Template hierarchy filter

[scribu]

Currently, we have filters for each template type: home_template, author_template etc.

The trouble is that these filters are applied on the final template path, after the template hierarchy has been traversed.

It would be useful if there was another filter applied to the actual template hierarchy array, before it was sent to locate_template().

Example

Take the author template hierarchy:

author-{nicename}.php > author-{id}.php > author.php

Say I want to add author-{role}.php before author.php.

Sure, I could use the 'author_template' filter:

function author_role_template( $old_template ) {
  // get current author's role

  $new_template = locate_template( array( "author-$role.php" ) );

  if( $new_template && 'author.php' == $old_template )
    return $new_template;

  return $old_template;
}
add_filter('author_template', 'author_role_template');

With an 'author_template_candidates' hook, I could manipulate the actual hierarchy:

function author_role_template( $templates ) {
  // get current author's role

  $new_template = array( "author-$role.php" );

  $templates = array_merge( 
    array_slice( $templates, 0, -1 ), // before
    $new_template,                    // inserted
    array_slice( $templates, -1 )     // after
  );

  return $templates;
}
add_filter('author_template_candidates', 'author_role_template');

This would allow me to remove author-{id}.php if I wanted, etc.