Title: Shortcode function – replacing echo with return – need help
Last modified: August 20, 2016

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# Shortcode function – replacing echo with return – need help

 *  Resolved [chachalady](https://wordpress.org/support/users/chachalady/)
 * (@chachalady)
 * [13 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/shortcode-function-replacing-echo-with-return-need-help/)
 * Hello,
    _( I am beginer with creating shortcodes … and still learning php javascript
   etc…)_
 * I managed to make a simple shortcode, and it does what I need, but …
 * I recently foound out that I should use “return” instead of “echo” if I want 
   to place the shortcode output **inside the content** of the post and **not allways
   on top**.
    I went through the code of my function, replaced echo with return,
   but it doesn’t work (nothing gets returned at all…) I must be missing something,
   some difference between echo and return, I guess I can not replace it as simple
   as that … Here is the code I put in my functions.php :
 *     ```
       <?php
       /**
       * MY SHORTCODE
       **/
       function display_images_in_list($atts) {
   
       	extract(shortcode_atts(array(
             'velicina' => 'thumbnail',
          ), $atts));
   
       echo "<div class='slideshow pics'>";
   
       	if($images = get_posts(array(
       		'post_parent'    => get_the_ID(),
       		'post_type'      => 'attachment',
       		'numberposts'    => -1, // show all
       		'post_status'    => null,
       		'post_mime_type' => 'image',
                       'orderby'        => 'menu_order',
                       'order'           => 'ASC',
       	))) {
       		foreach($images as $image) {
       			$attimg = wp_get_attachment_image($image->ID,$velicina);
       			$attimgpageurl = get_attachment_link($image->ID);
   
          echo "<div class='slajd'><a href='".$attimgpageurl."'>".$attimg."</a></div>";
   
       		}
       	}
         echo "</div><div id='nav'></div>";
       }
       ?>
       <?php
       function register_shortcodes(){
          add_shortcode('galerija-cycle', 'display_images_in_list');
       }
       ?>
       <?php
       add_action( 'init', 'register_shortcodes');
       ?>
       ```
   
 * It works _( for example this is how I used it: _[galerija-cycle velicina=”galerija-
   thumb-2″] _)_
    but shortcode output is always on top of the other content, even
   if it is placed inside text of the post. So I did this:
 *     ```
       <?php
       /**
       * MY SHORTCODE
       **/
       function display_images_in_list($atts) {
   
       	extract(shortcode_atts(array(
             'velicina' => 'thumbnail',
          ), $atts));
   
       return '<div class="slideshow pics">';
   
       	if($images = get_posts(array(
       		'post_parent'    => get_the_ID(),
       		'post_type'      => 'attachment',
       		'numberposts'    => -1, // show all
       		'post_status'    => null,
       		'post_mime_type' => 'image',
                       'orderby'        => 'menu_order',
                       'order'           => 'ASC',
       	))) {
       		foreach($images as $image) {
       			$attimg = wp_get_attachment_image($image->ID,$velicina);
       			$attimgpageurl = get_attachment_link($image->ID);
   
          return '<div class="slajd"><a href="'.$attimgpageurl.'">'.$attimg.'</a></div>';
   
       		}
       	}
         return '</div><div id="nav"></div>';
       }
       ?>
       <?php
       function register_shortcodes(){
          add_shortcode('galerija-cycle', 'display_images_in_list');
       }
       ?>
       <?php
       add_action( 'init', 'register_shortcodes');
       ?>
       ```
   
 * As you can see I just replaced echo with return and changed ‘ and ” …
    It doesnt
   work at all – shortcode output is mostly blank … It does a strange thing: text
   from post content is ok, it is before the shortcode, but after that the output
   of the shortcode is just: <div class=”slideshow pics”> ..missing the images that
   should be here – instead it somehow wraps two divs from template after shortcode
   inside this div … </div> You help is very much appreciated and needed. Thanks.

Viewing 2 replies - 1 through 2 (of 2 total)

 *  Thread Starter [chachalady](https://wordpress.org/support/users/chachalady/)
 * (@chachalady)
 * [13 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/shortcode-function-replacing-echo-with-return-need-help/#post-3393433)
 * I find out this:
    _“Replacing echo with return doesn’t work because function 
   is immediately terminated once it hits a return.”_
 * I thought it must be something I still didn’t learn … So I need help with syntax
   and coding – how to convert the echo into return.
    I got three echos … On various
   forum topics I saw that I have to replace all the echo statements with a variable
   like $stringreturn, then return that variable. I am not quite sure how – tried
   out something already but I guess I made some stupid mistake again…please help
 *  Thread Starter [chachalady](https://wordpress.org/support/users/chachalady/)
 * (@chachalady)
 * [13 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/shortcode-function-replacing-echo-with-return-need-help/#post-3393538)
 * I found a working code after all! 🙂
    After hours and hours searching and browsing
   through similar topics I end up with this solution:
 * I add :
 *     ```
       ob_start();
       ```
   
 * to the first line of the function,
 * and at the end of the function I add :
 *     ```
       $output = ob_get_clean();
       return $output;
       ```
   
 * And it works well! Shortcode generated output is in the middle of the text where
   I put it.
 * Complete code if someone needs to do similar thing:
 *     ```
       <?php
       /**
       * MY SHORTCODE
       **/
       function display_images_in_list($atts) {
   
       	ob_start(); 
   
       	extract(shortcode_atts(array(
             'velicina' => 'thumbnail',
          ), $atts));
   
       echo "<div class='slideshow pics'>";
   
       	if($images = get_posts(array(
       		'post_parent'    => get_the_ID(),
       		'post_type'      => 'attachment',
       		'numberposts'    => -1, // show all
       		'post_status'    => null,
       		'post_mime_type' => 'image',
               'orderby'        => 'menu_order',
               'order'           => 'ASC',
       	))) {
       		foreach($images as $image) {
       	$attimg = wp_get_attachment_image($image->ID,$velicina);
   
       	$attimgpageurl = get_attachment_link($image->ID);
   
          echo "<div class='slajd'><a href='".$attimgpageurl."'>".$attimg."</a></div>";
   
       		}
       	}
         echo "</div><div id='nav'></div>";
         $output = ob_get_clean();
         return $output;
       }
       ?>
       <?php
       function register_shortcodes(){
          add_shortcode('galerija-cycle', 'display_images_in_list');
       }
       ?>
       <?php
       add_action( 'init', 'register_shortcodes');
       ?>
       ```
   

Viewing 2 replies - 1 through 2 (of 2 total)

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## Tags

 * [shortcode](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/shortcode/)

 * In: [Fixing WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/how-to-and-troubleshooting/)
 * 2 replies
 * 1 participant
 * Last reply from: [chachalady](https://wordpress.org/support/users/chachalady/)
 * Last activity: [13 years, 4 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/shortcode-function-replacing-echo-with-return-need-help/#post-3393538)
 * Status: resolved

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