Writing my own plugin

[samh]

So I've decided to write a plugin. Well, I need a specific plugin for my site that is so so simple but I'm pretty sure it doesn't exist yet. But it's so simple it's stupid.

Anyway...what I need is a plugin that will simply, when activated, display an image that links to something at the end of each post. Now, there's a reason why I'm not just using another plugin that allows you to add HTML at the bottom of each post and that's because a) I'm running a MU install and I want it to be available for our users to switch on/off and b) because I wanna learn how to write a plugin!

I am aware of some of the tutorials out there that explain the process of writing a pluging but I've not been able to find anything specific to this. Perhaps I'm just using the wrong combination of keywords, I just don't know!

If you're aware of a tutorial that would walk me through this then that would be amazing, or alternatively if you fancy making this thread the tutorial itself then that would obviously be most incredible ;)

I'm excited by the way as to what we'll be using this plugin for :)

Cheers, Sam

[Otto]

1. http://codex.wordpress.org/Writing_a_Plugin

2. http://codex.wordpress.org/Plugin_API

3. Specifically, http://codex.wordpress.org/Plugin_API#Filters

4. hook_name == "the_content".

That should be enough to get the functionality of your plugin working. Creating a Settings menu and such is slightly harder. I wrote a tutorial that should help somewhat, but it's a bit advanced, not necessarily for beginners: http://ottodestruct.com/blog/2009/wo...-api-tutorial/

However, it is pretty much plug and play code I'm describing there, simply putting very similar code like it directly into a plugin will work.

Bonus code to start with:

 <?php
/*
Plugin Name: Magical Fairy Plugin
Description: Adds happy fairy juice after every post!
*/

add_filter('the_content','fairy_juice');

function fairy_juice($content) {
$content .= '<p>Fairy Time! Rainbows and Unicorns! Wheee!</p>';
return $content;
}  

[andrea_r]

I think this is the bestest plugin ever.

[samh]

I'm on my phone so can't really digest all this now...but Otto, huge thanks for the effort you've gone to there

And andrea, funnily enough otto has actually read my mind...that is the exact plugin I was going to release to the community. I trust you'll be downloading and plugging through your blog?!

[andrea_r]

Dude, you know it.

Can we add glitter?

[samh]

Dude, you know it.

Can we add glitter?

PUshing your luck I think now....



;)

[Cais]

Well, it has to have glitter ... doesn't it?

... or would that be a new plugin, Sparkling Fairy Juice?

[samh]

Righteo one and all - it would seem that I've created a plugin. Actually that's an entirely a lie. I didn't have time to do it but I was able to hand it over to one of my dev guys, non-wp experienced, and he has done it for me.

You can see the plugin in action at the bottom of this following post:

http://westhamprocess.com/2009/11/23...nce-this-year/
(just scroll to the Chat&Banter button after the post)


Now obviously the plugin itself is just stupidly simple (and image, a link and some text) and massive kudos needs to go to the retweet@ guys for what they've created. We just wanted that as a plugin (at least that's how our users perceive it!)

If I'm allowed to, I'll happily attach the plugin folder here - let me know if that's ok, I'm not sure of the etiquette?!

(ps i created that table in that post with WP-Table Reloaded....it works fine with WPMu and I've been impressed with it thus far)