What is the_editor?
the_editor is one of the powerful tools in WordPress that is used for modifying and customizing text content. This tool allows developers to change the editor's content before displaying it to the user or to add new capabilities. For example, you can add specific HTML codes or particular content to the editor, or automatically modify the text.
By using the_editor, you can take advantage of filters and actions in WordPress to enhance user experience with your custom design. This tool is especially beneficial for those who want to create specific plugins for the editor, as it is very efficient.
How to use the_editor?
To use the_editor, you first need to define a PHP function that performs the desired changes and then add this function to the the_editor hook. Here, we will present one of the common uses of the_editor where we want to apply some HTML rules in the editor.
The example below shows how you can use the_editor to add predefined content to the editor. This process allows the user to have a predefined draft when creating a new post, ensuring that specific content exists in the editor.
Code Example
<?php
function custom_editor_content( $content ) {
$custom_content = '<h2>Welcome to the editor!</h2>\r\n' . $content;
return $custom_content;
}
add_filter( 'the_editor', 'custom_editor_content' );
?>Code Explanation
Code:
<?phpDescription: This line begins defining a PHP script.
Code:
function custom_editor_content( $content ) {Description: Here we create a function named custom_editor_content which takes the current content of the editor as input.
Code:
$custom_content = '<h2>Welcome to the editor!</h2>\r\n' . $content;Description: In this line, we add our predefined content to the editor’s content.
Code:
return $custom_content;Description: This line returns the modified content to the editor.
Code:
add_filter( 'the_editor', 'custom_editor_content' );Description: Finally, using this line, we connect our function to the the_editor hook so that the changes are applied.