WordPress hooks can be used in two ways:
using callback function name and appropriate function
add_action( 'action_name', 'callback_function_name' );
function callback_function_name() {
// do something
}
using anonymous function (closure)
add_action( 'action_name', function() {
// do something
} );
Is there any difference for WordPress what way to use? What is prefered way and why?
The disadvantage of the anonymous function is that you're not able to remove the action with remove_action.
Important: To remove a hook, the $function_to_remove
and $priority
arguments must match when the hook was added. This goes for both filters and actions. No warning will be given on removal failure.
Because you didn't define function_to_remove
, you can't remove it.
So you should never use this inside plugins or themes that somebody else might want to overwrite.
Using closures has the benefit of keeping the global namespace clean, because you don't have to create a global function first to pass as a callback.
add_action('admin_init', function () {
// some code...
});
Personally I would prefer using closures as callbacks, unless:
- You want the possibility of removing the callback
- The callback function needs to be used more then once
- You need support for older PHP versions (less then 5.3)
Closures in Classes
Closures can also be beneficial within classes.
class SomeClass
{
public function __construct()
{
add_action('wp_head', function () {
$this->addSomeStyling();
});
}
protected function addSomeStyling()
{
echo '<style> body { color: #999; } </style>';
}
}
Normally callback methods need to be made public, but in this case you can also make them private or protected.
This solution only works for PHP 5.4+. To also make it work for PHP 5.3, you need to explicitly pass the $this
object reference to the closure, like:
public function __construct()
{
$self = $this;
add_action('wp_head', function () use ($self) {
$self->addSomeStyling();
});
}