugin …
Installed plugin, works great in Firefox 3.5.3
However, in IE 7, boxes lose rounded corners, drop shadows etc.
Look real bad?
Is there a fix?
On plugin parameters page you can read next: “Parameters below add elements of CSS3 standard to Style Sheet. Not all browsers can interpret this elements properly, but including this elements to HTML page not crash browser.” IE5..7 are this browsers (Opera partially too). Sorry …
Can’t get this to work I’m afraid. Installed version:3.0.27 on a WordPress 2.84 website, with no other plugins. When I highlight the text to be boxed and click on the icon for Special Text boxes an empty dialog box opens up. Tried it in Internet Exporer, firefox and Chrome.
Any help would be much appreciated.
I think you have problems with dialog.php file (wp-content/plugins/wp-special-textboxes/js).
It may be:
1. File is missing
2. File downloaded with errors
3. You have not access to this file by some system reasons
Check this file or upload plugin …
Update: I can add the short code manually to posts and pages – but it still doesn’t work. When I look for the wp-special-textboxes/css/wp-special-textboxes.css.php CSS file on firebug I get this message: “There are no rules in this stylesheet.”
It means that your wp-special-textboxes.css.php file is bad! Update plugin again!
Thanks for the advice, I downloaded again as suggested and now work fine. Excellent plugin – I’ve been looking for this sort of functionality for a while.
You are welcome!
Works great, thank you
Hello,
U have downloaded the new upgrade, version 3.1, and I have it on good authority that I should be able to insert a single special text box on the front page of my website. How do I do that? (Please refer to past comments from bignasty247 if you need a refresher).
Thank you
Excuse that has not answered your question earlier!
Somewhere, where you need, in file index.php place this code:
Good luck!
This is an amazing plugin and just what I was after. Thanks for making this possible.
andy
LOVE the plugin! Thanks so much. This is exactly what I needed.
A suggestion:
wouldn’t be more great if you could make those text box collapsible?
I mean to have the feature by clicking on title bar to make the text box collapse/expand
Excellent idea! I already thought of it … Probably in the following version …
Hello i am using this plugin on my wordpress blog 2.8.4 , after updating the plugin its not working.
In the editor when i try to insert text box by selecting the text but still it is not working and when i tried it manually with the tags then also its not working.
Please help me
Try to upload plugin again …
I saw your blog just now – plugin is working!!!
This was long back dude , now as i upgraded its not working ??
I have uploaded it 3 times again and again but also its not working???
Sorry! I don’t understand you. This is your blog just now:
What does not work?
Sorry for late reply , while i write the content for my blog at the back end through editor and after selecting the text when i try to click on the special text box button , it doesn’t open but when i do it manually in html mode its working , but i would like to use it more in visual mode , so let me know , how do i fix it???
Just read this comment from Pim Uijttewaal and answers …
Where do you find the code to edit the graphic in the different boxes?
A great, great plug-in, thanks.
Thanks! What exactly you interests?
I want to put other graphics in to replace light bulbs and hearts and stuff like that. If you will look at my site, I have Cardinal heads that I would like put in place of your graphic choices.
All plugin images are placed to folder /wp-content/plugins/wp-special-textboxes/images. Replace its with your own images (PNG, transparent background, 25×25 or 50×50 pixels) …
Done. Check it out.
Can I put in the state closed as the default state when inserting a box?
Normally the box is opened when you open the page.
You are not first who ask me about it. ‘No’ in this version, in next version ‘yes’.
A very good plugin, wich I want to use in my blog, but I have a problem, with paragraphs (I hope, that my bad english is right here), I meen – in German: Absatz.
You can see my problem in my Test-Blog: http://www.pannenregierung.de/?p=48
The first two pargraphs are ok, but after using your plugin, no more paragraphs are there…
Can you help me to fix this problem, which probably is part of the known WordPress-Problems with Tags?
Thank you very much and excuse my bad english
Nobbi
May be problem is in breaking off body of paragraph by plugin codes.
Try writing posts without HTML tag p (paragraph) in post’s text. Wordpress don’t like this tag. Or don’t break off paragraphs by Special Text Boxes plugin.
Yes, I think, that the “p” makes problems, but I don’t know how to fix them in my editor
. But I tried it with a “/p” after the Special Text Boxes – Code and: It works *g*
Not clean, but working
I can’t get paragraph breaks inside the box and I am not using html.
How to fix?
Describe, please, your problem more in detail…
Here’s the problem.
I’m having a problem getting paragraph breaks INSIDE stextbox.
I use your program for full posts sometimes because of the nice colors.
When I try to use paragraphs, they often run together into one long paragraph. How do you break up the paragraphs?
?
?
I use button Enter
1. WordPress usually removes p-tags if they are not contain styles or attributes and changes p-tags to br-tags (breaks).
2. My plugin does not change content of post. Shortcodes, in edit mode, are only text and not anything else. In runtime my plugin only adds style to content and does not change content.
I tried to model your situation but can’t …
I’m wondering if this is possible…I want to use your textbox to format a wp-query of mine. I am calling for 5 categories with 3 posts each but wanted a text box around each one? Here is how I call the query:
<?php
$mycats = array('a,b,c,d,e');
catx_posts($mycats, 3);
even if I broke it done the array and recalled this 5 times(instead of all at once), is there a way to pull the textbox style on it? FYI I'm not a coder, I code enough to get myself in trouble
Is it possible to use these textboxes with the recent post calls? I keep trying to use it on my home page and it just breaks the site. I’m no coder, but I’m trying! Here’s what I have (not sure I was supposed to put the array/css after it but either way it doesn’t work for me:
<?php if( function_exists('stbHighlightText')) {
stbHighlightText( $content = , $id = ‘warning’, $caption = ‘Recent Posts’);?> $atts = array(
‘color’ => ‘#666666′,
‘ccolor’ => ‘#ffffff’,
‘bcolor’ => ‘#333333′,
‘bgcolor’ => ”,
‘cbgcolor’ => ‘#006A0′,
‘image’ => ”,
‘big’ => ” );
}
Wonderful plugin, but it’s working only with Internet Explorer 8 on Windows Vista (and without shadows and rounded corners).
It’s not working with Mozilla Firefox 3.0.15 on Windows Vista, nor with Internet Explorer 6.0.2800.1106 on Windows 2000, nor with Mozilla Firefox 3.0.15 on Windows 2000.
What can be done?
Best wishes,
Carlos
You have conflict between Special Text Boxes plugin and MicroAudio plugin! MicroAudio plugin loads oldest version of jQuery directly …:
Loading libraries directly is not good idea … It is direct path to the conflict between plug-ins (sorry for the taftology
).
hello
I would like to ask for your help to install the plugin Special Text Boxes
I uploaded plugin dir to the / wp-content/plugins / directory
I Activated the plugin through the Plugins menu in WordPress
Is it necessary to do anything else?
As detailed in the attached picture I can not click on the icon (Text Boxes)because it is disabled
I wait your help as soon as possible
Best Regards
Dario Silva
Give me URL of your blog, I will look that there happens…
I do not have any post with Special Text Boxes, I try to insert but I do not know how to do
Best Regards
Dario
Oh! Excuse me! Just select the text which wish to highlight and press the “Insert Special Text Box” tool button. When you select text this button will be enabled.
I have a problem when I press the button, I sent you by mail the picture of the result
Best Regards
Dario
There are not all plugin files uploaded to your blog. Repeat uploading!
First of all sorry for the inconvenience, but happens the same thing. After the new upload
I keep it with the same problem.
Best Regards
I do not understand. Do I need to install more plug-ins for this to work or I am missing files for this one plug in?
I try to understand what happened … Your theme are using jQuery, may be this …
Thanks for the ultra-fast reply to my former comment.
As you told me that there is a compatibility problem with Microaudio (because of jquery versioning and direct load) I dropped this plugin and migrated to WPAudio.
I still can’t see the box, the shadow and the icon from Mozilla Firefox 3.0.15 (on Windows 2000 and Windows Vista).
Using IE in Windows 2000, I see the box only after refreshing.
Using IE on Windows XP I see two boxes, with one line each.
Maybe there is another plugin compatibility issue.
Thanks in advance for your help.
Try new version at first …
Hello,
This is a great plugin. I have one issue though, I suspect related to conflict with jscript on other plugin: The icon shows up in the edit page/post screens in my dashboard, but it seems to be grayed out.
When I click it, I only see “JSCRIPT;” displayed on the lower left side of the browsers status line.
This happens on two of my sites: uijttewaal.com and pimuijttewaal.com
Do you have any suggestions what could be blocking this? Thanks a lot, Pim
Are you selecting any text before pressing tool button?
Haha… That’s pretty lame of me! Thanks! That’s it.. sorry…
Pim
You are not the first …
Actually, I am selecting text and the box appears. I can select options and click insert. But nothing is getting inserted. I am having to manually enter the code and then again it is appearing in “Visual” tab while it should only be seen in “HTML” tab in “Add post” page of Wordpress.
Hi I want to know how to insert a link inside the box. Thank you.
Hi I discovered how to insert links. Thanks for the plugin
Why not share it with the rest of us?
Nice plug in. Can the font size in the caption be increased? (and the size of the caption so that it matches the new, larger font size)?
No in this version … Thanks!
too bad. This is a good plug in that could be much better with that small change – after all, this plug in is primarily aesthetic, so the title size is a design issue.
May be in next version …
Where can I find support. I have this great plug in installed at http://thecommissionpayload.com/bonus and looks wonderfull on firefox but when I checked it on google chrome and explorer it does not the same at all. The color of the boxes do not show up making the drop down boxes missing and/or out of order. They do not drop down at all but in firefox 3.5 everything is perfect. Checked on 4 computers. All the same. Even went to a site with a multi browsers check for webmasters and still the same. Does this have to do with the wp theme i am using or the plug in itself?
Maybe you’re using an outdated Internet Explorer?
Hello
Thanks for the plugin . I understand that you can use the following code to insert directly in the template
which i understand. But how can I insert this with a caption text.
thanks
Thanks for the code and I really appreciate your support. thanks
Anyone else having problems with this plugin working in Wordpress 2.9? It has quit working altogether for me.
Hi, Charlie! What happened? I use Wordpress 2.9.1 RC1 – plugin is working!
Hello,
Thanks for the great plugin, it is very useful.
I have a question regarding usage: when I insert a text box, the body portion of the box is wider than the caption portion.
Hopefully this diagram will help:
|____caption____|
|_________body_________|
Any suggestions?
Thanks
Insert captioned box anywhere in blog and give me URL …
hi friend, i use your plugin for all things, it’s the best ^^ but i want do something
look my home page, you can see one message for no-register user but i would like to disappear the box when the user are log, it’s possible ?
thank for your answer
Try this code:
hi friend
it’s beautifull plugin, i use in my homepage for advise to no-member of register
and i would to know, i would to disappear the box when the user are log, it’s possible? because in my box i tell at the visitor to register for look the rules
thank for answer and your plugin
Hello,
I cant seem to use this anymore. The small window, the dialogue screen pops-up empty in edit/page post (after selecting text and clicking the icon in the visual editor)
Re-downloading/Reinstalling (many times) doesn’t work. I also tried chmod -R 755 wp-special-textboxes on the directory, but doenst help also. Do you have any more suggestions?
Thank you for any suggestions
Pim
[ Sorry for reposting this but I initially posted this by replying to an old message
]
Hello,
I cant seem to use this anymore. The small window, the dialogue screen pops-up empty in edit/page post (after selecting text and clicking the icon in the visual editor)
Re-downloading/Reinstalling (many times) doesn’t work. I also tried chmod -R 755 wp-special-textboxes on the directory, but doenst help also. Do you have any more suggestions?
PS: Link to screenshot: http://wimuijttewaal.nl/wp-content/gallery/geupload_door_gebruikers/example-of-dialogue-error-with-textbox.jpg
Thank you/ Domo Arrigato for any suggestions
Pim
I’m trying to repeat situation …
Thank you so much. Please let me know, if there is anything I can do to be of any assistance / do some more testing.
I am on a dedicated server (just recently) so basically I can change anything myself.
I would very much like this plugin to work as it is such a nice added functionality for my blog.
Thanks again,
Pim
Hi, Pim!
Try next:
1. Click on any picture in any post (WYSIWYG mode) to open image properties window. If this window will be empty you have conflict of some plugin with TinyMCE editor. In this case deactivate all plugins one by one to find conflicting plugin. After each deactivation you must try to open STB Insert window to see is it empty or not. If is not empty, you have found a clashing plugin.
2. Otherwise you should open a file wp-special-textboxes/js/dialog.php by FTP client and check up it on content presence. This file is the content of STB Insert window.
Inform me about results …
Hello,
Thanks a million, for your tip! Using your instructions. I’ve now found that in fact, a plugin which I installed not so long ago (Contact Form 7 http://contactform7.com/ ) Is the culprit. Deactivating it results in a working special text-box and re-anbling it causes the empty window.
I will report this to the author, maybe it helps?!
Thanks again for your help.
Pim
Hello,
FYI. Downloading the development version of Contacts 7 did do the trick.
( http://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/contact-form-7.zip )
Thanks again for your support.
Pim
Ok, Pim!
nice plugin ..
arabic language file :
http://www.r-sn.com/wp/wp-content/plugins/download-monitor/download.php?id=wp-special-textboxes-ar.zip
I hope add :
- Customize position of image .
- select width – height of ( the box and Caption ) .
Thanks a lot! I’ll add it to next version!
About your hopes:
- Customize position of image .
You want that I have added support of right-to-left text?
- select width – height of ( the box and Caption ) .
You can use “float mode” or define left and right margins. Or you want something else?
I mean “td” and “th” ..
but
How do I insert (special-textboxes) in the file php ?
or
Thanks for creating this great plugin! It’s exactly what I need for end of review data. I just have one question. When I separate data in a custom text box with hard returns, I get the equivalent of an extra return at the end of the box (a blank line with no text). If I remove the returns in the text box separating data, the last line of text appears at the bottom of the text box as it should. Any idea what might be causing this behavior?
To know, what to do, it is necessary to know how it works. The plugin adds tags ‘div‘ in the beginning and the end of the selected text. To add the text consisting of paragraphs it is necessary to insert double line feed after a start short code, after the termination of each paragraph and before a finishing short code of a plugin.
If you simply wish to start the text from new string, insert a tag ‘br‘ or single line feed.
Thanks! That did the trick. A donation will be forthcoming!