meta-boxes.md

Title: Meta Boxes Description: Making and adding meta boxes to post types, the dashboard or comments.

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About Meta Boxes

Meta boxes are the free moving boxes you see on the dashboard or when editing a post. If you have the TypeRocket SEO plugin enabled, you will see that it creates a meta box for you to add extra information about your content.

Adding a Meta Box

To create a meta box with TypeRocket use the tr_meta_box() function.

When you create a meta box, be sure you are not using any of the names used by post type supports.

<?php // functions.php

$box = tr_meta_box('Author Details');

Dashboard: Meta Box

To add a meta box to the dashboard use the addScreen() method on the newly created meta box.

$box->addScreen('dashboard');

Comments: Meta Box

To add a meta box to a comment use addScreen() as well.

$box->addScreen('comment');

Post Types: Meta Box

To add a meta box to a post type you can use addScreen(), addPostType() or the apply() method.

$box->addPostType('post');

Example 1: using addScreen() and addPostType()

Pass in the post type's name/ID when you use add screen.

Take a look at adding a meta box to both a custom post type created by TypeRocket and the WordPress posts post type.

$book = tr_post_type('Book');
$box = tr_meta_box('Author Details');
$box->addPostType( $book->getId() );
$box->addScreen( 'post' );

Example 2: using apply()

If you use apply() pass the TypeRocket post type object.

$book = tr_post_type('Book');
$box = tr_meta_box('Author Details');
$box->apply( $book );

Page Template: Meta Box

You can also add a meta box to a specific page template:

tr_meta_box('Box')->addScreen('front_page');
tr_meta_box('Box')->addScreen('posts_page');
tr_meta_box('Box')->addScreen('page-example.php');

Debug mode

Once you have added a meta box to a screen or post type, you can start adding content to it. If you have debug mode turned on, TypeRocket will tell what function needs to be created for the meta box content.

Adding content

To add content to a meta box, you can use the function debug mode gives you. You can also provide a callback.

To specify a callback use the setCallback() method.

Example 1: Using a callback

$box = tr_meta_box('Author Details');

$box->setCallback(function() {
    echo '<p>My callback.</p>';
});

Example 2: Using debug function

tr_meta_box('Author Details');

function add_meta_content_author_details() {
    echo '<p>My callback.</p>';
}

Label

If you want to set the label used by the meta box, you need the method setLabel(). You can get the label with getLabel().

$box->setLabel('Book Author Details');

Setting and Getting the ID

When instance, a meta box TypeRocket automatically creates the ID for you.

The ID specifies the name that WordPress associates with your meta box. When you register a meta box of "Author Details" the ID is author_details.

You can change the ID using the setId() method.

$box->setId('author_details_box');

Get the ID

$boxId = $box->getId();

Arguments

There are five methods of dealing with arguments. Arguments are the extra data you can use in the callback by accessing the meta box object passed into it.

These methods are: getArguments(), setArguments(), getArgument(), setArgument() and removeArgument().

1. getArguments() returns the full array of arguments.
2. setArguments() takes an array of arguments.
3. getArgument() return an argument by its key.
4. setArgument() sets an argument by a key.
5. removeArgument() removes an argument by its key.

Take a look at using all the methods without affecting the already set values.

$args = $box->getArguments();
$args = array_merge( $args, array( 'yourArg' => true ) );
$box->setArguments( $args );
$public = $box->getArgument( 'yourArg' );
$box->removeArgument( 'yourArg' );
$box->setArgument( 'yourArg', $public );

Priority

To set the meta box priority use the setPriority() method. You can also get the priority with getPriority().

There are four options for priority high, core, default or low.

$box->setPriority('high');

Priority only applies if the user has not moved the metabox.

Context

To set the context or the meta box use setContext(). You can get the context with getContext().

There are three options for the context normal, advanced, or side.

$box->setContext('side');

Context only applies if the user has not moved the metabox.

Gutenberg

To disable a metabox in Gutenberg.

$box->gutenbergOff();

Compatibility Flags

In WordPress 5.3 Gutenberg compatibility flags were added.

__block_editor_compatible_meta_box

This flag lets you set whether the meta box works in the block editor or not. Setting it to true signifies that you've confirmed that the meta box works in the block editor, setting it to false signifies that it doesn't.

__back_compat_meta_box

This flag lets you set whether the meta box is intended to be used in the block editor, or if it has been replaced by block-based functionality. Setting it to true signifies that this meta box should only be loaded in the classic editor interface, and the block editor should not display it. Setting it to false signifies that this meta box is intended to be loaded in the block editor.

To control the Gutenberg compatibility flags.

// __block_editor_compatible_meta_box
$editor = true;
// __back_compat_meta_box
$compat = true;

$box->gutenbergCompatibility($editor, $compat);