Core Shortcode Support

[freetheweb]

I was hoping BuddyPress could add support for displaying content elsewhere on the site using shortcodes.

Currently it is relatively hard for someone to style their site's BuddyPress features and pages. Shortcode support would allow anyone to easily embed the information elsewhere on pages they've already set up with styles.

[slaFFik]

There are plugins for that:
​https://wordpress.org/plugins/bowe-codes/
​http://buddydev.com/plugins/bp-activity-shortcode/

[freetheweb]

Replying to slaFFik:

There are plugins for that:
​https://wordpress.org/plugins/bowe-codes/
​http://buddydev.com/plugins/bp-activity-shortcode/

Those are really old and look like they are no longer supported, or else are very limited in functionality.

Bowe Codes was last updated in 2013 and the other only works for the activity stream.

I think shortcodes are becoming pretty ubiquitous across WordPress plugins. Even bbpress is adding native support for them.

[boonebgorges]

Shortcode support in BP core seems like a decent idea to me, but someone's gotta own it. Maybe imath can chime in here: How much hacking was involved to build Bowe Codes? Were you pretty much able to use existing templates?

[imath]

Chiming in :)

First i don't think bowe-codes is not working anymore so @freetheweb you should be able to use it. It's true it's been a while i haven't updated it, sorry for that.

@boonebgorges, i will need to refresh my memory but as far i can remember about shortcodes and BuddyPress content.

• it's important to catch the different loop globals and reset it in the shortcodes, because this kind of content can be put anywhere in the blog.
• i think i didn't use any of the existing templates to have very simple markups and avoid some actions to be triggered.
• users want a UI to build there shortcodes
• some want the shortcode to be usable as a widget..

More globally i can see an interest for BuddyPress to have shortcodes, but i think we should wait for ​https://wordpress.org/plugins/shortcode-ui/ to be in WordPress core so that it's easier to preview the result of the shortcode directly in the editor. I'll need to check this feature as a plugin really soon :)

[freetheweb]

Replying to imath:

Chiming in :)

First i don't think bowe-codes is not working anymore so @freetheweb you should be able to use it. It's true it's been a while i haven't updated it, sorry for that.

Not a problem. However, a lot of WordPress users are put off from installing a plugin that doesn't get regular updates, even if the functionality works. It is an investment, so I think in that light people would like core BuddyPress support for them since they won't have to worry about it anymore.

Also, I know users can create their own shortcodes with your plugin, but I think many won't be able to. I, for example, am not a developer and wouldn't know how to even start doing that.

I think, while your plugin does still work, shortcodes are becoming such an important feature in WordPress that it should be supported as the core of BuddyPress and not rely on third party developers.

[imath]

Replying to freetheweb:

I think, while your plugin does still work, shortcodes are becoming such an important feature in WordPress that it should be supported as the core of BuddyPress and not rely on third party developers.

I don't think i've said i was against the idea of having shortcodes into BuddyPress :)

More globally i can see an interest for BuddyPress to have shortcodes

I'd be happy to work on this topic, for sure :)

PS: the reason why i've made the API in bowe-codes is that people have so much great ideas so many times, that it's really hard to include all these ideas in a new shortcode all the time. Some of these ideas might be edge cases. So the API is there to let people do it themselves or with the help of a WordPress developer :)

[freetheweb]

Replying to imath:

Replying to freetheweb:

I think, while your plugin does still work, shortcodes are becoming such an important feature in WordPress that it should be supported as the core of BuddyPress and not rely on third party developers.

I don't think i've said i was against the idea of having shortcodes into BuddyPress :)

More globally i can see an interest for BuddyPress to have shortcodes

I'd be happy to work on this topic, for sure :)

PS: the reason why i've made the API in bowe-codes is that people have so much great ideas so many times, that it's really hard to include all these ideas in a new shortcode all the time. Some of these ideas might be edge cases. So the API is there to let people do it themselves or with the help of a WordPress developer :)

Ah, gotcha. Sounds great, thank you!

[DJPaul]

We're closing this ticket because it has not received any contribution or comments for at least two years. We have decided that it is better to close tickets that are good ideas, which have not gotten (or are unlikely to get) contributions, rather than keep things open indefinitely. This will help us share a more realistic roadmap for BuddyPress with you.

Everyone very much appreciates the time and effort that you spent sharing your idea with us. On behalf of the entire BuddyPress team, thank you.

If you feel strongly that this enhancement should still be added to BuddyPress, and you are able to contribute effort towards it, we encourage you to re-open the ticket, or start a discussion about it in our Slack channel. Please consider that time has proven that good ideas without contributions do not get built.

For more information, see ​https://bpdevel.wordpress.com/2018/01/21/our-awaiting-contributions-milestone-contains/
or find us on Slack, in the #buddypress channel: ​https://make.wordpress.org/chat/