3 column template for New Blogger (previously Blogger Beta)

Update 17 July 2007: Informed by Ramani that there are some changes in his Hackosphere site. Don't know how it will affect downloading of his template which is used for this blog. In any case, you can get a modified version (blog Header widened to same width as rest of content plus additonal "Add a Page Element" in the Header section and the Main Column (posts) section of the LAYOUT by joining Google group Photostore. It was somehow set up as a private group, but I think I will leave its status as it is. You just join and you will be approved as a member to get access. Thought it will help me keep track of how many bloggers are interested in the template. Alternatively, you can email me, but the other option is better. You can then come back to read the rest of the post. The part about the warning of widgets getting deleted is normal. What you should do is to backup your template Backing up and changing New Blogger template. I need to update that post to inform readers that it is a good idea to edit the Page Elements one by one and saving them in Notepad files. Some Page Elements like Link List cannot be backed up.


Update 7 April 2007: There are other Hackosphere 3 column New Blogger templates: New Blogger 3 column templates modified by Ramani of Hackosphere

Other New Blogger 3 column templates:

New Blogger template modified by Stavanger

Dots New Blogger template with Header

New Blogger templates by Isnaini

New Blogger templates by Thur

Ramani's New Blogger Neo template

New Blogger template by FinalSense (note: blogs using these templates will have no navbar)

NOTE: I have noticed that some search engines have directed search with the search terms "blogger 3 column template" to this page. If you are looking for a 3 column template for the Blogger classic blog, you will have to refer to this blog Blogger template tutorial - 3 column template

---

Ramani of Hack-O-Sphere has a cool hack for a 3 column template for Blogger Beta. You can find it here: 3 column templates for Blogger Beta.

I have tested it. Initially, I copy the script from his site and pasted it into notepad, then the template editor, and that resulted in an error message: "XML error message: The document type declaration for root element type "html" must end with '>'." (See update below). It turns out I have to follow exactly the instruction, download the file into my computer (right-click, "Save target as". I downloaded it as an XML file), then upload it into Blogger Beta. That resulted in a message: "Please confirm that the following widgets should be deleted. All the widgets' configuration data will be lost.
HTML1".
When I tried it earlier for another Beta Blog, the message was even longer:
HTML5
HTML4
HTML1
HTML2
HTML3
Label1
but looks like Blogger Beta is undergoing a lot of improvements). Also, in the resulting blog, the labels were missing from the sidebar. This, however, was easily rectified, as Labels could be added back using the "Add a Page Element" for the sidebars.

Update: Contacted Ramani about the XML error message. He responded that if we use notepad, we have to ensure that word-wrap is disabled.

To see the result, have a look at this blog which have been converted to a 3 column Minima Blogger Beta template: Star Home Improvements

NOTE: I have noticed that some search engines have directed search with the search terms "blogger 3 column template" to this page. If you are looking for a 3 column template for the Blogger classic blog, you will have to refer to this blog Blogger template tutorial - 3 column template