The article discusses how to execute a function only once in WordPress, particularly useful for plugin or theme developers. The function get_option is used to check if a specific option exists, and if not, the code is executed and the option is set using add_option. Once the option is set, the code will not be executed again unless the option is manually deleted. The article provides guidance on how to delete the option if needed. Overall, the article aims to help developers write functions that are only executed once in WordPress.
In this article, we will discuss how to execute a function only once in WordPress. This can be very useful for plugin or theme developers who need to run specific functions when their theme or plugin is activated.
Which function is only performed once?
There are various scenarios where you might need to run a function only once in WordPress, such as:
- Creating a new table in the WordPress database
- Inserting or updating data
- Creating a new user
- Deleting a user role
- And other similar tasks
Perform a function once
If you are a WordPress developer, you may already be familiar with the get_option
function. This function retrieves the value of an option and returns false if the value does not exist.
function hk_run_code_one_time() {
if ( !get_option('run_only_once') ):
// Your code here
add_option('run_only_once', 1);
endif;
}
add_action( 'init', 'hk_run_code_one_time' );
In the code above, we use the get_option()
function to check if the option run_only_once
already has a value. If not, the code inside the function is executed, and then we use the add_option
function to assign a value to the run_only_once
option.
Once the value of run_only_once
is set, the code inside this function will not be executed again. If you want to run it again for testing, you can search and delete the run_only_once
option in the wp_options
table in the WordPress database. Alternatively, you can use the delete_option('run_only_once')
function to remove the option.
Final thoughts
I hope this article has helped you understand how to write a function that executes only once in WordPress. Feel free to leave a comment if you have any questions. If you found this article helpful, consider following our WordPress Tips section and our Facebook page for more insights.
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