WordPress Ideas » Topic: Helpers for building consistent admin UI

Bob Gregor on "Helpers for building consistent admin UI"

Bob Gregor — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 18:18:13 +0000

the function you're looking for is
add_settings_field($id, $title, $callback, $page);

Bob Gregor on "Helpers for building consistent admin UI"

Bob Gregor — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 18:11:05 +0000

After digging around the core, it looks like a lot of this may already be implemented. Take a look at template.php::1125

Bob Gregor on "Helpers for building consistent admin UI"

Bob Gregor — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 16:01:26 +0000

I totally agree. There is a settings page API, but that has yet to trickle down to the level of form controls. Thing's I'd like to see:

Filter hooks for defining JS callbacks & Ajax, and markup tweaks
A way of automating post meta saves, and option saves and delete_options

lenart on "Helpers for building consistent admin UI"

lenart — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 22:45:38 +0000

One things that bothers me in Wordpress is that each plugin looks like it came from its own world. Plugin authors have to build up own HTML markup (also for simplest things like form fields etc.) and they often apply their own styles. Some plugins use lots of colors, others use different typography/sizes etc. and with each plugin you install the backend looks more and more like a bad collage of different forms, fonts and colors.

It would be great if users would have some kind of API to build up certain parts of backend in order to preserve common look-and-feel.

I guess what I miss the most is helpers when writing/extending custom posts with meta fields. I'd love to have helpers like: text_field($label, $name, $hint); that would build the table rows and saving me some TRs and TDs. Feels like I have to write too much HTML instead of focusing on the functionality.