Title: Using the settings API Last modified: August 20, 2016 --- # Using the settings API * [miocene22](https://wordpress.org/support/users/miocene22/) * (@miocene22) * [15 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/using-the-settings-api/) * I’m trying to create a settings page for my theme using the settings API. For learning I am applying it to the twentyten. I’ve created an “options” folder in the theme folder and have added an options.php which I include from functions. php. * I have the options page working and I generate the fields by using php to generate the html from an array of all my options fields. * It all works great but when I click save it just takes me to a page of all the possible wordpress options on one page and does not seem to save my options. * I’ve put my code in the pastebin. If someone could tell me if I’m missing something that’ll be great. * [http://pastebin.com/vp9GjURa](http://pastebin.com/vp9GjURa) sorry it’s quite long but I’m hoping skilled coders can figure it out. Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 16 total) 1 [2](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/using-the-settings-api/page/2/?output_format=md) [→](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/using-the-settings-api/page/2/?output_format=md) * Thread Starter [miocene22](https://wordpress.org/support/users/miocene22/) * (@miocene22) * [15 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/using-the-settings-api/#post-2077796) * OK I’ve fixed the huge options page from coming up by adding `` but my problem lies with storing the options in the database. * I borrowed some code on [this page](http://www.onedesigns.com/tutorials/how-to-create-a-wordpress-theme-options-page) that I believe stores all the options in one database entry in the form of an array. * Meanwhile, my options page assigns an id to each option with the intention of storing each option as 1 database entry. * Just not sure how to sort this out… * Thread Starter [miocene22](https://wordpress.org/support/users/miocene22/) * (@miocene22) * [15 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/using-the-settings-api/#post-2077805) * OK sorry to keep bumping but I’m slowly picking up things: The purpose of the` register_setting()` function is clearer to me now. I’m just not quite sure how to give it the values to store in the database. * E.g. if I have the `$option_name` parameter (parameter 2) set to **sa_options** I have then, in my form, set one of my text fields to have `name="sa_options[ sa_headerfontsize]"`. Am I right in thinking that `register_setting()` should save whatever in typed in the text field in the sa_options array as so?: `sa_options[" sa_headerfontsize"] = "whatever is typed";` * I tried this but using phpmyadmin, there is a “sa_options” database entry in the wp_options table but it doesn’t have anything in it. * [Chip Bennett](https://wordpress.org/support/users/chipbennett/) * (@chipbennett) * [15 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/using-the-settings-api/#post-2077810) * You may find [this tutorial](http://www.chipbennett.net/2011/02/17/incorporating-the-settings-api-in-wordpress-themes/) helpful. * Thread Starter [miocene22](https://wordpress.org/support/users/miocene22/) * (@miocene22) * [15 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/using-the-settings-api/#post-2077814) * Thanks I have had a read over it but it is very long and complicated so I can’t find the specific bit I’m looking for. * Cna you explain how the fields in the form are put into the database. Because I don’t think `register_setting()` is getting the entries. * Here is the html that my `sa_theme_options_page()` and `sa_options_table()` generate: [http://pastebin.com/NB2bTuWZ](http://pastebin.com/NB2bTuWZ) * [Chip Bennett](https://wordpress.org/support/users/chipbennett/) * (@chipbennett) * [15 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/using-the-settings-api/#post-2077824) * The first thing I notice is, you don’t have a validation callback. You’ve specified one in your `register_setting()` call, but you’ve not defined it anywhere in your pastebin code. (You have left `function sa_validate_options() {}` blank. Since the form `$input` is passed to this function, at the very least, you need to _return_ it, e.g.: * ``` function sa_validate_options( $input ) { return $input; } ``` * Beyond that, you’ll have to step through your code, and find out what’s going wrong. * (Calling `var_dump( $input )`; die;`inside of`sa_validate_options()` is helpful to see what data are being passed _into_ the function.) * Thread Starter [miocene22](https://wordpress.org/support/users/miocene22/) * (@miocene22) * [15 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/using-the-settings-api/#post-2077838) * Great thanks for the reply; I’m now getting somewhere. * Checking my database using phpmyadmin, I can see that it is now storing the options when I submit the form. This is having fixed my validation function as you described. _( I will implement some validation soon but I just want the concept to work first)_ * i think you’ve answered all my problems for now, but I’ll be back if/when I stumble again. * Thanks again.. * [esmi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/esmi/) * (@esmi) * [15 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/using-the-settings-api/#post-2077845) * **[@chip](https://wordpress.org/support/users/chip/)**: Perhaps you could add a link for your tutorial to the Codex someplace? I think it would be a great addition. * [Chip Bennett](https://wordpress.org/support/users/chipbennett/) * (@chipbennett) * [15 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/using-the-settings-api/#post-2077847) * Somebody already did. 🙂 * [http://codex.wordpress.org/Settings_API#External_References](http://codex.wordpress.org/Settings_API#External_References) * Thread Starter [miocene22](https://wordpress.org/support/users/miocene22/) * (@miocene22) * [15 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/using-the-settings-api/#post-2077875) * OK I’ve hit a stumbling block. * Most is working but I’m having trouble calling the options into the theme: * I’m storing all the options in an array under the database entry called sa_options. * In my functions.php I have defined the array `$sa_settings = get_option('sa_options');` to allow me to call the options onto any theme page. * This mostly works but does not work for the header.php. * if I put `print_r ($sa_settings)` in header.php (within the actual body so I can actually read whatever is output on the page) nothing is output. However, if I put the same function in index.php it prints the contents of the array. * It seems as though wordpress calls header.php before defining $sa_settings (which is defined in functions.php). Any idea how to ensure the $sa_settings variable is defined inside header.php aside from putting it there? * Thread Starter [miocene22](https://wordpress.org/support/users/miocene22/) * (@miocene22) * [15 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/using-the-settings-api/#post-2077877) * actually, just putting `$sa_settings = get_option('sa_options');` at the top of header.php is probably the best way isn’t it? * [Chip Bennett](https://wordpress.org/support/users/chipbennett/) * (@chipbennett) * [15 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/using-the-settings-api/#post-2077880) * > actually, just putting $sa_settings = get_option(‘sa_options’); at the top > of header.php is probably the best way isn’t it? * You got it! * I’m thinking of playing around with hooking something into `wp_head`, just because I like to keep my `header.php` as clean as possible. But in any case, yes: you do need to output `$sa_settings = get_option('sa_options');` somewhere in the template directly. * Thread Starter [miocene22](https://wordpress.org/support/users/miocene22/) * (@miocene22) * [15 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/using-the-settings-api/#post-2077882) * OK I’ve put it in header.php and stuff in the header works but now the $sa_settings seems to be null within index.php. Is is OK to put it in functions.php too. Or how do I make the variable available everywhere? * [Chip Bennett](https://wordpress.org/support/users/chipbennett/) * (@chipbennett) * [15 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/using-the-settings-api/#post-2077887) * First, you should probably globalize it: * ``` global $sa_settings = get_option('sa_options'); ``` * Second, I don’t know for certain. I’ve been trying to figure out the definitive answer to this one. I think the answer is that, if it’s called within a function, it’s not going to be available outside of the function. * You might try adding the call to the top of your master template files (`index. php`, `page.php`, etc.), before the `` call? * Thread Starter [miocene22](https://wordpress.org/support/users/miocene22/) * (@miocene22) * [15 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/using-the-settings-api/#post-2077896) * It’s not called within a function. * For simplicity I’ve put it in header.php and functions.php like so: * ``` if (!isset($sa_settings)){ $sa_settings = get_option( 'sa_options' ); } ``` * [Chip Bennett](https://wordpress.org/support/users/chipbennett/) * (@chipbennett) * [15 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/using-the-settings-api/#post-2077900) * > For simplicity I’ve put it in header.php and functions.php like so: * Are you globalizing it everywhere it’s called? Viewing 15 replies - 1 through 15 (of 16 total) 1 [2](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/using-the-settings-api/page/2/?output_format=md) [→](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/using-the-settings-api/page/2/?output_format=md) The topic ‘Using the settings API’ is closed to new replies. * In: [Fixing WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/how-to-and-troubleshooting/) * 16 replies * 3 participants * Last reply from: [miocene22](https://wordpress.org/support/users/miocene22/) * Last activity: [15 years, 1 month ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/using-the-settings-api/page/2/#post-2077904) * Status: not resolved ## Topics ### Topics with no replies ### Non-support topics ### Resolved topics ### Unresolved topics ### All topics