[Joshua Tempesta]

Hello Steven,

Thanks again for your previous technical help. I’m not sure if this kind of question is allowed but I would really appreciate some advice.

I had
a question about the way the wp_connections table columns ‘addresses, phone_numbers, email, etc’ get populated.

I’m trying to write a small script to automatically populate our business directory.
However when I manually insert a row into the wp_connections_address table the addresses show in the entry the first time you load them but then get deleted when you update the record.

I assume it’s because I’m not populating the wp_connections addresses column with the correct json?

How do I correctly populate these dynamically generated columns?

[Steven Zahm]

@ Joshua

The addresses column in the connections table is a serialized array, not JSON. the array should have an id index whose value matches the id of the address in the addresses table.

So, you should insert the address into the addresses table, get the address id and then serialize all addresses. Ensure the id index of each address matches the id assigned to the address in the addresses table.

Perhaps using Connections to add entries and addresses is better than manually manipuliating the DB.

Here’s the bear minimum to insert a new entry with an address into Connections:

$entry = new cnEntry();
$entry->setStatus( 'approved' );
$entry->setEntryType( 'organization' );
$entry->setOrganization( '~Test' );
$entry->addresses->add(
    new cnAddress(
        array(
            'line_1'  => '1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW',
            'city'    => 'Washington',
            'state'   => 'DC',
            'zipcode' => '20500',
        )
    )
);

$result = $entry->save();

if ( FALSE !== $result ) {

    $default = get_option( 'cn_default_category' );

    Connections_Directory()->term->setTermRelationships( $entry->getId(), $default, 'category' );
}

Hope this helps!

[Joshua Tempesta]

@Steven,

I created a proper WordPress plugin and took your advice and did it without manual SQL. It automatically populates the directory based on RegistrationMagic submissions.

Everything is working great however I had a couple simple questions:

1. How do I assign the user column to a new cnEntry? I see private fields in the code but no way to set them. I tried instantiating an $entry via constructor but must be doing it wrong. Can you give an example?
   1. Can you explain further on how to assign multiple categories to the cnEntry?

Thanks again for the help.

[Steven Zahm]

@ Joshua

RE: How do I assign the user column to a new cnEntry?

$entry->setUser( $id );

$id is the WP user ID.

RE: Can you explain further on how to assign multiple categories to the cnEntry?

Connections_Directory()->term->setTermRelationships( $entry->getId(), array( $term1, $term2, $term3, [...] ), 'category' );

The $term variables are the category ID numbers. The array contains the ID of all categories you wish to attach to the entry. It basically works the same way that the core WP function to attach categories to posts; wp_set_object_terms().

Hope that helps!

[Steven Zahm]

@ Joshua

Ca you share a link to your plugin? I’d like to see it!

[Joshua Tempesta]

Steven,

You can have the full source code once I’m finished. It’s not published yet. I’m creating it for a non-profit i work with. Feel free to do whatever you want with it ^_^

I am having difficulties resolving a category name to an id.. I’m still quite new to WordPress. I am using the following code:

$category_id = get_cat_ID($category);
txtlog("category id for: ".$category." : ".$category_id);
if($category_id > 0)
    Connections_Directory()->term->setTermRelationships( $entry->getId(), array($category_id), 'category' );

log:
2018-11-20 04:56:08pm : category id for: Law, Finance & Insurance : 0

is there a different way I’m supposed to resolve connection category names/slugs to ids?

Thanks again for the help

[Steven Zahm]

@ Joshua

The get_cat_ID() is a core WP function to retrieve one of its category ID by name. You need to use the Connections equivalent found in the class.terms.php file.

$category_object = cnTerm::getBy( 'name', $category_name, 'category' );
var_dump( $category_object );
$category_id = $category_object->term_id;
var_dump( $category_id );

Hope that helps!

[Joshua Tempesta]

Hey Steven, I was wondering if you had some time to provide an example of adding a website link programmatically?

I would really appreciate it, as always!

[Steven Zahm]

@ Joshua

RE: provide an example of adding a website link programmatically?

It is much like adding an address. Here’s and expended example from my original reply.

$entry = new cnEntry();
$entry->setStatus( 'approved' );
$entry->setEntryType( 'organization' );
$entry->setOrganization( '~Test' );
$entry->addresses->add(
    new cnAddress(
        array(
            'line_1'  => '1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW',
            'city'    => 'Washington',
            'state'   => 'DC',
            'zipcode' => '20500',
        )
    )
);
$entry->links->add(
    new cnLink(
        array(
            'title'  => 'Connections Business Directory Plugin for WordPress',
            'url'    => 'https://connections-pro.com',
        )
    )
);

$result = $entry->save();

if ( FALSE !== $result ) {

    $default = get_option( 'cn_default_category' );

    Connections_Directory()->term->setTermRelationships( $entry->getId(), $default, 'category' );
}

Hope this helps!

[Joshua Tempesta]

Thank you once again for the excellent support, Steven.

[Author]

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