WP_Customize_Setting default value set to empty string by default

[bassjobsen]

class-wp-customize-setting.php

Sets $default to an empty string. I think this should be null or false.

This empty string requires to set the value of default explicit to false always when use customizer's add_setting(). In the cases you don't want to set the default value.

Example use case:

I want to create a customizable color setting and in my code i will set an alternative code if color is not set.

So i use $wp_customize->add_setting('color',array()), although it doesn't throw an errors, docs tell me the setting array is required? (see: ​http://codex.wordpress.org/Class_Reference/WP_Customize_Manager/add_setting).

Now in my code i try to use:
get_theme_option('color','green');

Note i expect my color become green unless the user sets it to some different value via the customizer.

The above won't work cause get_theme_option('color','green'); returns an empty string instead of green.

The above can also be solved $wp_customize->add_setting('color',array('default'=>false)) but defining a default as false if i don't need a default doesn't feel solid.

[obenland]

In your example the default value in the Customizer should be green, rather than an empty string or false.

In cases where the theme mod is not set, get_theme_mod() would fall back to green passed as a second argument, in all other cases it would be set by the default value in the Customizer.

[bassjobsen]

Replying to obenland:

In your example the default value in the Customizer should be green, rather than an empty string or false.

In cases where the theme mod is not set, get_theme_mod() would fall back to green passed as a second argument, in all other cases it would be set by the default value in the Customizer.

Okay, thanks. I think it makes sense. So in add_setting() the second paramter $args is required and has a required key (default).

[obenland]

Replying to bassjobsen:

So in add_setting() the second paramter $args is required and has a required key (default).

add_setting() is defined here. The first argument is $id, which is required (nothing assigned to it), the second argument, $args, is set to be an empty array if nothing gets passed. So no, $args is not required.

Since the default here is an empty array, we can assume that it doesn't have a required key either. Looking at the constructor in WP_Customize_Setting, we see that it gets all default properties of that class and loops through the $args array on the hunt for new values. Since all properties have a defined value (including $default, which is an empty string), we now know that there is no required key necessary.

[bassjobsen]

Thanks for your explanation. With this explanation i think my original problem still exists. When not setting any value (or call with an empty array) i don't expect the default become set to an empty string. And then i also expected get_theme_option('color','green'); returns green and not an empty string.

[obenland]

If you expect anything other than the default value for $default, you should probably set it to what you need it to be, in this case 'green'.

[bassjobsen]

Thanks i will consider this. My original question ​http://wordpress.stackexchange.com/questions/129479/alternatives-to-handle-customizer-settings.