August 2, 2009
If you're new to WordPress, the_excerpt() is a template tag that allows you to include just the first 55 words of a post. It's useful if you want a magazine-style front page with lots of snippets of posts; some themes also use it in sidebars for teasers for recent posts. The problem with the_excerpt() is it's not very flexible. It's fixed at 55 words. It's wrapped in <p> tags. The... Read more
April 4, 2009
Update: I've now written a plugin that does this, so download that rather than editing theme files, if you prefer. I've spent a lot of time over the last 24 hours trying to change WordPress's the_excerpt() function to play the way I want it to. This is the inbuilt function that (by default) cuts your post's content down to just the first 55 words: it's used extensively in magazine-style... Read more