WordPress: Store data from input fields to database and than retrieve it

Question

I have input fields with names like: child1, child[2], child[3] and so on. A user can add as many fields as he wants, its handled with jquery and dynamically ads an input field with [n] in the end of the name.

Now I need to store this data to database in WordPress plugin I work on. And later retrieve this data to display it on the website, and of cause add those field out fields in admin page, where user edits data.

I know how to store one field for example child to the database in WordPress, it would be something like that:

<?php $child = get_post_meta( $post->ID, 'child', true ); ?>

<?php
function save_child_data( $post_id ) {

  // Check if exists
  if(! isset($_POST['child'])){return;}

  // Sanitize
  $child_data = sanitize_text_field( $_POST['child'] );

  // Store data
  update_post_meta( $post_id, 'child', $child_data);

}
add_action( 'save_post', 'save_child_data' );
?>

<!-- Field in admin -->
<input type="text" name="child" id="child" value="<?php echo esc_attr($child); ?>">

<!-- Front office -->
<div>Child: <?php echo get_post_meta( $post->ID, 'child', true ); ?></div>

So my question is how do I handle this array like child[n]?

Or another question maybe it is better to just use child1, child2, child3 and handle it as regular input fields?

So you understand what I mean by dynamically added block here is a jsfiddle link: http://jsfiddle.net/alexchizhov/LC2K6/

Use serialization (i suggest json) and store it all in one field — Steve
– Steve, Commented Jul 31, 2014 at 11:31

Community · Accepted Answer · 2023-11-17 19:26:01Z

2

Store it as an JSON or serialized string in one field.

https://www.php.net/manual/en/function.json-encode.php

https://www.php.net/manual/en/function.serialize.php

edited Nov 17, 2023 at 19:26

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answered Jul 31, 2014 at 11:34

Charlotte Dunois

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5 Comments

Alex Chizhov Over a year ago

will i be able to separate this data later to retrieve it one value by one?

Charlotte Dunois Over a year ago

Yes. With json_decode() or unserialize() you can get the array back and fetch them one by one with any loop (foreach() for example).

Alex Chizhov Over a year ago

How should I use it with update_post_meta in wordpress?

Charlotte Dunois Over a year ago

Well, you can just throw the json or serialized string in there. update_post_meta( $post_id, 'child', serialize($child_data)); codex.wordpress.org/Function_Reference/update_post_meta

Charlotte Dunois Over a year ago

Actually, forget that with serialize(). update_post_meta already does that if you pass an array. You just have to unserialize it back to an array. codex.wordpress.org/Function_Reference/get_post_meta

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