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When working with WordPress, there may be times when you wish to include an external file in your posts or pages. Whether it’s a piece of HTML, CSS, or PHP code, an external script, or even a separately stored text, having the ability to directly place these files into your content can significantly boost your site’s flexibility and functionality. The solution lies in using a shortcode. This article will guide you through the steps to create a shortcode to include external files in WordPress, making the task a breeze even for those with minimal coding experience.
function wpturbo_include_external_file( $atts ) {
ob_start();
include( get_template_directory() . '/your-file.php' );
return ob_get_clean();
}
add_shortcode( 'wpturbo_include_file', 'wpturbo_include_external_file' );
The aim of the code snippet is to generate a shortcode that includes an external file in your WordPress theme.
Let’s break down the components of this code snippet:
First, you have a PHP function named wpturbo_include_external_file(). This function expects one argument, $atts, which stands for attributes. The function is going to be tied to your custom shortcode, and any attributes you include in your shortcode will be passed as an argument to this function.
function wpturbo_include_external_file( $atts ) {
// code goes here
}Inside the function, you define ob_start(), which turns on output buffering. Output buffering prevents PHP from immediately sending the output to the browser. This enables you to store output in a buffer and manipulate it before it’s sent to the browser.
After starting the output buffering, the function includes the PHP file located at /your-file.php within your WordPress theme directory. You accomplish this using include( get_template_directory() . '/your-file.php' );.
get_template_directory() is a built-in WordPress function that retrieves the absolute path to the directory of the current theme. /your-file.php is then appended to this path to include the correct file.
Next, ob_get_clean() is called to get the current buffer contents and delete the current output buffer. This means the content of your-file.php is stored and returned by the wpturbo_include_external_file function.
function wpturbo_include_external_file( $atts ) {
ob_start();
include( get_template_directory() . '/your-file.php' );
return ob_get_clean();
}Finally, we register the shortcode using add_shortcode( 'wpturbo_include_file', 'wpturbo_include_external_file' );. The shortcode represents the name of your shortcode when you’re using it in your content and wpturbo_include_external_file is the function that WordPress will call when it encounters your shortcode.
Now, with this function in place, you can include your PHP file anywhere in your WordPress posts or pages by simply writing [wpturbo_include_file] in your content.