Override Plugin Function in WordPress

Question

I have a Plugin installed on my WordPress site.

I'd like to override a function within the Plugin. Do I override this in my theme's functions.php and if so, how do I do this?

Here's the original function in my plugin:

    /**
     * sensei_start_course_form function.
     *
     * @access public
     * @param mixed $course_id
     * @return void
     */
    function sensei_start_course_form( $course_id ) {

        $prerequisite_complete = sensei_check_prerequisite_course( $course_id );

        if ( $prerequisite_complete ) {
        ?><form method="POST" action="<?php echo esc_url( get_permalink() ); ?>">

                <input type="hidden" name="<?php echo esc_attr( 'woothemes_sensei_start_course_noonce' ); ?>" id="<?php echo esc_attr( 'woothemes_sensei_start_course_noonce' ); ?>" value="<?php echo esc_attr( wp_create_nonce( 'woothemes_sensei_start_course_noonce' ) ); ?>" />

                <span><input name="course_start" type="submit" class="course-start" value="<?php echo apply_filters( 'sensei_start_course_text', __( 'Start taking this Course', 'woothemes-sensei' ) ); ?>"/></span>

            </form><?php
        } // End If Statement
    } // End sensei_start_course_form()

Answer 1

You can't really "override" a function. If a function is defined, you can't redefine or change it. Your best option is to create a copy of the plugin and change the function directly. Of course you will have to repeat this everytime the plugin is updated.

Give the plugin a different name to distinguish them in the plugin listing. Disable the original, enable your copy.

Answer 2

I know this is late but in the event that someone else finds this post. A simpler solution is to make a copy of the function if you can to your themes functions file and rename it so that it doesn't conflict with the original function. Then use your new function in place of the original. That way you can update the plugin files without affecting your changes.

Answer 3

You can do it by using add_filter() function.
See wordpress stackexchange: Override plugin with functions.php

Just add the below code in theme's functions.php file.

add_filter('sensei_start_course_form','MyCustomfilter',$priority = 10, $args = 1);

function MyCustomfilter($course_id) { 
// Do your logics here
}