Modify theme function with plugin

  • Working on a new theme but also a plugin that adds more functions to it. The theme has a function using a switch/case for blog layouts, but I want to have a function in the plugin that modifies it with additional cases. What is the best way to do this from the plugin’s own functions file?

    Right now, the theme function is:

    function mytheme_blog_layout(){
if ( have_posts() ) :

$mytheme_blog_layout = get_theme_mod( 'mytheme_blog_layout', 'classic' );	
switch ( esc_attr($mytheme_blog_layout ) ) {

case "center":
// center blog
echo '<div class="col">';
   while ( have_posts() ) : the_post();
      get_template_part( 'template-parts/content/content' );
   endwhile;
echo '</div>';
break;	

default:
// classic blog
  echo '<div class="col-lg-8">';
 while ( have_posts() ) : the_post();
  get_template_part( 'template-parts/content/content' );
 endwhile;
 echo '</div>';
 echo '<aside id="blog-sidebar" class="col-lg-4 widget-area sidebar-right">';	
  get_sidebar(); 
 echo '</aside>';
 }
}
endif;

    Basically, I need the function file in the plugin to modify that theme function with additional cases. I thought a filter would work, but it didn’t. What oddly does work is that I simply copied that over into the plugin’s function file and it worked–but don’t believe that is the correct method, despite that it works. It means the “same” function is in the theme and plugin, but doesn’t seem to error with “cannot redeclare….”

Viewing 3 replies - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)
  • Thread Starter Rough Pixels

    (@roughpixels)

    I think I found the solution(s). I can duplicate the theme’s function into the plugin’s function file with the same function name, but insert:

    add_action( 'init', 'mytheme_blog_layout', 15 );

    …this uses priority and it seems to work. I’m assuming this is a safe way of doing it? I also did a remove_filter() method which also worked and then simply reloaded the original function after.

    Moderator bcworkz

    (@bcworkz)

    I don’t know how you got away with re-declaring a function, it shouldn’t be possible unless each are wrapped in if ( ! function_exists( 'function_name' ) ) : logic, making it “pluggable”.

    While making a function pluggable is perfectly valid, I always cringe at redundant code. Using a filter should work. In your default case, instead of echoing, collect all output into a variable that will be passed to filter callbacks, along with $mytheme_blog_layout. You’d then echo out the return from apply_filters().

    Plugins can hook this filter and based on $mytheme_blog_layout value, generate some other sort of output which gets returned for eventual echoing out.

    Thread Starter Rough Pixels

    (@roughpixels)

    …actually, I did have:

    if ( ! function_exists( 'function_name' ) ) :

    I generally do that with most, if not all of my functions.
    As for filters, oddly, I couldn’t get the filters to work. Overall, everything is working right now but will set aside time to figure out how to use less code–as you say, redundant code.

Viewing 3 replies - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)
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