Title: Calling a function from functions.php
Last modified: February 20, 2019

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# Calling a function from functions.php

 *  Resolved [bashibazouk](https://wordpress.org/support/users/bashibazouk/)
 * (@bashibazouk)
 * [7 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/calling-a-function-from-functions-php/)
 * Hi, I am wanting to add an onclick=”myFunction()” function to a button in header.
   php
 * Where is the correct placement for the function? I’ve added it in functions.php:
 *     ```
       function myFunction() {
           console.log("myFunction");
       }
       add_action('wp_footer', 'myFunction');
       ```
   
 * But I get the error:
 * myFunction is not defined
 * Any clues? Thanks!

Viewing 7 replies - 1 through 7 (of 7 total)

 *  [Subrata Sarkar](https://wordpress.org/support/users/subrataemfluence/)
 * (@subrataemfluence)
 * [7 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/calling-a-function-from-functions-php/#post-11227955)
 * You are not rendering the function itself. It is actually rendering its output
   i.e. `console.log`.
 * You have to either render the actual `js` functon through the php funtion you
   hooked into `wp_footer` action or you can ditectly write the function into your`
   footer.php`.
 * I hope this will help.
 *  Thread Starter [bashibazouk](https://wordpress.org/support/users/bashibazouk/)
 * (@bashibazouk)
 * [7 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/calling-a-function-from-functions-php/#post-11228163)
 * Thanks for your reply. Is that the WordPress _best practice_ method of calling
   functions then? Seems a bit elongated
 *  [wpgear](https://wordpress.org/support/users/wpgear/)
 * (@wpgear)
 * [7 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/calling-a-function-from-functions-php/#post-11228538)
 * In footer.php
 *     ```
       <script type="text/javascript">
       	function myFunction() {
       		console.log("myFunction");
       	}
       <script>
       ```
   
 *  Moderator [bcworkz](https://wordpress.org/support/users/bcworkz/)
 * (@bcworkz)
 * [7 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/calling-a-function-from-functions-php/#post-11228603)
 * The WP “best practice” is even more elongated than that! We are asked to enqueue
   JS code through `wp_enqueue_script()`. TBH, this is much too convoluted for simple
   JS. What Subrata suggests is adequate for simple JS.
 * You seem to have JS and PHP mixed up and confused. While there is some intersection
   in getting one to cause the other to happen, they are basically two separate 
   entities operating in two different environments. JS runs in the visitor’s browser
   and has limited access to resources on your server. PHP runs on your server, 
   has full access to server resources, but has limited access to browser resources.
 * You can use the “wp_footer” action in PHP to output a JS function declaration
   like so:
 *     ```
       function my_php_function() {
         echo '<script>
           function myFunction() {
             console.log("myFunction() was called.");
           }
         </script>';
       }
       add_action('wp_footer', 'my_php_function');
       ```
   
 *  Thread Starter [bashibazouk](https://wordpress.org/support/users/bashibazouk/)
 * (@bashibazouk)
 * [7 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/calling-a-function-from-functions-php/#post-11231191)
 * [@bcworkz](https://wordpress.org/support/users/bcworkz/) you are completely correct,
   I confused PHP with JS!
 * I found the best way is to have external script in the footer as [@wpgear](https://wordpress.org/support/users/wpgear/)
   suggested
 * Thanks for your help
 *  [Subrata Sarkar](https://wordpress.org/support/users/subrataemfluence/)
 * (@subrataemfluence)
 * [7 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/calling-a-function-from-functions-php/#post-11231856)
 * Please change the status to resolved if you are satisfied. Thank you!
 *  Thread Starter [bashibazouk](https://wordpress.org/support/users/bashibazouk/)
 * (@bashibazouk)
 * [7 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/calling-a-function-from-functions-php/#post-11231914)
 * Solved, thanks

Viewing 7 replies - 1 through 7 (of 7 total)

The topic ‘Calling a function from functions.php’ is closed to new replies.

 * In: [Developing with WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/wp-advanced/)
 * 7 replies
 * 4 participants
 * Last reply from: [bashibazouk](https://wordpress.org/support/users/bashibazouk/)
 * Last activity: [7 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/calling-a-function-from-functions-php/#post-11231914)
 * Status: resolved

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