What is site structure?

• Post Types
• Metaboxes and Fields
• Taxonomy
• Menus
• Permalink Structure

Why a custom plugin?

• Functionality should live in code, not the database
• Themes for presentation, plugins for functionality
• Manage code in version control system (git, svn)
• Code Portability / Deployment
  • dev / staging / production
  • re-use for multiple websites / different clients

Our Sample Plugin

We'll create a Film listing (like IMDB)

• Custom Post Type: Film
• Custom Taxonomy: Genre
• Metabox: Film Info
• Fields: Release Date, Duration, Director

github.com/rexrana/my-custom-structure

WordPress core functionality

• Not easy to use — you have to do all the heavy lifting
  • CRUD functions (create, read, update and delete)
  • Callback functions with HTML to display fields in admin
  • Sanitization / validation of input
  • nonces
• It's a lot to remember — time could be better spent

Thankfully, there’s a better way!

Many tools exist for simplifying the creation of site structure:

• Plugins (Advanced Custom Fields, Pods, etc.)
  • Most have an export to code functionality
• Developer libraries: CMB2, Custom Meta Boxes
• Code Generators: GenerateWP, WP-CLI scaffold command

GUI-based structure plugins

Create your structure in the admin, then export to code.

• Advanced Custom Fields
  • export to XML (v4 and below), JSON (v5), PHP
• Pods framework
  • Migrate: Packages
  • Pods Deploy - uses WordPress REST API (beta)
• Toolset
  • Embedded Toolset / Packager

• Toolkit for building metaboxes, custom fields, and forms
• Takes care of all the hard stuff for you
• Declare metaboxes and fields using arrays of parameters
• 32 field types included, with API to declare your own
• Use on Post Types, Options Pages, User Profiles
  • even on the front end of your site

• Framework for easily adding custom fields
• works similarly to CMB2 (parameter arrays)
• (seems to) only work on post edit pages
• fork of original CMB (predecessor to CMB2)
• 20 field types included, plus repeater field
• features a basic 12 column grid system to align fields

• Form-based wizards for generating code compliant with WordPress coding standards
• Select a tool, fill in the form, generate the code
• Copy ready-to-use code directly to your plugin.

Command within WordPress command-line interface (CLI)

• Generates starter code for themes, plugins, unit tests, post types and taxonomy.
• Limited - cannot specify advanced parameters, only gives minimal config with defaults
• Provides a quick start-off point

WP-CLI Scaffolding Examples

Run commands from within site directory

wp scaffold post-type film --label=Film --textdomain=structure \
--dashicon=editor-video --plugin=my-custom-structure

wp scaffold taxonomy genre --post_types=film --label=Genre \
--textdomain=structure --plugin=my-custom-structure

Putting it all together

• If using ACF or CMB2 :
  • Install plugin in normal way, or:
  • Download to a subdirectory, include in your plugin's main PHP file
• Create separate PHP files for each of: Post Types, Taxonomy, Metaboxes/Fields
  • include these files in your main plugin PHP file
  • this makes items easier to find, comment out or remove

Advanced Custom Fields

if( file_exists( dirname(__FILE__).'/lib/advanced-custom-fields/acf.php' ) ) {
include_once( 'lib/advanced-custom-fields/acf.php' );
}

CMB2

if( file_exists( dirname(__FILE__).'/lib/cmb2/init.php' ) ) {
    include_once( 'lib/cmb2/init.php' );
}

Includes for declaring structure

include_once('post-types/film.php');
include_once('taxonomies/genre.php');

// METABOXES AND FIELDS
/* using WordPress core functionality */
include_once('inc/wp-fields.php');
/* using ACF */
include_once('inc/acf-fields.php');
/* using CMB2  */
include_once('inc/cmb2-metaboxes.php');

Resources

• CMB2: THE METABOX STRIKES BACK (Justin Sternberg)
  storyftw.com/cmb2-metabox-strikes-back
• Plugin comparison - Custom Post Types / Fields
  (Google spreadsheet) goo.gl/o7kU9s
• Custom Post Type Permalinks (plugin)
  wordpress.org/plugins/custom-post-type-permalinks/

Thank You

Permalink: slides.rexrana.com/wcyvr2016

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