We can create custom forms programmatically in WordPress for granular control over the form’s structure, functionality, and integration with our website. Read this article to learn more about the creation steps. As part of our WordPress Support Services, Bobcares provides answers to all of your questions.
Overview
- How to Create a Custom Form Programmatically in WordPress?
- Steps to Create a Custom Form Programmatically in WordPress
- Benefits of Creating Custom Form Programmatically in WordPress
- Conclusion
How to Create a Custom Form Programmatically in WordPress?
WordPress custom forms are user-defined forms that let us get particular data from visitors. In addition to having a variety of fields—including text boxes, radio buttons, checkboxes, dropdown menus, and file uploads—they frequently have form validation to guarantee that user input is accurate. Conditional logic is another feature that many custom forms enable, enabling fields to be revealed or hidden in response to user input. We may adjust the styling to blend in with the style of thw website and set up email alerts to notify us when a form is submitted.
In the following section, we’ll see the steps to create custom forms programmatically in WordPress.
Steps to Create a Custom Form Programmatically in WordPress
Step 1
Configure the environment
i. Make a Child Theme: When changing the parent theme, we can make sure to preserve the changes with the child theme. it is best to make a child theme if we are adding the form to an existing theme.
ii. Custom Plugin: As an alternative, we can control the form by writing a custom plugin. If we want the form to stand alone from the theme, this is an excellent technique to follow.
Step 2
Now, we’ve to create the HTML structure of the form. We can do this in the theme’s template file, a custom template file, or within a plugin.
function custom_form_html() {
?>
<form action="" method="post" id="custom-form">
<label for="name">Name:</label>
<input type="text" name="name" id="name" required>
<label for="email">Email:</label>
<input type="email" name="email" id="email" required>
<label for="message">Message:</label>
<textarea name="message" id="message" required></textarea>
<input type="submit" name="submit_form" value="Send">
</form>
<?php
}
Calling custom_form_html() will cause the form to be displayed anywhere we want it to, whether that be in a sidebar, page template, or shortcode.
Step 3
Once the form is built, we have to manage submitting it. This include processing the data (such as emailing it, putting it to a database, etc.) and validating it.
function handle_custom_form_submission() {
if (isset($_POST['submit_form'])) {
// Sanitize input fields
$name = sanitize_text_field($_POST['name']);
$email = sanitize_email($_POST['email']);
$message = sanitize_textarea_field($_POST['message']);
// Validate email
if (!is_email($email)) {
echo 'Invalid email address.';
return;
}
// Process the form data (e.g., save to database, send email)
$form_data = array(
'post_title' => wp_strip_all_tags($name),
'post_content' => $message,
'post_status' => 'publish',
'post_type' => 'custom_form_submission'
);
// Insert the post into the database
$post_id = wp_insert_post($form_data);
if ($post_id) {
echo 'Form submitted successfully!';
} else {
echo 'There was an error submitting the form.';
}
}
}
When the form is submitted, attach the form submission handling function to the init action hook so that it can handle the submission.
Step 4
We can wrap the form with a shortcode to make it more user-friendly. This enables us to add the shortcode and then position the form anywhere on the website.
function custom_form_shortcode() {
ob_start();
custom_form_html();
return ob_get_clean();
}
add_shortcode('custom_form', 'custom_form_shortcode');
We can now add the form to any page or post using [custom_form].
Step 5
This steps involves enhancing the form(Optional):
AJAX Submission: To avoid page reloads when the form is submitted, we can implement AJAX.
Custom Post Type: If we want to store form submissions in the WordPress database, consider creating a custom post type or custom database table to store the data.
Form Validation: Add additional client-side and server-side validation to improve data integrity.
Security: Use WordPress nonces to protect against Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) attacks.
// Add a nonce field in the form
wp_nonce_field('custom_form_action', 'custom_form_nonce');
// Check the nonce on form submission
if (isset($_POST['submit_form']) && wp_verify_nonce($_POST['custom_form_nonce'], 'custom_form_action')) {
// Process the form
} else {
// Invalid nonce
echo 'Form submission failed due to security reasons.';
}
Step 6
Use CSS to style the form so that it reflects the style and feel of the website. Either enqueue a different stylesheet or add the styles straight into the stylesheet of the theme.
#custom-form {
max-width: 600px;
margin: 0 auto;
}
#custom-form label {
display: block;
margin-bottom: 5px;
}
#custom-form input, #custom-form textarea {
width: 100%;
padding: 8px;
margin-bottom: 10px;
border: 1px solid #ccc;
border-radius: 4px;
}
#custom-form input[type="submit"] {
background-color: #0073aa;
color: #fff;
border: none;
cursor: pointer;
}
#custom-form input[type="submit"]:hover {
background-color: #005b8a;
}
Benefits of Creating Custom Form Programmatically in WordPress
Creating custom forms programmatically in WordPress offers several benefits:
1. Full Control: We gain complete control over the form’s structure, fields, and functionality, allowing for tailored solutions that meet specific requirements.
2. Enhanced Performance: Programmatically created forms can be optimized for performance, ensuring faster loading times compared to some plugin-based forms.
3. Security: Custom code can implement specific security measures, reducing the risk of vulnerabilities often associated with third-party plugins.
4. No Plugin Overhead: By coding the forms, we avoid the bloat that comes with many plugins, leading to a cleaner and more efficient site.
5. Custom Validation and Processing: We can easily implement custom validation rules and processing logic tailored to the needs, providing a better user experience.
6. Integration Flexibility: Programmatically created forms can be easily integrated with other custom functionalities, APIs, or third-party services, enhancing their capabilities.
7. Maintainability: Having the forms coded means we can easily update and maintain them without relying on external plugins, reducing potential compatibility issues.
8. Learning Opportunity: Coding the forms can enhance the WordPress development skills and understanding of the WordPress ecosystem.
[Searching solution for a different question? We’re happy to help.]
Conclusion
In conclusion, developing custom forms in WordPress programmatically offers a number of benefits, such as increased security, better performance, and more control over the form’s functionality and design. We can create lightweight, optimised forms that are suited to the particular requirements by eschewing the overhead of plugins. Custom code also makes it possible for flexible validation, smooth integration with other features, and simpler maintenance.
In addition to providing a more effective and safe solution, this method presents a worthwhile opportunity for developers to gain a deeper comprehension of WordPress. In the end, we may provide a more efficient and customised user experience with the help of programmatically generated custom forms.
0 Comments