Split Your WordPress Content Into Two or More Columns

WordPress is a great CMS, but implementing some features within your theme can require a little lateral thinking. The content for your page or post is usually output by the theme code using a single function call:

the_content(args);

But what if you need to split the content into two or more blocks? That might be necessary if your theme requires multiple columns or sections on the page. WordPress provides a get_the_content() function to return content as a PHP variable, but how do you determine where the divisions occur? There are a few solutions on the web, but most involve either:

1. Splitting the content at HTML tags such as h2 headings. Unfortunately, that requires the content author to know a little HTML and it’s not very versatile — you couldn’t allow two headings in one column.
2. Using a WordPress shortcode. That’s more flexible, but it still puts the onus on the content editor to remember and use the right code.

The WordPress <!--more--> tag may offer a better solution. It’s normally used to split a long article into two or more pages, but not all themes use that facility and it only works for WordPress posts by default (not pages). Using the <!--more--> tag offers several advantages:

• A “more” toolbar button is available in both the visual and HTML editing pane.
• Divisions can be placed anywhere in the content.
• It’s easy for non-technical users to understand how the content will be split.

To split your content, locate your theme folder (wp-content/themes), edit or create a functions.php file and add the following function within a <?php … ?> block:

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