register_setting and re-setting option values.

Using register_setting the $_POST gets intercepted and wiped before I can get to it

You don’t need to intercept $_POST if you’re registering options, the third parameter for register_setting is the callback function used to sanitize the setting, declare the callback and you have control over the sanitizing.

You could use jQuery to empty the fields using a reset link, assuming it’s admin side, jQuery will already be loaded already, so you’d only need a few lines of code.

Something like..

jQuery(document).ready(function($) {
	$('a.yourlinkclass').click( function() {
		$('input[type="text"]').val('');
		$('textarea').val('');
	});
	return false;
});

I only suggested it because it was how i had dealt with a resetting option for something i just did. I’m sure there is an easier way, but seeing how i don’t do a whole lot of plugin/mod writing i can’t say for sure what the easiest way is.

I’m just a user like yourself, don’t take what i say as an absolute answer. Can you clarify what you mean by reset exactly, reset as in empty some fields of their values, or reset as in set all the fields to some default values?

If you can give me an example of somewhere you’ve seen a reset option in WordPress i can probably go the one step further a dig up how it’s done.. (in the spirit of being helpful)… 😉

How were you doing it before(old method)?

As far as loading a set of default options, i can’t see part that being too hard..

update_option( 'your_option' , $array_with_default_values );

What are you expecting in terms of how the reset will function, a page refresh, where the options are filled out with defaults, or a non-refreshing type action that fills the fields in with default values..

Well there’s a few ways you can run a reset routine, it really depends what you want it to do.

Are you checking user input, and if something is missing, then set some defaults, or… if it’s the plugin’s first load, then apply default values..

If i can understand more about the behaviour you want and/or expect i can help suggest some ideas..

If you’re wanting to check at submission of options, then you can be doing the necessary checks inside the sanitizing function..

Assuming for a moment this was a callback function to sanitize some plugin options.

function sanit_options( $input ) {
	if( !$input )
		return $defaults; // $defaults could be an array of some default values.
	if( $input['someoption'] && $input['someoption'] == '' )
		$input['someoption'] = 'some default value to replace empty string if found';

	// Assuming you have a group/array of options
	foreach( $input as $option => $option_value ) {
		// Do sanitizing stuff... etc..
	}

	// Return the input / data set
	return $input;
}

A very bare example, but all i’m showing you above is how to conditionalise around the submission of data, it’s essentially getting done in the callback function, because this the only place you’ll have access to the submitted data (since you form will be submitting it’s data to the options page, not your plugin page).

You could use a $_GET or $_REQUEST method to handle setting up defaults..

yourpluginurl/?reset=true

Or whatever… just a standard query string type thing..

As long as your plugin receives that request it should be fairly straight-forward. I can help you with code to do that if necessary.