[wp-hackers] Call for thoughts on a new Settings/Options/Metadata API

[Thomas Belknap]

Having recently dived into the Settings API I have to say I find the whole
notion of "Settings Sections" pretty convoluted for no real reason I
understand. Settings seem like enough work that they API didn't really
solve any problems it didn't replace.

Not knowing that the Settings API was already built, I started playing
around with something that I called "Easy Inputs," which was basically my
attempt to recreate CakePHP's Form Helper. I'll get lots of howls on this
list for even mentioning the name, I'm sure. But the brave should probably
have a look at the (IMO) well-developed and abstracted form field builders
it has. With a little extra effort, it would be easy to adapt this concept
to WordPress, including automatically adding nonce fields, and have that
vehicle for form creation be use-agnostic: we don't much care if you use it
for a contact page, a template options page or settings for a plugin. Let
the developer define in his call what its used for.

Anyway, my two cents.


On Tue, Nov 12, 2013 at 7:43 PM, Chip Bennett <chip at chipbennett.net> wrote:

> From the perspective of a Theme developer (and reviewer), I think the
> biggest piece missing from that... tapestry(?) are standardized output for
> form fields, and correlating standardized sanitization methods. The Theme
> Customizer API gets around that for standardized form fields, but not for
> standardized sanitization.
>
>
> On Tue, Nov 12, 2013 at 7:37 PM, Eric Andrew Lewis <
> eric.andrew.lewis at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > Hey folks,
> >
> > I've been ruminating on a new Settings/Options/Metadata API and
> discussing
> > with other developers; I'd like to open up the floor for response, and
> > perhaps an on-going weekly discussion/architecture-as-a-plugin project.
> The
> > Settings API is a bit of a white
> > whale<http://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/18285>,
> > so I know this will take a while to produce something core-ready, but
> hey,
> > I'm not going anywhere.
> >
> > Generally, the APIs for "settings/metadata/options/etc" in WordPress have
> > been divided as far as codebase goes, although largely they serve the
> same
> > purpose: outputting form elements, and validating/sanitizing/saving the
> > data. This includes:
> >
> >    1. "Settings" proper, settings tied to the WordPress install, operable
> >    via the Settings API <http://codex.wordpress.org/Settings_API>.
> >    2. Post meta boxes, which really boils down to
> > add_meta_box()<
> http://codex.wordpress.org/Function_Reference/add_meta_box
> > >,
> >    and the many<
> > https://github.com/jaredatch/Custom-Metaboxes-and-Fields-for-WordPress>
> >     frameworks <https://github.com/scribu/wp-scb-framework>
> > built<https://github.com/farinspace/wpalchemy>
> >     on <http://wordpress.org/plugins/advanced-custom-fields/>
> > it<http://wordpress.org/plugins/pods/>
> >    .
> >    3. Widget settings via the Widgets
> > API<http://codex.wordpress.org/Widgets_API>
> >    .
> >    4. Taxonomy meta data, which isn't in core but there's plugins for
> this
> >    as well <http://wordpress.org/plugins/taxonomy-metadata/>.
> >    5. Theme Customization
> > API<https://codex.wordpress.org/Theme_Customization_API>
> >    .
> >
> > I don't think it would be productive to rewrite APIs for all of these
> > components. However, considering a structure for something to serve as a
> > base for all of these components at the same time would be prudent in
> order
> > to avoid back-compat pitfalls.
> >
> > An issue in previous iterations of these APIs has been the object
> structure
> > of a setting/metadata/option being intermingled with the the UI
> components
> > in some cases. I don't want to jump the gun on implementation, but here
> is
> > a gist of  meanderings imagining a new
> > API<https://gist.github.com/ericandrewlewis/7441441>
> > .
> >
> > I would love to hear constructive feedback: what the issues you face as a
> > developer in the current environment, what you might want from a new API,
> > etc.
> >
> > Eric Andrew Lewis
> > ericandrewlewis.com
> > 610.715.8560
> > _______________________________________________
> > wp-hackers mailing list
> > wp-hackers at lists.automattic.com
> > http://lists.automattic.com/mailman/listinfo/wp-hackers
> >
> _______________________________________________
> wp-hackers mailing list
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> http://lists.automattic.com/mailman/listinfo/wp-hackers
>



-- 
Tom Belknap
Owner/Editor, DragonFlyEye.Net
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