PODS Blocks Item List WHERE set dynamically?

PS
I will be using FacetWP for detailed filtering on this page.
My requirement for dynamic initial filtering is to restrict the posts that are visible to the current logged-in User.

Hi @jjci

In case of dynamic params it’s always best to use PHP. It’s faster and much more flexible.

Alternatively, the where filter also allows magic tags for using query parameters etc:
https://docs.pods.io/displaying-pods/magic-tags/special-magic-tags/

Cheers, Jory

Jory,
Thanks for your prompt response.
Just to clarify, if I use the PODS Item List Block is it possible for me to populate the WHERE clause dynamically (i.e., using PHP)? If so, is this approach recommended and how would it work? Or, should I use the pods() function as I described?
I would prefer to use the Block-based approach, but only if it will satisfy my functional requirements.
Any feedback would be appreciated.
Thanks.

FacetWP will populate the URL with query variables such as ?_search=xyz. For those, a magic tag can be used: e.g., {@get._search}. See https://docs.pods.io/displaying-pods/magic-tags/special-magic-tags/

For restricting posts to the currently logged in user, more information is needed, and you will likely need to use PHP. For example, restricting just based on their being logged in, or based on some user attribute or capability? See:

* https://developer.www.ads-software.com/reference/functions/is_user_logged_in/
* https://developer.www.ads-software.com/reference/functions/wp_get_current_user/
* https://developer.www.ads-software.com/reference/functions/get_user_meta/
* https://developer.www.ads-software.com/reference/functions/current_user_can/

If you just want to restrict the visibility of the entire block based on the user’s logged-in status, see https://www.ads-software.com/plugins/members/ and enable the free block-level permissions add-on.

There is also a {@user.xyz} magic tag available, for getting any field, xyz, from the currently logged in user. See https://docs.pods.io/displaying-pods/magic-tags/special-magic-tags/

Also, if you want to restrict permissions for all posts in all queries based on user level or permissions, see pre_get_posts filter: https://developer.www.ads-software.com/reference/hooks/pre_get_posts/ for example: https://wordpress.stackexchange.com/a/319304

Paul,
Firstly, thanks for both of your prompt and detailed responses. Much appreciated.

My primary issue is not directly related to permissions and capabilities, but instead is about limiting the scope of the posts that can be seen by a given User.
I have created a PODS-based database of multiple custom post types in hierarchical relationships (e.g. Organizations->Divisions->Stores->Products). My requirement is that a given Employee will only be able to see and access those Products which belong to his assigned Organization, Division and/or Store. Based on the properties of the logged-in User, I can determine the associated Organization/Division/Store identifiers, and these will be the basis for the selection criteria defined in the WHERE clause. As a data security precaution, the User (i.e. Employee) will NOT be able to select the Organization/Division/Store independently, but instead this selection process will be driven dynamically when retrieving the various post types.
Given this, I may need to explore native WP_Query techniques for limiting the scope of posts seen by any given User.
In any case, thanks for your help.
Regards,
JJCI

@jjci Great, thanks for the clarification.

In that case, you’ll likely need to use pre_get_posts, as just restricting the WHERE query of a listing will still allow users to access the posts directly. pre_get_posts can prevent display by direct link and archive listing.

See:

https://wordpress.stackexchange.com/a/61683
https://facetwp.com/how-to-customize-wp-archive-queries/