Ideal location of plugin files

  • The wordpress codex indicates that plugins should exist as one file within /wp-content/plugins/ and that extra files should exist inside /wp-content/

    I am writing a plugin that, for clarity, contains user-defined functions in a separate file. Should this be placed in wp-content and, if so, how is it then best to include() the file from the plugin? Using a relative path such as include(../user_funcs.php); ?

    The codex isn’t very clear on what you SHOULD do, just what you shouldn’t do, if someone could clear this up for me it would be greatly appreciated!

Viewing 5 replies - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)

  • From a user point of view, I would say that I don’t care where you put it as long as you document it well. Preferably document the functions and where they can be found in a readme file, not just in the code comments.

    Some plugins have their own directory inside the plugins folder… e.g. there is one main file placed in the /plugins/ folder and below it another folder containing its “subfiles”.

    I’ll agree with tomhanna on this one; documentation is of paramount importance – where files reside is incidental as long as the program can find them. And yes, while some of us are adept at deciphering commented code, a readme is preferable as the primary “line of defense”.

    It’s probably easiest for everyone — the users installing it, and you coding it — if you use a sub-directory inside /wp-content/plugins.

    The only thing to remember is that any translation file used to localize the plugin must live in the /wp-content/plugins/ directory, and not in your plugin’s sub-directory. This is an identified shortcoming with current versions of WordPress, and should be fixed in the next version.

    Thread Starter denyerec

    (@denyerec)

    Thanks all for the responses, that’s cleared the matter up!
    I’ll be putting the I18N files in the ‘top’ level, and the rest of the plugin’s supprting files in a subdirectory.

    And, of course, writing a readme… ??

Viewing 5 replies - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)
  • The topic ‘Ideal location of plugin files’ is closed to new replies.