wordpress - load a template based on the URI

Question

I have a number of custom of post types - i.e. 'windows', 'doors', 'garages'

and I want to load a custom template (special.php) whenever my wordpress site has a url that looks like this:

www.mysite.com/windows/
www.mysite.com/doors/
www.mysite.com/garages/

I don't want to use pages, as it is not appropriate in this case (I have given a scaled down example in the above example)

How can I achieve this?

Currently, as no pages exist with those names, I am getting an 404 (index.php)

Answer 1

I assume that your custom post type windows would map onto /windows/ etc?

You can customise the template for individual custom post types via single-posttype.php in your theme, e.g. single-windows.php single-doors.php and single-garages.php Wordpress will automatically pick these up

You could also use custom page templates, e.g. page-windows.php or custom templates with the right template names.

If the pages are intended to list the post types, then you could try creating post archive templates, e.g.: http://mark.mcwilliams.me/2010/10/wordpress-3-1-introduces-custom-post-type-archives/

Or, you could create a taxonomy for each of said names, and use taxonomy-windows.php

Using all fo the above, one could share the code using something along the lines of:

<?php
// example code, may need minor modifications
get_template_part('special',$post->post_type);

Allowing you to share the code for all the pages in one file, and giving you child theme support, and the ability to override via files such as special-windows.php

OR, if none of the above suit you, there is a final solution:

http://www.braindonor.net/coding-blog/custom-pages-with-wordpress-plugins/230/

This will let you put a page with whatever you want, wherever you want, without needing any posts or pages of any kind, in a theme independent way.

Answer 2

move all your script in single.php to anthor template called say "narmol.php"

and in the single.php, place a condition like

 if(post_type="windows" || "doors" || "garages") include "special.php";
 else include "normal.php";

the above code is just an idea(Pseudocode). I assume you know how to implement it. let me know if you dont know.

Answer 3

When you register new post type, there's an argument that will enable the post type archives has_archive (check the Codex). When you enable post type archive, these urls:

www.mysite.com/windows/
www.mysite.com/doors/
www.mysite.com/garages/

will uses archive-$post_type.php as the template file. And if the file archive-$post_type.php doesn't exist, it will looks for archive.php. (check the Codex)

So I think a simple solution for you is checking the $post_type in archive.php file and when it's one of windows, doors, garages then we include special.php, like this:

<?php
// archive.php
$post_type = get_query_var('post_type');
if (in_array($post_type, array('windows', 'doors', 'garages'))) {
    include 'special.php';
    exit;
}

// default content for other archive type
?>

Note: Don't forget to set has_archive to true when you register post type.