Allow developer to default hide columns

[tychay]

Currently, the only way to hide columns by default is to write everyone's user_meta with the array for the hidden columns on a particular screen. However, that isn't the case with metaboxes since WordPress 3.1.

Instead of cluttering up the database, add a default hook for columns the same way as it's done for meta_boxes.

I'm including a patch to wp-admin/incluides/screen.php with the relevant code to make things easy. ;-)

[tychay]

patch to screen.php (on 4.1.1)

[SergeyBiryukov]

Related: #26302

[sc0ttkclark]

Patch looks a little odd, but I like the intention.

[SergeyBiryukov]

Currently, the only way to hide columns by default is to write everyone's user_meta with the array for the hidden columns on a particular screen.

You can use ​get_user_option filter without actually writing user meta:

function wp31989_set_hidden_columns_for_posts_screen( $result ) {
	if ( ! $result ) {
		$result = array( 'author', 'categories' );
	}

	return $result;
}
add_filter( 'get_user_option_manageedit-postcolumnshidden', 'wp31989_set_hidden_columns_for_posts_screen' );

[tychay]

Replying to sc0ttkclark:

Patch looks a little odd, but I like the intention.

I basically pirated the code from the way metabox handles it (in the same file). In fact, my patch accidentally left in the "hide slug boxes by default" comment :-D

[tychay]

Replying to SergeyBiryukov:

That's a great idea, but it gets pretty hairy in non-obvious ways. The way the code is written it depends on an artifact where screen_options() writes an array of a single element (empty string) when all the column boxes are unchecked. It'd probably be better to hard check for it. Also, it takes a while to get a handle of which hook to look for get_user_option_manage<screen_id>columnshidden. That's pretty opaque to most people.

Besides, my patch is the same code and filter system as used for default metaboxes hide/show.

function wp31989_set_hidden_columns_for_posts_screen( $result ) {
	if ( $result === false ) {
		$result = array( 'author', 'categories' );
	}

	return $result;
}
add_filter( 'get_user_option_manageedit-postcolumnshidden', 'wp31989_set_hidden_columns_for_posts_screen' );

[MikeHansenMe]

This was added in a similar ticket #32499.

[SergeyBiryukov]

Duplicate of #32499.