=== Side Matter === Contributors: setzer Tags: footnote, footnotes, endnote, endnotes, sidenote, sidenotes, annotation, annotations, citation, citations, shortcode, widget Requires at least: 3.2 Tested up to: 3.5.1 Stable tag: 0.7 License: GPLv2 or later License URI: http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html Turns your footnotes into sidenotes, magically positioning each note in the sidebar next to its corresponding reference in the text. == Description == Side Matter turns your footnotes into sidenotes, magically aligning each note in the sidebar next to its corresponding reference in the text. The plugin's easy-to-use shortcode and widget make it a lightweight, visually elegant tool for annotating your posts and pages. Like marginal notes in a printed text, sidebar notes are well-suited to cross-references, citations, digressions, and commentary. The effect is similar to that used for sidenotes by Grantland and other websites. Side Matter works well with many popular base themes, such as Twenty Twelve, Twenty Ten, Responsive, Pinboard, and Toolbox. It's responsive by default, and includes a set of built-in classes to allow styling sidenotes and references with CSS. To use, just place the Side Matter widget in your sidebar, then enclose sidenote text in a page or post using the `[ref]` shortcode, like so: > Here's the text to annotate.`[ref]`Sidenote text goes here.`[/ref]` == Installation == 1. Upload the directory `side-matter` to `wp-content/plugins`. 2. Activate Side Matter using the Plugins menu. 3. Using the Widgets menu, place the Side Matter widget in a sidebar used by your pages and/or posts. 4. You may now use the `[ref]` shortcode to generate sidenotes in a page or post, like so: > Here's the text to annotate.`[ref]`Sidenote text goes here.`[/ref]` Side Matter's default settings may be changed using its options menu, located on your Reading Settings admin page. The appearance of sidenotes and references can be customized by editing the stylesheet `side-matter/side-matter.css` or copying its contents to your theme's stylesheet and modifying as needed. (The latter option is recommended, as it preserves custom CSS when the plugin is updated.) == Frequently Asked Questions == = Where is Side Matter's options menu? = Side Matter's options menu can be found on your Reading Settings admin page. = Does Side Matter work with responsive layouts? = Yes. By default, Side Matter will automatically re-position sidenotes to their proper places when the browser window is resized or zoomed. This function can be disabled using Side Matter's options menu on the Reading Settings page. (Disabling responsive sidenotes is a good idea if your theme layout is not responsive; doing so will lighten script load when a user resizes her browser.) = My notes appear in the sidebar, but they're bunched together at the top of the sidebar instead of aligning with their references in the text. = Your theme may not be loading `side-matter/side-matter.js`, the script that aligns Side Matter notes. Be sure your theme templates include calls to `wp_head` and `wp_footer`; otherwise, the files required to position Side Matter notes will not load. = My notes appear at a consistent vertical offset from their proper position. = For one reason or another, some themes cause Side Matter notes to appear at a regular vertical offset from their corresponding references in the text. There's a solution: Side Matter's options menu includes a field with which you can arbitrarily adjust the vertical offset of your sidenotes. This field accepts positive and negative integers. If your notes are 21px too low, for example, set the offset value to 21. If your notes are 21px too high, set the offset value to -21. = My notes don't appear in the sidebar. = Be sure you've placed the Side Matter widget in the sidebar that appears on your pages and posts. (By default, sidenotes and references only appear on the permalinked, full version of a page or post, not on the front page of your site or in search results.) You'll also want to make sure that your theme's stylesheet is not somehow interfering with the display of your notes. If your notes still aren't showing up, Side Matter may be incompatible with your current theme. = Why doesn't Side Matter work with some themes? = WordPress themes vary widely in their structure, styling, and adherence to community development standards. While Side Matter works well with many popular base themes that feature a sidebar (including Twenty Twelve, Twenty Ten, Responsive, and Toolbox), it won't display sidenotes properly within all themes. If you have questions about making the plugin work with a particular theme, your best resource may be the theme developer. = How do I modify the appearance of sidenote list numerals without also restyling sidenote text? = The stylesheet `side-matter/side-matter.css` includes instructions for styling sidenote numerals and text separately. In short, styles applied to the `ol.side-matter-ol` or `li.side-matter-li` tag classes will affect list numerals; styles applied to the `div.side-matter-text` tag class will affect sidenote text only. == Screenshots == 1. Side Matter captures footnote text using the [ref] shortcode, then automatically positions each footnote alongside its corresponding reference in the text. 2. Side Matter's default settings can be modified using an options menu on the Reading Settings admin page. == Changelog == = 0.7 = * Added an options menu to the Reading Settings admin page. * Made various tweaks for security, performance, and cross-browser compatibility. * Paragraphs within sidenotes are now properly wrapped in `p` tags by WordPress. * Replaced sidenote `span` tags with `div` tags to correct a display problem in some browsers. * Sidenotes now employ jQuery fade effects for smoother transitions upon window load, resize, and zoom. = 0.6 = * Expanded plugin documentation. * Rewrote `side-matter.php`, simplifying and consolidating code for future development. * Sidenote numerals can now be styled separately from sidenote text. * Streamlined CSS classes and jQuery selectors. * Widget markup now better follows WordPress convention. = 0.5 = * Fixed a class instantiation error that was preventing plugin activation for some users. = 0.4 = * Initial release. == Upgrade Notice == = 0.7 = This update adds several features, including an options menu and transition-smoothing effects. Users who have modified their copy of `side-matter.css` are advised to make a backup copy before updating. = 0.6 = This update includes a number of tweaks and fixes, including improved classes for CSS and separate styling for sidenote numerals. Users who have customized their copy of `side-matter.css` are advised to make a backup copy before downloading. = 0.5 = This update fixes an error that was preventing plugin activation for some users. Recommended. == For Theme Authors == As an alternative to the Side Matter widget, theme authors may use the custom action `side_matter_list_notes` in their templates: This generates an ordered list of Side Matter notes (without the `div` that encloses the widget). If using Side Matter with a custom theme, note that your theme templates must include calls to `wp_head` and `wp_footer` to properly enable the plugin. Detailed information about styling Side Matter elements may be found in the stylesheet `side-matter/side-matter.css`.