How to create a WordPress Widget
I think it's time to learn how to create a WordPress Widget. WordPress (WP from now on) is the most used blogging platform, and I want to help everybody to code their favorite widgets.
From the official site (where you can find a lot of widgets): WordPress Widgets (WPW) is like a plugin, but designed to provide a simple way to arrange the various elements of your sidebar content (known as "widgets") without having to change any code.
From a geeky point of view, a widget is a php file. Fullstop. Being a php file, you can make whatever you want. You "just" need to master php and follow some guidelines given by WP guys.
To make the simplest widget ever, you have to know only two WP functions:
The first is register_sidebar_widget($name, $function): adds your widget in the widget admin panel. You simply have to change $name with the name of your widget and $function with the function that your widget will execute.
The second one is add_action($event, $function): $event tells what event your $function should be associated with.
Ok, now let's write some php
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<?php
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/*
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Plugin Name: Triqui
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Plugin URI: http://www.emanueleferonato.com/
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Description: Test widget
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Author: Emanuele Feronato
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Version: 1
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Author URI: http://www.emanueleferonato.com/
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*/
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function triqui_widget() {
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echo"<h2>Triqui widget</h2>I love <a href = \"http://www.emanueleferonato.com\">Emanuele Feronato</a>";
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}
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function init_triqui(){
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register_sidebar_widget("Triqui", "triqui_widget");
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}
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add_action("plugins_loaded", "init_triqui");
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?>
Lines 2-9: This commented code is needed to show WP users who made the plugin, what does the plugin do, where to download updates, and so on. Look at this picture:
It represents your plugin management page, and you can see how your information is displayed according to what you write in lines 2-9
Line 11: Beginning of the widget itself
Line 12: The widget... just writing the title (between h2 tags) and a link to my blog
Line 15: Function to initialize the widget
Line 16: As explained before, I am registering the sidebar widget calling it Triqui, and want it to execute the triqui_widget function, the one at lines 11-13
Line 19: When the plugins are loaded, I want init_triqui to be executed. Doing this way, once plugins are loaded, I register the sidebar widget that will display the link at my blog.
And that's all.
Now you have to save your file with a php extension (for example triqui.php) and upload it in your wp-content/plugins directory you will find in your WP installation.
Then you will find your Triqui plugin in your plugin management page and once you activate it you will find the Triqui widget in your Sidebar Arrangement page (Presentation -> Widgets in your admin panel)
... and... that's it... now drag your widget into your sidebar and you will display my link in your blog.
This was the very first widget... but soon I will teach you how to develop more complex and interactive widgets, and, why not, widgets that could you earn some money.
Meanwhile, why don't you display my widget for a day or two? If you do it...
Tell me what do you think about this post. I'll write better and better entries.
(11 votes, average: 4.18 out of 5)
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16 Responses to “How to create a WordPress Widget”
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Just out of curiosity, what do you use to syntax highlight your scripts? Is it something that comes with wordpress?
It’s called syntax highlighter, google for wordpress syntax highlighter and you will find a lot
Thanks
Thank for for interesting widget ideas.
Thanks for the tutorial…
LOVE IT! :D
I was looking for this type of articles. Now I have got some ideas about creating WordPress widget. Great!
man nice tutorial. stress out somewhere that the comments are usefull! :D it took me 15 minutes to figure out what was going on… nice one man!!
Just what I’m looking for. You seem to be able to code in all sorts of languages, your very skilled.
thanks for the great tutorial!
Thank you for this tutorial, but one concern:
I’ve done exactly what you said, but when I activate the plugin and add it to a sidebar in WP 2.5.1, I then get a blank screen following a save of my new settings.
Refreshing the page or using the back button let’s me see the admin side of things again, but everytime I change a setting (essentially submitting a form), I get a blank screen…any ideas why?
Thanks
Nice, I like it. Keep up the good work.
[...] Biraz araştırma yapınca plugin ve beraberinde widget yapmanın sanıldığından daha kolay olduğunu gördüm. Öncelikle yararlandığım kaynağı göstermeliyim ki merak edenler kaynağından bakabilirler. http://www.emanueleferonato.com/2008/02/15/how-to-create-a-wordpress-widget/ [...]
[...] on tutorials from Widgetizing Plugins, Lisa Stewart, Emanuele Feronato, and especially Hrw website; here is my first plugin for WordPress: Meta-Lite Widget for your [...]
Thanks for the tutorial. I wish the guys at WP would learn to write tutorials this simple and concise.
It was really simple to understand. Thanks for the good work. I’m going to start to write a widget now itself. :-)