Title: Built-in Gallery Function Limitations?
Last modified: August 22, 2016

---

# Built-in Gallery Function Limitations?

 *  [shecodes](https://wordpress.org/support/users/shecodes/)
 * (@shecodes)
 * [11 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/built-in-gallery-function-limitations/)
 * I haven’t found a gallery plugin that I feel comfortable using for a responsive
   solution, they all seem to suck on mobile. So I have tried to customise and style
   the built-in gallery and combine it with a gallery custom post type. Which works
   providing –
 * a) you upload images directly into and specifically for use in one particular
   gallery
    – if they are attached elsewhere, the gallery thumb links to the attachment
   page, but won’t link it to the other images on the same gallery using a navigation
   function, nor will it link back to the gallery but back to the original attachment
   page or post instead elsewhere within the website.
 * b) caution if adding new images to an existing gallery
    – won’t necessarily link
   the images together when you click through from the thumbnail and then use previous_image_link
   or next_image_link. The new images will go back to the gallery but not link to
   next or previous images contained within the gallery.
 * If the above is correct (a) I can work around, but (b) does need sorting if it’s
   possible.
    Here is the code used to navigate between images via the attachment
   pages (thumbnails are linked to attachment) I’ve ‘borrowed’ from the TwentyFifteen
   theme. –
 *     ```
       <div id="gallery-navigation" class="navigation image-navigation golf-link">
   
            <?php
               // close button back to gallery thumbnails.
               the_post_navigation( array(
                   'prev_text' => _x( '<span>Close</span>', 'Parent post link', 'dvgc-responsive' ),
               ) );
            ?>
   
           <div id="image-navigation" class="navigation image-navigation golf-link">
   
               <div class="nav-previous-img">
                       <?php previous_image_link( false, __( '&Lt; Prev', 'dvgc-responsive' ) ); ?>
               </div>
   
               <div class="nav-next-img">
                       <?php next_image_link( false, __( 'Next &Gt;', 'dvgc-responsive' ) ); ?>
               </div>
   
           </div>
   
       </div>
       ```
   
 * I am also using the new RICG Responsive Images plugin with the gallery but I 
   don’t think that makes any difference to my problem with the navigation. But 
   just incase this is included just before the above code –
 *     ```
       <?php 
   
           //get image alt
           $image_attributes = wp_prepare_attachment_for_js( get_post_thumbnail_id( get_the_ID() ), 'full' );
           $alt = $image_attributes['alt'];
           $url = $image_attributes['url'];
           $id = $image_attributes['id'];
   
           //pass image url and ID through responsive image plugin
           echo "<img alt='$alt' src='$url' ";
           echo tevkori_get_src_sizes( $id, 'large' );
           echo "/>";
   
       ?>
       ```
   
 * Can anyone help?

Viewing 3 replies - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)

 *  Moderator [bcworkz](https://wordpress.org/support/users/bcworkz/)
 * (@bcworkz)
 * [11 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/built-in-gallery-function-limitations/#post-5761963)
 * The aspects about the default gallery navigation you’ve identified have bothered
   me for some time, but I don’t use galleries enough to have done anything about
   it. But I have thought about solutions.
 * Basically, all built in WP image nav functions are useless because they all work
   off the parent post. You’d need to develop your own nav functions that work off
   the attachment IDs passed as shortcode attributes (`$attr['ids']`). The basic
   logic would be locate the current ID in the array and determine the next or previous
   ID. Get the attachment permalink for that ID for use as the anchor tag’s href
   attribute.
 * This means the gallery attachment template needs to be separate from the usual
   theme image attachment template.
 * The backlink to the post page with the gallery thumbs is particularly difficult.
   The first attachment opened can determine where it came from with HTTP_REFERER,
   but as the user clicks through image attachments, that source is lost. I suppose
   one could determine the source post and pass it as an URL parameter in the next/
   previous links. No URL parameter means get the source from HTTP_REFERER and pass
   it in all subsequent links.
 * The way I’ve dealt with the backlink issue is all the gallery thumb links open
   a popup window to display attachments. Clicking on the backlink simply closes
   the popup.
 * It’s not clear how you’ve customised the default gallery. Perhaps you already
   know this, but just in case, the proper ways are to either develop your own shortcode
   and handler (copy, edit, and rename), or to override the default by hooking the‘
   post_gallery’ filter. By returning your own gallery content from your filter 
   callback, it is immediately echoed out instead of using the default code.
 *  Thread Starter [shecodes](https://wordpress.org/support/users/shecodes/)
 * (@shecodes)
 * [11 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/built-in-gallery-function-limitations/#post-5762009)
 * Wow, thanks bcworkz for taking the time to give such an informative response.
 * I must admit I was peeking through my fingers at my inbox as I thought this might
   sadly be the case. I am unfortunately bear of little brain when it comes to scripting
   so this will have to be a spare time challenge for me to work out, and a plugin
   will have to suffice for now as I have a site to launch next weekend.
 * But I am very appreciative of the starting point you have given me. I was trying
   to utilise the gallery without the need for a popup as I don’t think they are
   appropriate across devices. I was trying to minimise page load as each attachment
   page is one image only, which is made ‘responsive’ with the RICG plugin. I also
   don’t like having the pinch zoom ability taken away which always seems to break
   on most gallery plugins on mobile. So I was trying to emulate a plugin ‘look’
   as user testing suggested that people have come to expect the next/prev and close
   buttons. I was using the thumbnail links to open the attachment page ‘disguised’
   as a popup without being a popup so the ‘close button’ was actually an anchor
   link back to the parent gallery. From what you have said I can now see why this
   only works if the images have been loaded next to each other in the media library.
   Time to go research on how to do it properly…
 *  Moderator [bcworkz](https://wordpress.org/support/users/bcworkz/)
 * (@bcworkz)
 * [11 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/built-in-gallery-function-limitations/#post-5762031)
 * “bear of little brain” 🙂 I haven’t heard it phrased like that before, I like
   it! I certainly understand the need for a quick solution. I’ve much embarrassing
   code out there due to looming deadlines. Unfortunately I can’t offer anything
   to help with a quick solution.
 * I agree that popups have limited utility in today’s sites. I used them in some
   old desktop oriented sites. The referring page passed as URL parameter should
   work fine for you. In case you wish to pursue this approach, here’s the logic
   in more detail.
 * Let’s name the URL parameter “main_gallery”. Every time the attachment template
   loads it checks if `$_GET['main_gallery']` is set. If so, append the same value
   to both next and previous navigation links. Also use the value to construct the
   backlink. Adding to the nav links can be done like this, assuming `$link` is 
   the established nav link by itself:
    `$full_link = add_query_arg('main_gallery',
   $_GET['main_gallery'], $link );`
 * If `$_GET['main_gallery']` is NOT set, we can assume `$_SERVER['HTTP_REFERER']`
   contains the URL of the main gallery. This is in part why gallery attachments
   must use a different template than normal image attachments to regular posts.
   Thus we use the HTTP_REFERER value to construct the back link and to append it
   as the “main_gallery” URL parameter for the next an previous nav links.
 * It takes some effort to explain the logic, but you’ll find the resulting code
   is fairly minimal. Do be aware that I haven’t actually implemented this to know
   that it works, but I see no reason it wouldn’t. I hope this helps some. If you
   need further clarification on anything, please do ask. Unfortunately, this forum
   format is not conducive to quick answers for people on a deadline. If you need
   a quick answer, you could try [WordPress IRC Live Help](http://codex.wordpress.org/WordPress_IRC_Live_Help).

Viewing 3 replies - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)

The topic ‘Built-in Gallery Function Limitations?’ is closed to new replies.

 * In: [Hacks](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/plugins-and-hacks/hacks/)
 * 3 replies
 * 2 participants
 * Last reply from: [bcworkz](https://wordpress.org/support/users/bcworkz/)
 * Last activity: [11 years, 5 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/built-in-gallery-function-limitations/#post-5762031)
 * Status: not resolved

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