Sidebar Generator

<?php
/**
 * Widget areas for the theme.
 */

/**
 * Registers the widget areas.
 *
 * The markup here is what wraps every widget dropped into the area, so it is
 * worth getting right once rather than fighting it in CSS later.
 */
function my_theme_register_sidebars() {
	register_sidebar(
		array(
			'id'            => 'sidebar-1',
			'name'          => __( 'Main Sidebar', 'my-theme' ),
			'description'   => __( 'Shown beside posts and pages.', 'my-theme' ),
			'before_widget' => '<section id="%1$s" class="widget %2$s">',
			'after_widget'  => '</section>',
			'before_title'  => '<h2 class="widget-title">',
			'after_title'   => '</h2>',
		)
	);
	register_sidebar(
		array(
			'id'            => 'footer-1',
			'name'          => __( 'Footer Column One', 'my-theme' ),
			'before_widget' => '<section id="%1$s" class="widget %2$s">',
			'after_widget'  => '</section>',
			'before_title'  => '<h2 class="widget-title">',
			'after_title'   => '</h2>',
		)
	);
}
add_action( 'widgets_init', 'my_theme_register_sidebars' );

/*
 * Output. Put this in sidebar.php, or wherever the column belongs.
 */
if ( is_active_sidebar( 'sidebar-1' ) ) {
	echo '<div class="' . esc_attr( 'sidebar widget-area' ) . '">';

	dynamic_sidebar( 'sidebar-1' );

	echo '</div>';
}