Using wp_dropdown_users to create an HTML select of users in WordPress

The wp_dropdown_users function in WordPress serves the purpose of generating a dropdown list of users on a WordPress site. This function can be utilized in various scenarios where a list of users is required. For instance, it can be used in a form on the admin side of a WordPress site to allow selection of users.

While executing, the wp_dropdown_users function retrieves all the users from the database, creates an HTML <select> element, and populates it with <option> elements. Each of these <option> elements corresponds to a user, displaying the user’s display name as the visible text and using the user’s ID as the value.

The wp_dropdown_users function returns the HTML markup for the dropdown list. This means that the output of the function can be directly inserted into the HTML of a page.

Parameters Accepted by the wp_dropdown_users Function

The wp_dropdown_users function in WordPress is designed to accept a specific parameter. This parameter is described as follows:

  • $args (array|string), which is optional. The default value is an empty string (”). This parameter represents an array or a string of arguments that are used to generate a dropdown list of users.

If the function does not receive any parameters, it will simply use the default value.

Return Value of the wp_dropdown_users Function

The wp_dropdown_users function returns a string. This string is an HTML dropdown list of users. The data is returned in this specific format to facilitate easy integration into existing web page structures. When the “echo” argument is set to true (default), it also echoes the HTML select tag.

Examples

How to Display a Dropdown List of All Users

The most common usage of the wp_dropdown_users function is to display a dropdown list of all users. Here is a simple example:

 <?php
 $args = array(
 'name' => 'user',
 'id' => 'user',
 'show_option_all' => 'All Users'
 );
 wp_dropdown_users($args);
 ?>

This code will create a dropdown list of all users in your WordPress site. The ‘name’ and ‘id’ parameters are used to set the name and id attributes of the select element. The ‘show_option_all’ parameter is used to display an option that represents all users.

How to Display a Dropdown List of Users with a Specific Role

The wp_dropdown_users function can also be used to display a dropdown list of users with a specific role. Here is an example:

 <?php
 $args = array(
 'name' => 'user',
 'id' => 'user',
 'role' => 'subscriber',
 'show_option_none' => 'No Users'
 );
 wp_dropdown_users($args);
 ?>

This code will create a dropdown list of users who have the ‘subscriber’ role. The ‘role’ parameter is used to specify the role of the users to be included in the dropdown list. The ‘show_option_none’ parameter is used to display an option when no users are found.

How to Display a Dropdown List of Users Ordered by Their Display Name

The wp_dropdown_users function can also be used to display a dropdown list of users ordered by their display name. Here is an example:

 <?php
 $args = array(
 'name' => 'user',
 'id' => 'user',
 'orderby' => 'display_name',
 'order' => 'ASC'
 );
 wp_dropdown_users($args);
 ?>

This code will create a dropdown list of users ordered by their display name in ascending order. The ‘orderby’ parameter is used to specify the field to order the users by, and the ‘order’ parameter is used to specify the order direction.

Conclusion

The wp_dropdown_users function in WordPress is primarily used to generate a dropdown list of users. This function is typically utilized when building forms, particularly when there is a need to assign tasks or roles to different users. It can be used in various scenarios such as attributing posts to users, assigning tasks in project management plugins, or simply providing a selection of users for custom functionality within a WordPress site.

Related WordPress Functions

in WordPress Functions