This document discusses several obscure but useful WordPress functions including wpautop() for formatting text, removing empty paragraphs, allowing shortcodes in widgets, changing excerpt lengths, localizing dates with date_i18n(), and adding pagination. Functions covered include wpautop(), remove_filter(), add_filter(), strip_shortcodes(), excerpt_length, date_i18n(), and paginate_links.

1. Coolfields Consulting www.coolfields.co.uk
@coolfields
Obscure WordPress Functions
that are actually quite useful…
Graham Armfield
Web Accessibility Consultant
WordPress Developer
graham.armfield@coolfields.co.uk
@coolfields

2. Obscure? Really?
Well, maybe not known to everyone…
2

3. Formatting text
wpautop($str);
• Adds in line breaks and paragraphs
• Useful for printing textarea custom fields
3

4. Formatting text
But… sometimes wpautop() goes too far
• Adds in empty paragraphs
• <div> elements in paragraphs
• Often happens when using shortcodes
• Can be down to the order that things get done
4

5. Removing empty paragraphs
remove_filter( 'the_content', 'wpautop' );
add_filter( 'the_content', 'wpautop' , 99);
function remove_empty_p($content){
$content = force_balance_tags($content);
return
preg_replace('#<p>s*+(<brs*/*>)?s*</p>#i',
'', $content);
}
add_filter('the_content', 'remove_empty_p', 20, 1);
5

6. More on shortcodes
Allow shortcodes to be interpreted in widgets:
add_filter('widget_text', 'do_shortcode');
Remove all shortcodes from a string:
strip_shortcodes( $content );
6

7. Excerpts
The default length is 55 words.
You can change this…
function custom_excerpt_length( $length ) {
return 30;
}
add_filter( 'excerpt_length',
custom_excerpt_length', 999 );
7

8. Localizing dates
Post/page published dates get localized
automatically by WP when site's language changes.
But, what if you have to set date formats in PHP?
8

9. Localizing dates
Eg: Custom fields may have date in database
format: 2016-02-25
This is useful for sorting, and selecting using
wp_query();
You may need to output: 25 Chwefror 2016
9

10. Localizing dates
Setting the locale in PHP can be a pain.
So use the WordPress capability instead –
date_i18n($pattern, $timestamp);
10

11. Localizing dates
function db_date_format($str_date, $pattern = ''){
// incoming format = yyyy-mm-dd
if (empty($pattern)) {
$pattern = get_option( 'date_format' );
}
$time_stamp = mktime(0,0,0,substr($str_date,5,2),
substr ($str_date,8,2),substr($str_date,0,4));
return date_i18n( $pattern, $time_stamp );
}
11

12. Pagination
On blog index pages, using
previous_posts_link() and
next_posts_link() is OK…
But it doesn't give site visitors an indication of how
many blog posts there are altogether.
Pagination may give better usability…
12

13. Pagination
global $wp_query;
if ($wp_query->max_num_pages > 1) {
$big = 999999999; // need an unlikely integer
echo paginate_links( array(
'base' => str_replace( $big, '%#%', esc_url( get_pagenum_link($big) ) ),
'format' => '?paged=%#%',
'current' => max( 1, get_query_var('paged') ),
'total' => $wp_query->max_num_pages,
'end_size' => 3,
'type' => 'list',
'prev_text' => '&laquo; Newer<span class="srdr"> posts</span>',
'next_text' => 'Older<span class="srdr"> posts</span> &raquo;',
'before_page_number' => '<span class="srdr">Page </span>',
'after_page_number' => ''
) );
}
Can use this with custom queries too.
13

14. Thanks for listening
graham.armfield@coolfields.co.uk
@coolfields
14