wordpress category watchlist add/remove

readme.md

watchlist.php

After finding out that nobody has ever built a "favorite category" plugin or anything like that, I just decided to write one by myself. 6 hours of sleepless var_dump() debugging, a sheet of paper with handwritten function drafts, no possible acknowledgement from the boss.

How it works

1. You put it anywhere inside your Wordpress directory. I prefer the root.
2. You create the dynamically generated checkin/checkout buttons in your Wordpress site. Well that's your homework.
3. They click the button to go to somewhere like: /watchlist.php?user=16&check=out&program=2
4. It add_user_meta() or update_user_meta() to record what they checked in or out to the program, or a certain taxonomy.

TO DO

• Generalize the parameter namings
• Reform it to a Wordpress plugin

watchlist.php

<?php
/*
 * watchlist.php
 * : a custom php controller to let the wordpress users add/remove some categories to their watchlist.
 * damn it nobody has done this? i better publish a FREE GPL licensed plugin
 */

/*
 * step 0
 * load the wordpress functionalities
 */
$path = $_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT'];
include_once $path.'/wp-config.php';
include_once $path.'/wp-includes/wp-db.php';
include_once $path.'/wp-includes/pluggable.php';

/*
 * step 1
 * set the parameters
 * $who		(str)	ID value in wp_users
 * $how		(str)	'in' or 'out'
 * $what	(str)	term_id value in wp_term_taxonomy
 * $why		(str)	'watchlist', or meta_key in wp_usermeta
 * $where	(str)	taxonomy value in wp_term_taxonomy
 * $whothe	(str)	name value in wp_users
 * $whatthe	(str)	name value in wp_terms
 */
$who = intval($_GET['user']);
$how = $_GET['check'];
$what = intval($_GET['program']);
$why = 'watchlist';
$where = 'categories';
$whatthe = $whothe = '';
if (!empty($who) && !empty($what)) {
	$whothe = get_userdata($who)->display_name;
	$whatthe = get_term_by('id',$what,$where)->name;
}

/*
 * step 2
 * define the functions
 */

// shows an alert message and immediatedly redirects to somewhere.
// by default it just goes back with a general error message below.
// pass a good href URI to $togo to get no error.
function alertToGo ($alert='뭔가 문제가 있습니다. 뒤로 돌아갑니다.', $togo='back') {
	$script = '<script>window.alert("'.$alert.'"); window.';
	if ($togo != 'back') {
		$script .= 'location.href="'.$togo.'";</script>';
	} else {
		$script .= 'history.back();</script>';
	}
	echo $script;
}

// adds the category to the watchlist only if it has never been a watch.
function addIt() {
	global $who, $what, $why, $whothe, $whatthe;
	$watches = get_user_meta($who, $why); // array of all the watches
	if (!$watches) {
		$watches = array();
	}
	if (in_array($what, $watches)) { // which might match the required program number
		alertToGo('오잉? '.$whatthe.'은(는) 이미 구독중이십니다.');
	} else { // but which actually doesn't
		$query = add_user_meta($who, $why, $what);
		if ($query) {
			alertToGo($whatthe.'을(를) 구독해 주셔서 감사합니다!');
		} else {
			alertToGo();
		}
	}
	unset($watches);
}

// removes the category from the watchlist only if it really has been the watch.
function removeIt() {
	global $who, $what, $why, $whothe, $whatthe;
	$watches = get_user_meta($who, $why);
	if (!$watches) {
		alertToGo('헐~ '.$whothe.'님은 아무것도 구독하신 적이 없으신데요?\n지금 프로그램 구독을 시작하세요!', esc_url( home_url( '/' ) ));
	} else {
		if (!in_array((string)$what, $watches)) {
			alertToGo('읭? '.$whatthe.'은(는) 원래부터 구독한 적이 없는 프로그램 같은데요?');
		} else {
			$query = delete_user_meta($who, $why, $what);
			if ($query) {
				alertToGo($whothe.'님께서 '.$whatthe.'의 구독을 잠시 멈추셨습니다.', esc_url( home_url( '/' ) ));
			} else {
				alertToGo();
			}
		}
	}
	unset($watches);
}

/*
 * step 3
 * rock and roll
 */
if (empty($who) || empty($what) || empty($how)) {
	alertToGo('비정상적인 접근입니다!', esc_url( home_url( '/' ) ));
} else {
	if ($how == 'in') {
		addIt();
	} elseif ($how == 'out') {
		removeIt();
	} else {
		alertToGo('뭘 원하시는지 모르겠습니다.\n일단 홈페이지로 돌아갑니다.', esc_url( home_url( '/' ) ));
	}
}

// end of watchlist.php
// handwritten by github.com/yuptogun