Creating a Site-Specific Plugin

Creating a Site-Specific Plugin

While the standard installation method involves adding code to your theme's functions.php file, this has a significant drawback: if you change your theme, the functionality will disappear.

To ensure the [user_role] shortcode remains available regardless of your theme, you can package the code into a site-specific plugin.

Why use a site-specific plugin?

• Theme Independence: Switching themes won't break your user role displays.
• Organization: Keeps your custom functionality separate from presentation logic.
• Safety: Prevents errors in your theme files from affecting core custom logic.

Step 1: Create the Plugin Folder

Connect to your WordPress site via FTP or your hosting provider's File Manager. Navigate to the /wp-content/plugins/ directory and create a new folder named wp-user-role-custom.

Step 2: Create the Plugin File

Inside the newly created folder, create a file named wp-user-role-custom.php.

Step 3: Add the Plugin Header and Logic

Open the file in a text editor and paste the following code. This includes the required WordPress plugin header and the logic found in app.php:

<?php
/**
 * Plugin Name: WP Show User Role Frontend
 * Description: Displays the current user's role using a shortcode.
 * Version: 1.0
 * Author: Your Name
 */

if ( ! defined( 'ABSPATH' ) ) {
    exit; // Exit if accessed directly
}

function wp_show_user_role_shortcode() {
    if ( is_user_logged_in() ) {
        $user = wp_get_current_user();
        $roles = ( array ) $user->roles;
        return esc_html( ucfirst( $roles[0] ) );
    }
    return '';
}

add_shortcode( 'user_role', 'wp_show_user_role_shortcode' );

Step 4: Activate the Plugin

1. Log in to your WordPress Admin Dashboard.
2. Navigate to Plugins > Installed Plugins.
3. Locate WP Show User Role Frontend in the list.
4. Click Activate.

Usage

Once activated, you can use the shortcode anywhere in your WordPress editor:

[user_role]

The shortcode will dynamically display the role of the logged-in user (e.g., "Administrator", "Editor", "Subscriber"). If the visitor is not logged in, the shortcode will return an empty string.