plugin development - wp_dropdown_roles() to replace option value = code

I'm trying to replace a hardcoded dropdown list of roles in a plugin. Currently this is the code:

echo '<select name="xf_user_role_' . $id . '" id="xf_user_role_' . $id . '">';
?>

<option value='subscriber'
<?php echo ($xf_options['xf_user_role'][$id] == 'subscriber') ? "selected='yes'" : ''; ?> >Subscriber</option>

<option value='contributor'
<?php echo ($xf_options['xf_user_role'][$id] == 'contributor') ? "selected='yes'" : ''; ?> >Contributor</option>

<option value='author'
<?php echo ($xf_options['xf_user_role'][$id] == 'author') ? "selected='yes'" : ''; ?> >Author</option>

<option value='editor'
<?php echo ($xf_options['xf_user_role'][$id] == 'editor') ? "selected='yes'" : ''; ?> >Editor</option>

<option value='administrator'
<?php echo ($xf_options['xf_user_role'][$id] == 'administrator') ? "selected='yes'" : ''; ?> >Administrator</option>

</select> 

This code is changed to :

echo '<select name="xf_user_role_' . $id . '" id="xf_user_role_' . $id . '">';
wp_dropdown_roles( );
?>
</select> 

The dropdown list shows but selecting doesn't give the $xf_options ...

The wp_dropdown_roles isn't well documented in the Codex page. I've tried a few different ways to add information into the () but am not getting it right.

What is the proper information for within the ()?

I'm trying to replace a hardcoded dropdown list of roles in a plugin. Currently this is the code:

echo '<select name="xf_user_role_' . $id . '" id="xf_user_role_' . $id . '">';
?>

<option value='subscriber'
<?php echo ($xf_options['xf_user_role'][$id] == 'subscriber') ? "selected='yes'" : ''; ?> >Subscriber</option>

<option value='contributor'
<?php echo ($xf_options['xf_user_role'][$id] == 'contributor') ? "selected='yes'" : ''; ?> >Contributor</option>

<option value='author'
<?php echo ($xf_options['xf_user_role'][$id] == 'author') ? "selected='yes'" : ''; ?> >Author</option>

<option value='editor'
<?php echo ($xf_options['xf_user_role'][$id] == 'editor') ? "selected='yes'" : ''; ?> >Editor</option>

<option value='administrator'
<?php echo ($xf_options['xf_user_role'][$id] == 'administrator') ? "selected='yes'" : ''; ?> >Administrator</option>

</select> 

This code is changed to :

echo '<select name="xf_user_role_' . $id . '" id="xf_user_role_' . $id . '">';
wp_dropdown_roles( );
?>
</select> 

The dropdown list shows but selecting doesn't give the $xf_options ...

The wp_dropdown_roles isn't well documented in the Codex page. I've tried a few different ways to add information into the () but am not getting it right.

What is the proper information for within the ()?

• plugin-development
• user-roles

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1 Answer 1

Sorted by: Reset to default 1

The wp_dropdown_roles() function internally uses get_editable_roles() to fetch the needed roles. It does nothing else than fetching the roles from the global:

$all_roles = $GLOBALS['wp_roles']->roles;

and filter it afterwards:

return apply_filters( 'editable_roles', $all_roles );

So you can simply add the following function to a plugin or your functions.php file of your theme:

function wpse137935_filter_editable_roles( Array $roles )
{
    // Don't conflict and remove immediately
    remove_filter( current_filter(), __FUNCTION__ );

    // Do any logic in here that appends or removes roles

    return $roles;
}

Then, right before the call to wp_dropdown_roles(), you add:

add_filter( 'editable_roles', 'wpse137935_filter_editable_roles' );

It's important that you add the filter as late as possible to not crash into other plugins or your theme if they/it calls the same function elsewhere.