Introduction to Hooks in WordPress
WordPress is one of the most popular content management systems, and it has numerous features, one of which is hooks. Hooks enable us to combine our code with the native WordPress functionality effectively. This means that without altering the core WordPress code, we can implement new functionalities on our site.
These hooks can be broadly classified into two categories: actions and filters. Actions are used to add new code to a specific process, while filters provide the possibility for making modifications to the content generated by WordPress. Thus, hooks are considered highly valuable tools for WordPress developers.
One specific hook that you can work with is the year_link hook. This hook allows you to modify the yearly archive links in WordPress. In other words, by using this hook, you can customize the URLs related to your annual archives to suit your preferences!
Next, we will present a simple code that showcases how to use the year_link hook to modify the links for the year 2019. In this example, if a user clicks on the link for the year 2019, it will redirect to a URL that we define.
add_filter('year_link', 'my_custom_year_link', 10, 1);
function my_custom_year_link($link) {
// Change the link for the year 2019 to a custom link
if (strpos($link, '2019') !== false) {
return 'https://example.com/custom-archive/2019';
}
return $link;
}
Code Explanation
In this section, we will discuss the different steps of the code:
1. Using the year_link Hook:
The code starts by using the
add_filter function that activates the year_link hook.2. Defining the Custom Function:
We define a function called
my_custom_year_link which takes the incoming $link as an argument. This variable contains the default URL for the year link.3. Checking for the Year 2019:
By using the
strpos function, we check whether the year 2019 exists in the link. If it does, we modify the link to the new one.4. Returning the Original Link:
If the year 2019 doesn't exist in the link, the original link will be returned instead.