Settings Overview - Visual Portfolio

Overview

Visual Portfolio uses a comprehensive control system to manage all settings for layouts, items, filters, and pagination. Controls are dynamically registered and organized into categories for better user experience.

Control System Architecture

The control system is defined in /home/daytona/workspace/source/classes/class-controls.php and provides:

Dynamic control registration
Category organization
Conditional display logic
Style generation
Value callbacks
Sanitization

Default Control Arguments

Every control supports these base arguments (lines 49-130):

array(
    // Organization
    'category'          => '',           // Control category
    'name'              => '',           // Unique identifier
    'label'             => false,        // Display label
    'description'       => false,        // Help text
    'group'             => false,        // Visual grouping
    
    // Control Type & Behavior
    'type'              => 'text',       // Control type
    'value'             => '',           // Default value
    'placeholder'       => '',           // Input placeholder
    'readonly'          => false,        // Read-only state
    'reload_iframe'     => true,         // Reload preview on change
    
    // Callbacks
    'value_callback'    => '',           // Dynamic value function
    'sanitize_callback' => '',           // Sanitization function
    
    // Features
    'setup_wizard'      => false,        // Show in setup wizard
    'wpml'              => false,        // WPML translation support
    
    // Conditional Display
    'condition'         => array(),      // Show/hide conditions
    
    // Style Generation
    'style'             => array(),      // CSS generation rules
    
    // Styling
    'class'             => '',           // Control CSS class
    'wrapper_class'     => '',           // Wrapper CSS class
)

Control Types

Text Controls

text - Single line text input

array(
    'type' => 'text',
    'name' => 'custom_class',
    'label' => 'Custom CSS Class',
    'placeholder' => 'my-class',
)

textarea - Multi-line text

array(
    'type' => 'textarea',
    'name' => 'description',
    'cols' => 30,
    'rows' => 5,
)

Numeric Controls

number - Numeric input

array(
    'type' => 'number',
    'name' => 'items_count',
    'min' => 1,
    'max' => 100,
    'step' => 1,
)

range - Slider control

array(
    'type' => 'range',
    'name' => 'opacity',
    'min' => 0,
    'max' => 1,
    'step' => 0.1,
)

Boolean Controls

checkbox - Checkbox toggle

array(
    'type' => 'checkbox',
    'name' => 'show_title',
    'label' => 'Display Title',
)

toggle - Toggle switch

array(
    'type' => 'toggle',
    'name' => 'enable_feature',
    'label' => 'Enable Feature',
)

Selection Controls

select - Dropdown selection

array(
    'type' => 'select',
    'name' => 'layout',
    'options' => array(
        'grid' => 'Grid',
        'masonry' => 'Masonry',
        'slider' => 'Slider',
    ),
    'searchable' => false,  // Enable search
    'multiple' => false,    // Allow multiple selection
    'creatable' => false,   // Allow creating new options
)

select2 - Enhanced select with search

array(
    'type' => 'select2',
    'name' => 'categories',
    'multiple' => true,
    'searchable' => true,
)

Visual Controls

color - Color picker

array(
    'type' => 'color',
    'name' => 'background_color',
    'alpha' => true,      // Enable alpha/transparency
    'gradient' => false,  // Enable gradient picker
)

align - Alignment control

array(
    'type' => 'align',
    'name' => 'text_align',
    'extended' => false,  // Include justify, space-between, etc.
)

Advanced Controls

code_editor - Code editor with syntax highlighting

array(
    'type' => 'code_editor',
    'name' => 'custom_css',
    'mode' => 'css',            // css, javascript, html
    'max_lines' => 20,
    'min_lines' => 5,
    'allow_modal' => true,      // Allow fullscreen editing
    'classes_tree' => false,    // Show available CSS classes
    'encode' => false,          // Encode output
    'code_placeholder' => '',   // Placeholder text
)

gallery - Image gallery manager

array(
    'type' => 'gallery',
    'name' => 'images',
    'focal_point' => true,  // Enable focal point selection
    'image_controls' => array(
        'title' => array(
            'type' => 'text',
            'label' => 'Title',
        ),
        'description' => array(
            'type' => 'textarea',
            'label' => 'Description',
        ),
        'url' => array(
            'type' => 'text',
            'label' => 'URL',
        ),
    ),
)

elements_selector - Element location selector

array(
    'type' => 'elements_selector',
    'name' => 'elements',
    'locations' => array(
        'top' => 'Top',
        'bottom' => 'Bottom',
    ),
)

sortable - Drag-and-drop sortable list

array(
    'type' => 'sortable',
    'name' => 'item_order',
    'options' => array(
        'title' => 'Title',
        'date' => 'Date',
        'author' => 'Author',
    ),
)

Display Controls

notice - Information notice

array(
    'type' => 'notice',
    'name' => 'info_message',
    'label' => 'Important Information',
    'status' => 'info',  // info, warning, error, success
)

html - Custom HTML content

array(
    'type' => 'html',
    'name' => 'custom_content',
    'label' => '<strong>Custom HTML</strong>',
)

Control Categories

Controls are organized into categories for better UX. Common categories include:

content-source - Content source selection
content-source-general - General content settings
content-source-images - Image source settings
content-source-post-based - Post query settings
layouts - Layout selection and options
items-style - Item styling options
filter - Filter settings
sort - Sorting options
pagination - Pagination settings
custom_css - Custom CSS editor

Registering Categories

Visual_Portfolio_Controls::register_categories( array(
    'custom-category' => array(
        'title' => esc_html__( 'Custom Category', 'textdomain' ),
        'priority' => 10,
    ),
) );

Conditional Display

Controls support sophisticated conditional logic:

'condition' => array(
    array(
        'control'  => 'layout',
        'operator' => '==',
        'value'    => 'grid',
    ),
    array(
        'control'  => 'items_gap',
        'operator' => '>=',
        'value'    => 10,
    ),
)

Supported Operators

== - Equals
!== - Not equals
> - Greater than
< - Less than
>= - Greater than or equal
<= - Less than or equal

Multiple Conditions

All conditions in the array must be true (AND logic):

'condition' => array(
    array( 'control' => 'show_filter', 'operator' => '==', 'value' => true ),
    array( 'control' => 'filter_type', 'operator' => '==', 'value' => 'dropdown' ),
)

Style Generation

Controls can automatically generate CSS:

'style' => array(
    array(
        'element'  => '.vp-portfolio__item',
        'property' => 'margin-bottom',
        'mask'     => '$px',  // $ is replaced with control value
    ),
    array(
        'element'  => '.vp-portfolio__item-overlay',
        'property' => 'background-color',
        // No mask - value used directly
    ),
)

Multiple Styles

One control can generate multiple CSS rules:

'style' => array(
    array(
        'element'  => '.vp-portfolio__item',
        'property' => 'padding',
        'mask'     => '$px',
    ),
    array(
        'element'  => '.vp-portfolio__item-inner',
        'property' => 'padding',
        'mask'     => '$px',
    ),
)

Value Callbacks

Use callbacks to provide dynamic values:

'value_callback' => function( $attributes, $control ) {
    // Generate options based on current settings
    $options = array();
    
    if ( $attributes['layout'] === 'grid' ) {
        $options['masonry'] = 'Masonry Grid';
    }
    
    return $options;
}

AJAX Dynamic Controls

Dynamic controls automatically load via AJAX when dependencies change (line 136-187).

Sanitization

Always sanitize user input:

'sanitize_callback' => function( $value, $control ) {
    return absint( $value );
}

Common Sanitization Functions

// Text
'sanitize_callback' => 'sanitize_text_field'

// Textarea
'sanitize_callback' => 'sanitize_textarea_field'

// Numbers
'sanitize_callback' => 'absint'        // Positive integers
'sanitize_callback' => 'floatval'      // Decimals

// HTML
'sanitize_callback' => 'wp_kses_post'  // Safe HTML

// URL
'sanitize_callback' => 'esc_url_raw'

// Email
'sanitize_callback' => 'sanitize_email'

Boolean String Fields

Some controls use string boolean values for dropdown options (lines 304-332):

// These fields automatically convert between boolean and string:
'__show_date'        // 'false' | 'true' | 'human'
'__show_read_more'   // 'false' | 'true' | 'more_tag'
'__show_categories'  // 'false' | 'true'
'__show_excerpt'     // 'false' | 'true'
'__show_arrows'      // 'false' | 'true'
'__show_numbers'     // 'false' | 'true'
'__show_title'       // 'false' | 'true'
'__show_author'      // 'false' | 'true'
'__show_icon'        // 'false' | 'true'
'__show_count'       // 'false' | 'true'

Conversion is automatic for saved layouts (vp_lists post type) in lines 421-442.

Registering Custom Controls

Basic Registration

add_action( 'init', function() {
    Visual_Portfolio_Controls::register( array(
        'category' => 'custom',
        'type'     => 'text',
        'name'     => 'custom_field',
        'label'    => __( 'Custom Field', 'textdomain' ),
        'default'  => 'default value',
    ) );
} );

Advanced Registration

Visual_Portfolio_Controls::register( array(
    'category'    => 'layouts',
    'type'        => 'select',
    'name'        => 'custom_layout_option',
    'label'       => __( 'Custom Option', 'textdomain' ),
    'description' => __( 'Choose your custom option', 'textdomain' ),
    'options'     => array(
        'option1' => __( 'Option 1', 'textdomain' ),
        'option2' => __( 'Option 2', 'textdomain' ),
    ),
    'default'     => 'option1',
    'condition'   => array(
        array(
            'control'  => 'layout',
            'operator' => '==',
            'value'    => 'custom',
        ),
    ),
    'style' => array(
        array(
            'element'  => '.vp-portfolio',
            'property' => 'custom-property',
        ),
    ),
    'sanitize_callback' => 'sanitize_text_field',
) );

Getting Control Values

Retrieve control values programmatically:

// Get value for a saved layout
$value = Visual_Portfolio_Controls::get_registered_value(
    'control_name',
    $post_id  // Post ID of saved layout
);

// Get all registered controls
$controls = Visual_Portfolio_Controls::get_registered_array();

// Get all categories
$categories = Visual_Portfolio_Controls::get_registered_categories();

Filtering Controls

Filter Control Registration

add_filter( 'vpf_register_control', function( $args, $name ) {
    if ( $name === 'items_gap' ) {
        $args['default'] = 20;
    }
    return $args;
}, 10, 2 );

Filter Control Value

add_filter( 'vpf_control_value', function( $value, $name, $post_id ) {
    if ( $name === 'items_count' && $value > 100 ) {
        $value = 100;  // Limit to 100
    }
    return $value;
}, 10, 3 );

Filter Registered Controls

add_filter( 'vpf_registered_controls', function( $controls ) {
    // Modify all controls before use
    return $controls;
} );

WPML Integration

Enable translation for string controls:

array(
    'type' => 'text',
    'name' => 'button_text',
    'wpml' => true,  // Registers string for translation
)

Setup Wizard

Include controls in the setup wizard:

array(
    'type'         => 'select',
    'name'         => 'layout',
    'setup_wizard' => true,  // Show in wizard
)

Best Practices

Naming Convention - Use descriptive names with underscores (e.g., items_gap, show_filter)
Default Values - Always provide sensible defaults
Sanitization - Always sanitize user input with callbacks
Conditions - Use conditions to show/hide related controls
Categories - Organize controls into logical categories
Descriptions - Provide helpful descriptions for complex controls
Performance - Set reload_iframe to false for non-visual controls
Validation - Validate min/max values for numeric inputs
Accessibility - Use proper labels for screen readers
Documentation - Comment complex control configurations

Common Patterns

// Main toggle
array(
    'type' => 'toggle',
    'name' => 'show_overlay',
    'label' => 'Show Overlay',
),

// Related color control (only shown when toggle is true)
array(
    'type' => 'color',
    'name' => 'overlay_color',
    'label' => 'Overlay Color',
    'condition' => array(
        array(
            'control'  => 'show_overlay',
            'operator' => '==',
            'value'    => true,
        ),
    ),
)

Layout-Specific Settings

array(
    'type' => 'range',
    'name' => 'slider_speed',
    'label' => 'Slider Speed',
    'min' => 100,
    'max' => 5000,
    'step' => 100,
    'condition' => array(
        array(
            'control'  => 'layout',
            'operator' => '==',
            'value'    => 'slider',
        ),
    ),
)

Responsive Settings

array(
    'type' => 'number',
    'name' => 'items_per_row_lg',
    'label' => 'Items Per Row (Desktop)',
),
array(
    'type' => 'number',
    'name' => 'items_per_row_md',
    'label' => 'Items Per Row (Tablet)',
),
array(
    'type' => 'number',
    'name' => 'items_per_row_sm',
    'label' => 'Items Per Row (Mobile)',
)

Visual Editor - Using the visual editor interface
Gutenberg Block - Block editor integration
Shortcodes - Using shortcodes with settings

Get Started

Core Concepts

Building Galleries

Layouts & Styles

Content Sources

Features

Integrations

Documentation Index

​Overview

​Control System Architecture

​Default Control Arguments

​Control Types

​Text Controls

​Numeric Controls

​Boolean Controls

​Selection Controls

​Visual Controls

​Advanced Controls

​Display Controls

​Control Categories

​Registering Categories

​Conditional Display

​Supported Operators

​Multiple Conditions

​Style Generation

​Multiple Styles

​Value Callbacks

​AJAX Dynamic Controls

​Sanitization

​Common Sanitization Functions

​Boolean String Fields

​Registering Custom Controls

​Basic Registration

​Advanced Registration

​Getting Control Values

​Filtering Controls

​Filter Control Registration

​Filter Control Value

​Filter Registered Controls

​WPML Integration

​Setup Wizard

​Best Practices

​Common Patterns

​Toggle with Related Controls

​Layout-Specific Settings

​Responsive Settings

​Related