[wp-trac] Re: [WordPress Trac] #9460: Add custom_url_func to be run in template-loader.php

[WordPress Trac]

#9460: Add custom_url_func to be run in template-loader.php
--------------------------+-------------------------------------------------
 Reporter:  mikeschinkel  |       Owner:  mikeschinkel
     Type:  enhancement   |      Status:  new         
 Priority:  normal        |   Milestone:  Unassigned  
Component:  Permalinks    |     Version:  2.8         
 Severity:  normal        |    Keywords:  custom url  
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Comment(by mikeschinkel):

 Replying to [comment:1 DD32]:
 > Looking at the example, I'd do that with WP_Rewrite and a custom query
 var myself.
 >
 > I think what would be better is a simpler way to manage endpoints and
 startpoints in the rewriting code, for many people (esp. new people to
 WordPress) its a real maze..
 >
 > I've got this old example code (which was for 2.2 i think, and doesnt
 use any of the API functions) which shows something basicly similar to
 what mike wants: http://dd32.id.au/files/wordpress/test-rewrite.php which
 gave the url's: http://dd32.id.au/artist/
 http://dd32.id.au/artist/artist-1/ etc.  (Its old example code, it doesnt
 work anymore, It needs to be changed to insert the rewrite rules at the
 start rather than the end, since WP 2.5+? included some greedy matching
 rules)

 Yes, you are headed down the right path in terms of understand what I'm
 trying to accomplish.  However, the WP_Rewrite() ends up being a black art
 because so few theme authors (and probably few plugin authors) really
 understand how to write RegEx. I can do it but I kringe every time I have
 to.

 That said, making the WP_Rewrite() rules easier to use is really a much
 bigger project and not one I'd one to take on w/o having a much better
 understanding of what the community would accept. For example, I could
 envision a URL templating system that would be much easier to understand
 for themers, something like the following however that would potentially
 be very complex to implement all edge cases:

 {{{

 $wp_rewrite->url_templates = array(
         '/artist/{artist}/' => 'do_artist_page'
 }

 function do_artist_page($artist) {
         // Generate the artist page here.
 }
 }}}

 The solution proposed in my patch was instead an "escape valve" solution;
 it's not architected like WP_Rewrite() but it would give themers and
 possibly plugin developers a way to break out and just get some work done.
 As is to create pages based on custom URL structures is overwhelmingly
 complicated when WordPress is supposed to be easy. This was a roadblock we
 hit again and again on my last project and one I'm hiting on my current
 project.

 So I guess the question is, what's the downside of implementing (something
 like) the "escape valve" shown?  It would not preclude a more fully
 architected solution in the future and would let me (and others) get work
 done, today.  (BTW, another probably better option would be to add a new
 "custom_url" filter instead of using the "parse_query" filter and a
 $wp_query instance variable and set of functions. I can work that up if
 that would be preferred.)

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Ticket URL: <http://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/9460#comment:2>
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