Make categories widget work with custom taxonomies

[scribu]

The tag cloud widget already has a taxonomy dropdown.

We should add one for the categories widget as well.

[fonglh]

First draft. Replicated taxonomy dropdown of the tag cloud widget to the categories widget.

[scribu]

Hey fonglh, thanks for the patch. There are two issues with it, though:

1. The $tax->show_tagcloud check is not appropriate. I think we could use $tax->is_hierarchical instead.

2. Some translations need to change the order of the words, so appending strings doesn't work well for them:

__('Select ') . get_taxonomy( $current_taxonomy )->labels->singular_name;

I guess we'll have to introduce a new 'select' label to register_taxonomy(), so that we can do this:

get_taxonomy( $current_taxonomy )->labels->select;

[scribu]

Oh, and duck_ pointed out that _get_current_taxonomy() should default to 'category' not 'categories'.

[fonglh]

Second draft. Fixed issues mentioned by scribu.

[fonglh]

Hey scribu, thanks for the feedback. I've fixed the issues you mentioned.

For the second one, I've introduced a new label 'select_name' with a default value of 'Select Taxonomy'.

[kobenland]

Replying to scribu:

I guess we'll have to introduce a new 'select' label to register_taxonomy(), so that we can do this:

get_taxonomy( $current_taxonomy )->labels->select;

Why not do

<?php
sprintf( _x( 'Select %s', 'taxonomy singular name' ), get_taxonomy( $current_taxonomy )->labels->singular_name );

[kobenland]

On a different note:

This is the Category Widget we're talking about - not the Taxonomy Widget. It would make more sense, if we'd make a separate widget for it. And with it being a separate Widget, it'd be debatable whether this is better released as a Plugin...

[SergeyBiryukov]

Replying to kobenland:

<?php
sprintf( _x( 'Select %s', 'taxonomy singular name' ), get_taxonomy( $current_taxonomy )->labels->singular_name );

A simple sprintf() is not enough due to different grammatical cases, see ticket:19099:1 or ticket:17609:3.

[scribu]

Replying to fonglh:

For the second one, I've introduced a new label 'select_name' with a default value of 'Select Taxonomy'.

'Select Taxonomy' isn't correct, because the dropdown won't contain taxonomies, but terms. So, a more accurate default would be 'Select Term'.

But, since the other default labels use 'Category' instead of 'Term, I think we should stick to 'Select Category'.

[fonglh]

Changed default value of 'select_name' label from 'Select Taxonomy' to 'Select Category'

[fonglh]

Replying to kobenland:

On a different note:

This is the Category Widget we're talking about - not the Taxonomy Widget. It would make more sense, if we'd make a separate widget for it. And with it being a separate Widget, it'd be debatable whether this is better released as a Plugin...

Since categories are treated as a type of taxonomy, maybe it'll be better to rename the widget the Taxonomy Widget instead? I don't think there's a need for 2 widgets.

[scribu]

Conversely, to the average user, a hierarchical taxonomy is just another set of categories. We should keep the "Categories" name for the widget.

[fonglh]

Ok then, is there anything else that has to be improved?

[scribu]

The description confuses terms and taxonomies again:

"A list or dropdown of categories or custom taxonomies"

Correct would be:

"A list or dropdown of categories or of custom taxonomy terms"

although I'm not sure it's necessary. The tag cloud widget doesn't mention custom taxonomies either.

[fonglh]

Changed description back to original wording

[fonglh]

I decided to leave the wording as it currently is:

"A list or dropdown of categories"

The correct version seems to be a bit of a mouthful, although it's a more accurate description.

[scribu]

Ok, just one more thing: These lines are not necessary anymore:

	46	                'labels' => array( 
 	47	                        'select_name' => __( 'Select Category' ) 
 	48	                ), 

[fonglh]

Removed value of 'select_name' for category as it is the same as the default value

[fonglh]

Ok, I've removed them from the function call of register_taxonomy() when 'category' is registered.

[nacin]

I don't mind this, but I wish we could get away without a new taxonomy label for it.

[scribu]

Maybe we could get away with an empty 'show_option_none'.

[wonderboymusic]

21165.6.diff​ is a refresh

[DrewAPicture]

escaping + docblock

[DrewAPicture]

21165.7.diff​ adds escaping, simplifies the foreach for the select, and adds a DocBlock for the utility method.

[SergeyBiryukov]

A screenshot would also be nice.

[kucrut]

Refresh patch

[kucrut]

Widget form

[kucrut]

21165.8.diff​ refreshes 21165.7.diff​ and adds the select_name taxonomy label.

[wonderboymusic]

In 34376:

Widgets: Make the categories widget work with custom taxonomies.

Props fonglh, wonderboymusic, DrewAPicture, kucrut.
Fixes #21165.

[DrewAPicture]

In 34386:

Docs: Add a changelog entry to WP_Widget_Categories for non-category support, added in [34376].

See #21165. See #32246.

[helen]

I had anticipated that this would be awkward, which is why I had asked for screenshots.

• The widget is still labeled "Categories" - yes, the one for tags is labeled "Tag Cloud", but the descriptor of what the UI is makes it quite different.
• The restriction to hierarchical taxonomies is strange from a user perspective seeing as it's not restricted that way for tag clouds.
• The way the restriction is done in the code is also strange - should be passed as an arg to get_taxonomies() instead of retrieving everything and then skipping.
• I also don't see much of a way for a taxonomy not to be shown in these selects - tag cloud has a show_tagcloud arg when registering a taxonomy.

[DrewAPicture]

Citing feedback from @helen in comment:28, I think we should probably revert [34376] and [34386] and fall-back and regroup.

I played around with it a little bit 2 weeks ago and there's definitely some work to be done yet. We could add another argument, e.g. show_categories_widget but that doesn't really make sense.

I also played around with the idea of deprecating the show_tagcloud argument in favor of a new show_in_widgets argument that accepts an array (would control what show_tagcloud does now, plus the categories widget). Ended up being a lot of code for a simple task.

Then we have the problem of this being called the "Categories" widget.

[wonderboymusic]

In 35278:

Widgets: revert [34376] and [34386] as pertains to the Categories widget supporting custom taxonomies.

Punting on 4th down.

See #21165.

[ericlewis]

Replying to helen:

• The widget is still labeled "Categories" - yes, the one for tags is labeled "Tag Cloud", but the descriptor of what the UI is makes it quite different.

Should we change the name of the Categories widget to "Taxonomy terms," and description to "A list or dropdown of terms in a taxonomy"? This may be foreign terminology for users but if the widget type is becoming tax-agnostic we should probably describe it as such.