Title: complicated meta_values
Last modified: January 30, 2026

---

# complicated meta_values

 *  Resolved [Mauro Vicariotto](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mrosfy/)
 * (@mrosfy)
 * [3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/complicated-meta_values/)
 * I have a metabox that creates a non-scalar array of data, which is serialized
   by default by WP.
   Remember that the array is multidimensional, with two levels.
   On the front end, I retrieve the data (array values) with get_post_meta( $ARRAYNAME),
   which automatically unserializes the array.
 * `$test = get_post_meta( $post->ID, 'productdata_group', true );`
 * Then I extract the values ​​of the specific keys, for example manually:
 * `$subtest = $test[1]['article'];` etcetera
 * While in functions.php, in the structure function referring to add_meta_box()
   that creates the metabox for the admin page, the method is:
 * `if ( $array ) : foreach ( $products_array as $field )` etcetera, then, by calling,
   for example, `$field['article'];` I get the list of values ​​for the ‘article’
   key.
 * The metabox is a table where each row is an input, so I call, for example:
 * `<input name="article[]" value="<?php if ( $field['article'] != '' ) echo esc_attr(
   $field['article'] );` ?>`"` etcetera.
 * When I call the data individually (outside the table), for example with:
   `$test
   = esc_attr( $field['article'] );`I only get a sequential list of all the values​​
   referenced by that key, but I’d like to call them specifically on a case-by-case
   basis:It’s an echo to write a couple of CSS lines to be put as content :after,
   calling the variable for each value. In this CSS echoed $test should call all
   the values ​​in the various rows, but instead it only gives me the value of the
   last row.
 * I already used with success this method (the inline css for single meta_data,
   just calling them with get_meta_box() ) but in this case it’s more complicated.
 * I hope I explained myself clearly.
   I tried foreach loop, for loop, array_column,
   get_metadata(), wp_get_attachment(), … nothing.
 * Any suggestion? Thanks in advance.

Viewing 13 replies - 1 through 13 (of 13 total)

 *  Moderator [threadi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/threadi/)
 * (@threadi)
 * [3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/complicated-meta_values/#post-18804413)
 * What does the code for the output in the meta box look like? I suspect a typo
   in the loop that displays the fields is the cause. Take a closer look at that.
 *  Thread Starter [Mauro Vicariotto](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mrosfy/)
 * (@mrosfy)
 * [3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/complicated-meta_values/#post-18804829)
 * thank you very much for your reply, later I will post the code, from warning 
   messages there is an error in loop (array to string, no array, etc), and when
   I call $field[‘image’] (where image is the sub array key) it gives me only last
   one of the list. I’m checking for any typo error
 * my doubt is that it could be related to the particular call: a css where I want
   to call the variable as :after content .. strange because I invented this method
   and works fine for any normal meta_value (for normal I mean non-scalar arrays)
 * and in fact it works also in this case, but gives me only last value of $field[‘
   image’], so I try to add a loop “foreach $array as $key => $value” but no good
   result
    -  This reply was modified 3 months ago by [Mauro Vicariotto](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mrosfy/).
    -  This reply was modified 3 months ago by [Mauro Vicariotto](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mrosfy/).
 *  Thread Starter [Mauro Vicariotto](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mrosfy/)
 * (@mrosfy)
 * [3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/complicated-meta_values/#post-18804970)
 * In the `$callback` function of `add_meta_box()` I have a table with number of
   rows incremented by “add/remove” buttons
   (repeatable, for wich I use some jQuery
   script), and each row contains 4 inputs as “_sub meta\_keys_” where per each 
   one are added the “_sub post\_meta values_“.The whole array structure is called‘
   productdata_group’ and the general function “`get_post_meta()`” is called with
   the var `$products_array`.After thorough tests it works perfectly.
 * The result is a multilevel array, where in the 2nd levels there are the 4 keys
   and the 4 values ​​(corresponding to one row of the table), then the number of
   rows is increased by the operator based on the quantity of items to be presented.
   
   Here is the print_r() of a test.
 *     ```wp-block-code
       Array([0] => Array    (        [article] => crema solare        [image] => BeeHoney.webp        [description] => da spalmare        [price] => 1000     )[1] => Array    (        [article] => lipstick        [image] => BeePropolis.webp        [description] => da mettere sulle labbra        [price] => 500    ))
       ```
   
 * Of the 4 keys, 3 are just input type=”text” (very simple), while the 4th (the
   2nd in order) is an image of the article, picked with input type=”file”, which
   I tweak (customize) with a method that I already applied dozen of times with 
   succes: f.e. in the text line in front-end I hide the input-file standard wording
   and add a text css `:after` containing only the name of the selected file (which
   remains once updated the metabox).
 * An example of row / at the piece of input type=”file” is:
   `<td><input type="file"
   id="artimg" class="widefat" name="image[]" value="<?php if ( $field['image'] !
   = '' ) echo esc_attr( $field['image'] ); ?>" accept="image/*" required /></td
   >`
 * Normally (with standard single metaboxes) my method to tweak the input file is:
   
   in external “admin” css: `input[type="file"]:after {visibility: visible; … etcetera}`
   in internal css echoed in functions.php: `echo ' … ' if ( ! empty( $anyvariable)):
   echo ' … 'ROOT: ../path/..: ' . $anyvariable . '"; … etcetera (where $anyvariable
   is the var calling that specific filename)`and `$anyvariable` is before identified
   with: `$anyvariable = get_post_meta( $post->ID, 'post_type name', true );`it 
   works well.(sometimes in javascript I also replace the fake path, using `<img
   src="../../wp-content/uploads/specificfolder/' + x.replace("C:\fakepath\", "")
   + … etcetera)`.
 * But in this case of course I cannot use this method, because the meta_values 
   are many, in a complex array.
   …being at the beginning of the function: “`if (
   $products_array ) : foreach ( $products_array as $field ) { …`“and in each “value
   =”`$field['image']`“I initially started to use:`$img = echo esc_attr( $field['
   image'] );` … but with this method it calls the last one meta_value per each 
   row, missing the specific one(for example if the displayed articles are: Honey.
   webp, Apple.wepb, Pear.webp (just examples), it gives me “Pear.webp” per each
   line).While if I echo them for testing, `echo $img . '<br />';`
 * it correctly displays all values ​​(image files) present in the table (but only
   with echo, while calling the variable it becomes always the same, last one).
 * This because I need to start with a loop such as foreach() or for loop for ($
   n = 0, $n < count (after defined what to count), $n++). I also tried the foreach(
   $array as $key => $value), or to retrieve the values with array_column() but 
   for the moment no success.
 * Really crazy: I obtain the echo of full values, but applying same variable no.
 * I have done dozens of trials.
   For explample I tried:
 *     ```wp-block-code
       foreach ($products_array as $key => $value) {$cnt1 = count( $products_array[$key] );echo $cnt1 . '<br />';}
       ```
   
 * it gives me the ordered list of keys
 * —
 *     ```wp-block-code
       foreach ($products_array as $key) {$cnt = count( $products_array );}for ( $n = 0; $n < $cnt; $n++ ) {$img = $products_array[$n]['image'];echo '<style>#productlistbox #artimg:after {    content: "';if ( ! empty( $img ) ) :    echo 'ROOT: ../forever/..: ' . $img . '";    color: #f00;';else :    echo '\00A0 - - -";';endif;echo '}</style>';}
       ```
   
 * But again gives only the latest value in each row.
   Probably I have spent too 
   many hours and now I have a mess of trials. Happens. Surely a typo error somewhere.
 * Thanks for your help.
    -  This reply was modified 3 months ago by [Mauro Vicariotto](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mrosfy/).
    -  This reply was modified 3 months ago by [Mauro Vicariotto](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mrosfy/).
    -  This reply was modified 3 months ago by [Mauro Vicariotto](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mrosfy/).
 *  Thread Starter [Mauro Vicariotto](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mrosfy/)
 * (@mrosfy)
 * [3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/complicated-meta_values/#post-18805060)
 * I want to be able to call the value of $field[‘image’] specific to that row, 
   row by row
 *  Moderator [threadi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/threadi/)
 * (@threadi)
 * [3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/complicated-meta_values/#post-18805081)
 * This at the beginning of your code is unnecessary:
 *     ```wp-block-code
       foreach ($products_array as $key) {$cnt = count( $products_array );}
       ```
   
 * If you are concerned with the number of entries in $products_array, the following
   is sufficient:
 *     ```wp-block-code
       $cnt = count( $products_array );
       ```
   
 * If it is still not correct, I would recommend the following:
    - Use var_dump() to see which value each variable has at which point. This will
      help you find out where you may have gone wrong.
    - Check any entries in error.log in this regard and adjust your code accordingly.
 * Unfortunately, since I still don’t see an example of how your `$products_array`
   is structured, I can’t give you any more specific tips because I can’t reproduce
   it on my end.
 *  Thread Starter [Mauro Vicariotto](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mrosfy/)
 * (@mrosfy)
 * [3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/complicated-meta_values/#post-18805175)
 * Threadi, I didn’ post the whole code because wp cuts some areas, and it is long.
   So I tried to explain in words. I can send you in some other way. Anyhow I will
   check in error.log, I used only main alerts of DevTools to check.
 * Anyhow I used print_r() instead, and I repeat you that most of several trials
   work fine, properly giving all the values I extracetd, but then, when I apply
   the code to have the values line by line it doesn’t work. I guess that the reason
   is the following: the array keys are unique, so when I call all keys “image”,
   the last one overwrites all previous ones .. and as a consequence also values
   are replaced with last one.
 * For example in test I have three values in sequence for ‘image’ key:
    - RoyalJelly.webp
 *  - BeeHoney.webp
 *  - BeePropolis.webp
 * but when I echo them per each row with the var $img, it writes:
    - BeePropolis.webp
 *  - BeePropolis.webp
 *  - BeePropolis.webp (i.e. it repeats only the last one per each row)
 *  Thread Starter [Mauro Vicariotto](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mrosfy/)
 * (@mrosfy)
 * [3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/complicated-meta_values/#post-18805292)
 * I’ve figured it out (!), but I fear the solution will be difficult or even impossible:
   
   The problem doesn’t stem from errors in the PHP code, but from my CSS method:
   In fact, to replace the native text of the input type file, with the name of 
   the selected file, I use a CSS style in which the “no file chosen” text (etc.)
   is invisible, and I put the name of the selected file (in this case, php echo
   $field[‘image’];) as ::after.In fact, the simple PHP code put as value=”…” would
   work perfectly, but (obviously) I can’t inline the ::after pseudo-element in 
   the echo, so I’m forced to add a separate piece of echoed CSS ().This method 
   works when dealing with a simple metabox with a value, but it doesn’t work when
   dealing with a complex array.Because in that case (in the echoed CSS), any loop
   is useless: it will always return the last value called for all rows.I’m trying
   to find a way to replace the classic
 *     ```wp-block-code
       ... value="<?php echo "meta_value"; ?>" ...
       ```
   
 * by displaying it with a ::after.
   I’m trying to place the CSS before instead of
   after the input.
    -  This reply was modified 3 months ago by [Mauro Vicariotto](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mrosfy/).
 *  Thread Starter [Mauro Vicariotto](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mrosfy/)
 * (@mrosfy)
 * [3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/complicated-meta_values/#post-18805421)
 * So:
    - in css input[type=”file”] value hidden by font-size:0, and replaced with :
      after at font-size:1em
    - :after should therefore be my php echo in the file input value
    - if I have a metabox with a single or multiple meta_values, but a string, obviously
      each is applied one by one to its specific input
    - if instead I have an array, it takes only the last meta_value of a meta_key(
      because the meta_key has a unique id and therefore the last, or the first 
      depending on how the code is written, overwrites all the others)
    - (infact $img = $products_array[$n][‘image’]; $img is an array and when I try
      to apply it with foreach loop warning says “array to string conversion”)
    - so in the case of an array, I should be able to write the contents of :after
      inline, but this obviously isn’t possible because the pseudo-element isn’t
      part of the DOM
    - and it’s not even possible to do it through a css with a logical condition
      in php (if css string, else css string) as for the simple meta_value
    - so apparently there’s no way to apply my tweak to the default wording of the
      file input in the case of arrays
    - I therefore need to find an alternative solution, which could be in js, or
      I’ve seen on the web that some people use the label to replace the native 
      text of the input type file.
 * (sorry for the multiple edits of what I text, but the matter is so complicated
   that I adjust the text trying to be as clear as possible)
    -  This reply was modified 3 months ago by [Mauro Vicariotto](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mrosfy/).
    -  This reply was modified 3 months ago by [Mauro Vicariotto](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mrosfy/).
 *  Thread Starter [Mauro Vicariotto](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mrosfy/)
 * (@mrosfy)
 * [2 months, 4 weeks ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/complicated-meta_values/#post-18805767)
 * update: I solved simply removing the :after pseudio-element and called the name
   of selected file with a label … yes, php was working fine all along, the problem
   was calling the metadata of an array through a css :after
 *     ```wp-block-code
       <td><label id="imglbl">  <input type="file" id="artimg" name="image[]" value="" accept="image/*" />  <?php $img = esc_attr( $field['image'] );  if ( $img != '' ) : echo 'Immagine : ' . $img; else : echo '- - -'; endif ?></label></td>
       ```
   
 * No need further js
 *  Thread Starter [Mauro Vicariotto](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mrosfy/)
 * (@mrosfy)
 * [2 months, 4 weeks ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/complicated-meta_values/#post-18808309)
 * [@threadi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/threadi/), now I have another 
   problem: sigh .. one of my repeatable inputs is a filepicker (input type file
   with some tweak) … when I use such file picking method with standard (single)
   metabox it’s easy, update_post_meta() keeps the selected file at every update,
   because the value is targeted only to that .. but with an array of metavalues
   my update_post_meta must be targeted to the whole array:
 * so when I update, all the input type text keep the value (obviously) but the 
   input type file loes all the previous values (selected filenames), because that
   input is readonly.
 * I need to store the value in a hidden input and replace at every metabox update,
   or find a solution to keep safe the files previously selected and saved as meta_values.
 *  Thread Starter [Mauro Vicariotto](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mrosfy/)
 * (@mrosfy)
 * [2 months, 4 weeks ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/complicated-meta_values/#post-18808332)
 * this is an example only of a metabox with input type file, where I can update
   the page 1000 times but it does not lose the previously chosen videoclip. In 
   fact I added a checkbox to check for eventual need of deletion: the videoclip
   metavalue is deleted only if I check “delete”:
 *     ```wp-block-code
       function avweb_videoclip_metadata_save( $post_id ) {		if ( ! isset( $_POST['avweb_videoclipbg_nonce'] ) || ! wp_verify_nonce( $_POST['avweb_videoclipbg_nonce'], basename( __FILE__ ) ) ) {		return;	}	else if ( ! isset( $_POST['avweb_videoclip_nonce'] ) || ! wp_verify_nonce( $_POST['avweb_videoclip_nonce'], basename( __FILE__ ) ) ) {		return;	}		global $post;	$post_type = get_post_type_object( $post->post_type );	if ( ! current_user_can( 'edit_pages' ) || ! current_user_can( 'edit_posts', $post_id ) ) {		// alert formatted with Georgia font-family		echo '<script>alert( "𝑨𝑻𝑻𝑬𝑵𝒁𝑰𝑶𝑵𝑬(!):<br/><br/>𝑛𝑜𝑛 ℎ𝑎𝑖 𝑖 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑚𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑖 𝑝𝑒𝑟 𝑝𝑢𝑏𝑏𝑙𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑚𝑜𝑑𝑖𝑓𝑖𝑐ℎ𝑒" )</script>';		return;	}		// save metadata		if ( 'videoclips' === get_current_screen()->id ) {				// background-image		if ( isset( $_POST['videoclipbg'] ) && ! empty( $_POST['videoclipbg'] ) ) {			update_post_meta( $post_id, 'videoclipbg', strip_tags( $_POST['videoclipbg'] ) );		}		// videoclip		// video deletion (saved conditionally)		if ( isset( $_POST['delvideo'] ) ) {			update_post_meta( $post_id, 'delvideo', 1 );		} else {			delete_post_meta( $post_id, 'delvideo' );		}		// save video (if not checked deletion checkbox)		if ( isset( $_POST['videoclip'] ) && ! empty( $_POST['videoclip'] ) && ! isset( $_POST['delvideo'] ) ) {			update_post_meta( $post_id, 'videoclip', $_POST['videoclip'] );		}		else if ( isset( $_POST['delvideo'] ) ) {			delete_post_meta( $post_id, 'videoclip', $_POST['videoclip'] );		}			}	}add_action( 'save_post', 'avweb_videoclip_metadata_save' );
       ```
   
 * there are other pieces but don’t care to those ones (background, etc.)
 * But with an array metabox:
 *     ```wp-block-code
       if ( ! empty( $last ) && $new != $previous ) {							update_post_meta( $post_id, 'productdata_group', $last  );
       ```
   
 * In this way the input with selected image file is lost after refresh.
    -  This reply was modified 2 months, 4 weeks ago by [Mauro Vicariotto](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mrosfy/).
 *  Thread Starter [Mauro Vicariotto](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mrosfy/)
 * (@mrosfy)
 * [2 months, 4 weeks ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/complicated-meta_values/#post-18808567)
 * amend the above code (typo error):
 *     ```wp-block-code
       if ( ! empty( $last ) && $last != $previous ) {							update_post_meta( $post_id, 'productdata_group', $last  );
       ```
   
 * where: $last is the array of the several inputs (text and file) and $previous
   is get_post_meta() of the previous situation: in this way update the metavalues,
   it keeps all but loses the selected file
 *  Thread Starter [Mauro Vicariotto](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mrosfy/)
 * (@mrosfy)
 * [2 months, 3 weeks ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/complicated-meta_values/#post-18813505)
 * Just for info: completed the incremental metabox which stores a serialized array
   metakey including a file picker. The function for the data table contains jQuery
   to manage add/remove row buttons (each line) and to keep the metavalue of choosen
   image where a file-input passes the value to an hidden input, and the hidden 
   is the one that sends the metavalue on update:
 *     ```wp-block-code
       jQuery	// input-file value to input-hidden to preserve it on update	$( '.file-pick' ).on( 'change', function() {		// input-file value (delete fakepath)		var filename = $( this ).val().replace( /C:\\fakepath\\/i, '' );		// copy it only if not empty		if ( filename != null ) {			$( this ).closest('tr').find( '.file-store' ).val( filename );		}	});
       ```
   
 * Thanks for your initial feedback (even if then disappeared). Now I close the 
   topic which I resolved.

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 * In: [Developing with WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/wp-advanced/)
 * 13 replies
 * 2 participants
 * Last reply from: [Mauro Vicariotto](https://wordpress.org/support/users/mrosfy/)
 * Last activity: [2 months, 3 weeks ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/complicated-meta_values/#post-18813505)
 * Status: resolved

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