A guide to WordPress get_taxonomies function

The get_taxonomies function in WordPress retrieves the list of registered taxonomies for the current post type or all post types. This can be useful for developers who need to access and display the available taxonomies in their WordPress themes or plugins.

By using this function, developers can dynamically retrieve and display the taxonomies without hardcoding them into their code, making their themes or plugins more flexible and easily adaptable to changes in the taxonomies.

Parameters Accepted by get_taxonomies Function

The get_taxonomies function accepts the following parameters:

  • $args (array, optional, default value: array()): An array of key-value arguments to match against the taxonomy objects.
  • $output (string, optional, default value: ‘names’): The type of output to return in the array. Accepts either taxonomy ‘names’ or ‘objects’. Default is ‘names’.
  • $operator (string, optional, default value: ‘and’): The logical operation to perform. Accepts ‘and’ or ‘or’. ‘or’ means only one element from the array needs to match; ‘and’ means all elements must match. Default is ‘and’.

Value Returned by get_taxonomies Function

The get_taxonomies function returns an array of taxonomy names or objects, represented as string[] or WP_Taxonomy[].

Examples

How to get all taxonomies in WordPress

$taxonomies = get_taxonomies();
foreach ( $taxonomies as $taxonomy ) {
 echo $taxonomy . '<br>';
}

This code snippet uses the get_taxonomies function to retrieve all taxonomies in WordPress and then loops through the result to display each taxonomy name.

How to get specific taxonomies in WordPress

$taxonomies = get_taxonomies( array( 'public' => true ) );
foreach ( $taxonomies as $taxonomy ) {
 echo $taxonomy . '<br>';
}

This code snippet uses the get_taxonomies function with parameters to retrieve only the taxonomies that are publicly accessible, and then loops through the result to display each taxonomy name.

How to check if a specific taxonomy exists in WordPress

$taxonomy = 'category';
if ( taxonomy_exists( $taxonomy ) ) {
 echo 'The taxonomy ' . $taxonomy . ' exists.';
} else {
 echo 'The taxonomy ' . $taxonomy . ' does not exist.';
}

This code snippet uses the taxonomy_exists function to check if a specific taxonomy exists in WordPress, and then displays a message based on the result.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the get_taxonomies function is a powerful feature for retrieving information about the taxonomies in a WordPress site. It provides developers with a flexible and efficient way to access taxonomy data, making it easier to build custom functionality and display relevant information to users. By understanding how to use this function effectively, developers can enhance the overall user experience and create more dynamic and engaging websites.

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