adding and editing non-required field in comments

Thank you for your reply, bcworkz.

That makes sense that if the field is empty, no data is sent. And intellectually, I understand what you mean by “Change the logic to always save something as long as the comment is created, regardless of the field’s isset() result. You use isset() to decide if you save an empty string or the passed value, not to decide if anything should be saved at all.”

Alas, I do not know how to implement this.

I thought it might be with the function update_option() but as usual, the codex is written for people who probably already know the answer to the question.

Not to mention that apparently, update_option() “has been deprecated […] in favor of update() method instead” (https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/classes/wp_customize_setting/_update_option/).

Is https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/classes/wpdb/update/ the page that might contain the information I need?

Because I couldn’t wrap my head around the wp developer update page I took a shot and tried removing the “if isset” with the following:

function update_comment_meta_values($comment_id) {
if ( $_POST['webname'] != '') {
        $webname = wp_filter_nohtml_kses($_POST['webname']);
        add_comment_meta($comment_id, 'webname', $webname);
    } 
}
add_action ('comment_post', 'update_comment_meta_values', 1);

It will probably come as no surprise to you that this did not work.

Staring more at the coding at the bottom of the page on wpdb::update, I’m guessing that this contains clues to what I am trying to achieve. Is there another place I can refer to (something a little more along the lines of “wp for dummies”) to glean the answer?

public function update( $table, $data, $where, $format = null, $where_format = null ) {
    if ( ! is_array( $data ) || ! is_array( $where ) ) {
        return false;
    }
 
    $data = $this->process_fields( $table, $data, $format );
    if ( false === $data ) {
        return false;
    }
    $where = $this->process_fields( $table, $where, $where_format );
    if ( false === $where ) {
        return false;
    }
 
    $fields = $conditions = $values = [... etc. etc. ...]

Thank you for your reply and your patience with a rank beginner.

re:

I don’t fully understand what you’re trying to accomplish.

I have added an optional field “website name” to my comments form. If it is filled in, I would like it to appear in the comments area on my WP as “commenter’s name (commenter’s website name)” AND in the editing area for the comments. If it is NOT filled in, I do not want empty parentheses to appear in the comments area on my WP.

At this point, if the field is filled in, it appears on my WP as expected, as well as appearing in the editing area for the comments in WP-admin. However, if I try to edit the empty field in WP-admin, it remains empty. If I remove an entered value on the new optional field, it stays empty and cannot be filled in again. (I hope this is making sense.)

I will work on implementing the following so that there is an empty string.

function() {
  if $_POST value is set,
    then save the value
  else
    save an empty string
}

I’m guessing I’ll also somehow have to add an elseif to the following that if the string is empty, the parentheses should NOT appear.

function webname_comment_meta_box( $comment ) {
    $webname = get_comment_meta( $comment->comment_ID, 'webname', true );
    wp_nonce_field( 'webname_comment_fields_update', 'webname_comment_fields_update', false );
    ?>
    <p>
        <label for="webname"><?php _e( 'Website Name', 'text-domain' ); ?></label>
        <input type="text" name="webname" value="<?php echo esc_attr( $webname ); ?>" class="widefat" />
    </p><?php
}

Something like if $webname == '' {echo ''} ???

Than you again, for your response.

re:

I’m following your explanation except for how the parentheses appear when the field is not filled in.

At this point, the parentheses do not appear if the field is not filled in. But if I put in an instruction to save an empty string if the value is ”, then wouldn’t it appear in the comment meta box as ()?

function attach_websitename_to_author( $author ) {
    $webname = get_comment_meta( get_comment_ID(), 'webname', true );
    if ( $webname )
        $author .= " ($webname)";
   return $author;
 }

Not knowing how to do it (and having tried a number of incorrect bits of code) I’m guessing that I have to say something like

if ($_POST['webname'] = '')
   echo ' ';

This didn’t throw any errors. But it also doesn’t seem to do anything….

re:

[Y]ou don’t need conditional logic on output, only upon form submit. For output, just echo out whatever is in comment meta, whether it be the saved value or an empty string.

Once again, I understand the logic here, but am not certain of which code sections are used for the form submit. Is it this part??

function add_comment_meta_values($comment_id) {
   if ( ( isset( $_POST['webname'] ) ) && ( $_POST['webname'] != '') ) {
        $webname = wp_filter_nohtml_kses($_POST['webname']);
        add_comment_meta($comment_id, 'webname', $webname);
    } 
}
add_action ('comment_post', 'add_comment_meta_values', 1);

I fear that I may have to start all over. No matter what changes I make, everything appears to be working exactly as before: the field remains filled in if it is filled in at the outset and cannot be removed or changed; the field remains empty if it is not filled in at the outset and cannot be filled in from the admin area….

I just noticed you have $author .= " ($webname)";. That is where the parentheses are coming from. You’re using if ( $webname ) to conditionally check for an assigned value, which is good, but now that we’re storing empty strings at times, it’s going to add ” ()” for empty strings (or a trimmed space).

This is what I thought was going to happen if I asked it to store an empty string. But, judging from the fact that an empty field does not appear as ” ()” beside the author, I guess I have not succeeded in storing the empty string.

I’ll keep chipping away over the next few days. Maybe, by a miracle, it will suddenly work. I’ll report back.

Many thanks for your help. I now have a vague inkling about which functions do what.

Thank you!

Post the code over at pastebin.com. If you sign up there (for free, but not required), you’d be able to go back and edit your code later on in case you want to show me an updated version.

I have done as you suggested. I suspect that there may be duplicate pieces of code….

Here is what I have in my child functions file: pastebin[dot]com/FJtVCvt2

No matter what I do, I cannot seem to get the field to be editable and if the field is left empty, it simply does not appear at all.

I tried it in a test WP as well, with the same results….

Thank you, bcworkz! I have been away from the computer pretty much all day and have just seen your reply. It is a lot to digest…. Here’s hoping I can apply what you have kindly set out. I’ll report back in the next couple of days. Many thanks again for your patience and care!

That took a lot less time than expected! Good idea to add define( 'WP_DEBUG', true ); in my test WP’s config file. That was most helpful. The first thing that came up was a very easy fix on another part of the comment customizaton, once I realized the variable had to be defined inside the curly bracket of the function…

Notice: Undefined variable: commenter in ../wp-content/themes/my-child-theme/functions.php on line 140

function modify_comment_form_fields($fields){
	$commenter = 0;
    $fields['url'] = '<p class="comment-form-url"><label for="url">' . __( 'Path on Web', 'domainreference' ) . '</label>' .
    '<input id="url" name="url" type="text" value="' . esc_attr( $commenter['comment_author_url'] ) .

I was also missing opening curly bracket after if ( isset ( $_POST[‘webname’] )

/*..........
Update comment meta data from comment editing screen 
 ....*/ 
function webname_comment_edit_meta_fields( $comment_id ) {
    if ( isset( $_POST['webname'] ) && '' != $_POST['webname']) {
        update_comment_meta( $comment_id, 'webname', esc_attr( $_POST['webname'] ) );
    }

}

But the main problem and the reason for the inability to edit was because I had the add-action placed erroneously inside final curly bracket of the webname_comment_edit_meta_fields( $comment_id ) function!

add_action( 'edit_comment', 'webname_comment_edit_meta_fields' );

Once again, many many thanks for your patient and very helpful answers, bcworkz. It’s thrilling to be able to mark this as resolved.

Here is the full coding I ended up with (that probably still needs cleaning up, but at least it’s working!):

/*...............
add a field to the comment form
...............*/
function add_comment_fields($newfield) {
    $newfield['webname'] = '<p class="comment-form-author" title="this field is optional"><label for="webname">' . __( 'Your Site\'s Name' ) . '</label>' .
        '<input id="webname" name="webname" type="text" size="30" /></p>';
    return $newfield;
}
add_filter('comment_form_default_fields','add_comment_fields');

function add_comment_meta_values($comment_id) {
   if ( ( isset( $_POST['webname'] ) ) && ( $_POST['webname'] != '') ) {
	$webname = wp_filter_nohtml_kses($_POST['webname']);
        add_comment_meta($comment_id, 'webname', $webname);
    } 
	else    
		$webname = '&nbsp;';
}
add_action ('comment_post', 'add_comment_meta_values', 1);

function comment_edit_function( $comment_id )
{
    if( isset( $_POST['webname'] ) )
      update_comment_meta( $comment_id, 'webname', esc_attr( $_POST['webname'] ) );
    else 
		$_POST['webname'] = '&nbsp;';
}

add_filter( 'get_comment_author_link', 'attach_websitename_to_author' );

function attach_websitename_to_author( $author ) {
    $webname = get_comment_meta( get_comment_ID(), 'webname', true );
    if ( $webname )
        $author .= " ($webname)";
	elseif ($webname = '')
		$author .= " $webname";
   return $author;
 }

// Register meta box on comment edit screen
function webname_comment_edit_add_meta_box() {
    add_meta_box( 'title', __( 'website name', 'text-domain' ), 'webname_comment_meta_box', 'comment', 'normal', 'high' );
}
add_action( 'add_meta_boxes_comment', 'webname_comment_edit_add_meta_box' );

// Callback function for displaying the comment meta box.
function webname_comment_meta_box( $comment ) {
    $webname = get_comment_meta( $comment->comment_ID, 'webname', true );
    wp_nonce_field( 'webname_comment_fields_update', 'webname_comment_fields_update', false );
    ?>
    <p>
        <label for="webname"><?php _e( 'Commenter\'s Site Name', 'text-domain' ); ?></label>
        <input type="text" name="webname" value="<?php echo esc_attr( $webname ); ?>" class="widefat" />
    </p><?php
}

/*..........
Update comment meta data from comment editing screen 
 ....*/ 
function webname_comment_edit_meta_fields( $comment_id ) {
    if ( isset( $_POST['webname'] ) && '' != $_POST['webname']) {
        update_comment_meta( $comment_id, 'webname', esc_attr( $_POST['webname'] ) );
    }

}
add_action( 'edit_comment', 'webname_comment_edit_meta_fields' );

/*.......
 from wpengineer.com/2214/adding-input-fields-to-the-comment-form/
 ....*/ 
function save_comment_meta_data( $comment_id ) {
    add_comment_meta( $comment_id, 'webname', $_POST[ 'webname' ] );
}
add_action( 'comment_post', 'save_comment_meta_data' );

// many thanks to bcworkz for help in fixing adding custom field to comments wordpress.org/support/topic/adding-and-editing-non-required-field-in-comments/