WordPress Must-Use Plugins (Quick Overview)
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WordPress must-use (MU) plugins provide critical functionality that cannot be disabled. They are placed in the wp-content/mu-plugins folder and run independently of regular plugins or themes. While MU plugins cannot be disabled or uninstalled, they are useful for network-wide settings, custom post types, taxonomies, and other core functionality. Developers must maintain MU plugins themselves since there are no automatic updates. Common uses include initializing custom post types, handling redirects, and removing admin menus.
WordPress Must-Use Plugins (Quick Overview)
- 1. WORDPRESS MUST-USE PLUGINS by Ronald Huereca Presented at WordCamp Norway January 14th, 2012
- 2. WHAT IS A MUST-USE PLUGIN? It’s a plugin that cannot be disabled.
- 3. WHY USE MU-PLUGINS? • Forcritical functionality that must not be disabled (Custom Post Types, taxonomies) • For network-wide functionality in Multisite networks that even Network Admins can’t disable • Snippetsof code you can re-use independent of regular plugins and themes
- 4. BENEFITS OF MU-PLUGINS • Cannot be disabled. Ever. Nunca. Aldri. • Cannot be edited. • Easy to drop in.
- 5. DRAWBACKS OF MU-PLUGINS • Cannot be disabled. Ever. • Thereare no automatic updates, so the code must be maintained by you. • No activation hooks are run. • MU-Pluginsdo not have the regular folder structure as a regular WordPress plugin does. • You can bring an entire network down with one PHP error.
- 6. wordpress WHERE TO INSTALL AN wp-content MU-PLUGIN plugins inside wp-content uploads themes
- 7. wordpress IF THE MU- PLUGIN FOLDER wp-content DOESN’T EXIST, CREATE IT plugins mu-plugins
- 8. ADD A .PHP FILE mu-plugins AND HAVE SOME FUN run-me-always.php
- 9. INSIDE AN MU-PLUGIN <?php //Uhm, just place some code here. ?>
- 10. YOU COULD GO A LITTLE MORE COMPLICATED <?php /* Plugin Name: Metronet Tasks Plugin URI: http://www.metronet.no Description: A task manager for WordPress Author: Metronet Version: 1.0 Requires at least: 3.3 Author URI: http://www.metronet.no */ require_once( 'metronet_tasks/metronet_tasks.php' ); ?>
- 11. THE LAST mu-plugins EXAMPLE ASSUMES A run-me-always.php DIRECTORY metronet_tasks STRUCTURE LIKE THIS: metronet_tasks.php
- 12. WHAT I’VE USED MU-PLUGINS FOR • Initializing Custom Post Types and taxonomies • Handling redirects • Removing admin menus • Removing dashboard widgets • Disabling the admin-bar on the front-end for all users
- 13. ALL OF THESE PLUGINS CAN BE WRITTEN AS REGULAR PLUGINS...
- 14. ...BUT IF THE FUNCTIONALITY IS CRITICAL TO THE PROJECT, DON’T EVEN ALLOW THE OPTION TO DISABLE.
- 15. FURTHER READING • http://codex.wordpress.org/Must_Use_Plugins • http://wpmututorials.com/basics/what-is-the-mu-plugins-folder/
- 16. Ronald Huereca Twitter: @ronalfy Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ronalfy Skype: ronalfy Slideshare: http://slideshare.net/ronalfy http://www.wpajax.com (WordPress and Ajax - free e-book) http://www.ronalfy.com (Personal website - rants and musings )