[vincenzon617]

I would like to add metadata to replies depending on a checkbox that the user selects. The function I think I will need to use is add_post_meta but one of the parameters is post_id. What would I put in this as the reply would not be created yet and so I believe it won’t have an associated ID yet?

I suppose it is the same concept as replying to a topic as the text the user writes will go into the post’s (with a postID) ‘main’ data. So basically I would like to do the same thing but adding to the metadata. Hopefully, that makes sense and someone knows the solution.

Thanks!

[Robin W]

you’ll want to use update_post_meta – this creates the entry if not there and amends it if it is.
in the new reply handler, there is a hook which contains the reply_id which fires after the reply is created.

so something like

add_action( 'bbp_new_reply_post_extras', 'rew_reply_checkbox' );
add_action( 'bbp_edit_reply_post_extras', 'rew_reply_checkbox' );

function rew_reply_checkbox ($reply_id) {
//and probably set the value to a $_POST parameter you set in the form
if (! empty($_POST[‘my_parameter’] ) ) {
$myvalue = $_POST[‘my_parameter’] ;
}
else $myvalue='empty' ;

update_post_meta ($reply_id , 'my_parameter', $myvalue) ;
}

[vincenzon617]

Thanks, Robin I will give this a go!

[vincenzon617]

I am having some difficulty figuring out what this does, apologies, my PHP knowledge is very minimal. What exactly is the

if (! empty($_POST[‘my_parameter’] ) ) {
$myvalue = $_POST[‘my_parameter’] ;
}
else $myvalue='empty';

part doing? Specifically, what would ‘my_parameter’ be? Would this be the name or value of what I would like the meta to be?
I have looked up what $_POST does, and the variables that I am using are declared using JavaScript. Now I am wondering if I will have to change my approach to checking the user input for the checkbox (something which isn’t related to bbpress).

Many thanks

[Robin W]

without knowing what you are trying to achieve hard to say.

Typically you’d use JS for stuff you want to change on the fly without reloading the screen.

For an input form you would more normally use html and php

But I do fully appreciate that we all play to our strengths and I would tend to use PHP where JS would be better as I know it well, and I suspect you are the reverse 🙂

So you would add a checkbox, you can do this by amending the reply template, or better using one of the do_action hooks in the template. You can also do this using JS

In essence you are adding this to the form, you can use whatever names you want

<p class="whatever">
<input name="my_parameter" id="my_parameter" type="checkbox" value="whatever_value_you_want" checked="checked">								<label for="whatever">Tick this box to do whatever</label>
</p>

This will create a box which when submitted will set
$_POST[‘my_parameter’] to “whatever_value_you_want” if ticked or be blank if not

you can use the code above to set your meta data

[Robin W]

so maybe have a function that says

add_action( 'bbp_theme_after_reply_form_content', 'rew_add_checkbox' );

function rew_add_checkbox () {
echo '<p class="whatever">
<input name="my_parameter" id="my_parameter" type="checkbox" value="whatever_value_you_want" checked="checked">								<label for="whatever">Tick this box to do whatever</label>
</p>' ;

}

This will put the checkbox after the content

[vincenzon617]

Great, many thanks! This has clarified it for me and I now understand what I need to do :). PHP might be something I need to start learning!!

[vincenzon617]

I have been implementing this feature to my site today and I have managed to add the metadata to the database however, I can’t seem to be able to receive the POST variable. I have added this checkbox within the form: <form id="new-post" name="new-post" method="post" action="<?php the_permalink(); ?>">. This is the form used to get the user’s reply but as you can see the ‘action’ is set to <?php the_permalink(); ?>. Would this still allow me to access the variable within my functions.php file or will I have to change the action / create another form and submit button?

Many thanks

[Robin W]

ok, I’m very confused.

if you are adding this code to a form, then it is already in a form, so you don’t need the <form…

you’d just need to code I put above ie

echo '<p class="whatever">
<input name="my_parameter" id="my_parameter" type="checkbox" value="whatever_value_you_want" checked="checked">								<label for="whatever">Tick this box to do whatever</label>
</p>' ;

maybe you could post the entire form you are trying to change, and indeed say where/what it is?

[vincenzon617]

Sorry, I should have been more clear. I did post a reply but it got deleted while I was trying to get the code in the correct format to make it clearer to read!

The form that I am adding to is within the ‘form-reply.php’ file and I have the checkbox working fine. The struggle I have is that even when the checkbox is clicked the $_POST['my_parameter'] is always empty and so the wrong value is being added as metadata. I have looked up some solutions to this, and the majority of them are suggesting it is something to do with the “action” part of the form, so I am wondering if this is the case or possibly something else?

If you would like me to post the code I will try again!

[Robin W]

I saw your one before the edit.

I put this in my form-reply

<input name="toggle-check" id="toggle-check" type="checkbox" value="value">hello

and this in my theme’s functions file

add_action( 'bbp_new_reply_post_extras', 'rew_reply_checkbox' );
add_action( 'bbp_edit_reply_post_extras', 'rew_reply_checkbox' );

function rew_reply_checkbox ($reply_id) {
//and probably set the value to a $_POST parameter you set in the form
if (! empty($_POST['toggle-check'] ) ) {
$myvalue = $_POST['toggle-check'] ;
}
else $myvalue='empty' ;

update_post_meta ($reply_id , 'toggle-check', $myvalue) ;

and that works fine