PHP functions within WordPress widget function/class

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I’m running WordPress 3.1.3, and am looking to create a sidebar widget which more-or-less counts down to a recurring event. I’ve got the underlying PHP code for the countdown working in a standalone script, but where I’m having trouble is actually “widget-izing” the code, because it contains references to other functions.

Here’s a distilled version of what I have (not including the required plugin header, etc.):

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add_action("widgets_init", array('LMC_countdown', 'register'));

class LMC_countdown extends WP_Widget {

  function control(){
    echo "This widget doesn't need a control panel in WordPress right now.";
    # In all likelihood, that'll be a separate issue for later. :)
  }
  function widget($args){
    echo $args['before_widget'];
      # //////////////////// BEGIN MAIN WIDGET FUNCTION //////////////////// 
      $year = date("Y",$today);
      echo "<div id="sidebar-countdown">";
        /* ...
           quite a bit of additional PHP logic here, but boils down to:
        */
        echo countdownTo(findEventStart($year));
      echo "</div>";
      # //////////////////// END MAIN WIDGET FUNCTION ////////////////////
    echo $args['after_widget'];
  }
  function register(){
    register_sidebar_widget('LMC Countdown', array('LMC_countdown', 'widget'));
    register_widget_control('LMC Countdown', array('LMC_countdown', 'control'));
  }

} # end class LMC_countdown

The issue, of course, is that countdownTo() and findEventStart() are custom functions which “support” the main widget action, which themselves call a few other “supporting functions.” Wherever I’ve tried putting these supporting functions — whether in the class after register() or within the widget() function itself — I keep getting errors that the first of these functions is undefined.

I got most of my structural code for the widget from tutorials and “Hello world” examples, but none are robust enough to have PHP functions nestled within them. So where should I be putting these “supporting functions” and how should I be calling them within the widget? Thanks in advance for your help.

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1 comment

  1. Place those two functions below the class. Then they are available inside the class as well.

      ...
  }

} # end class LMC_countdown


function countdownTo() {
  ...

    You have written them a global functions, so they belong outside the class. They will be available to your widget and any other plugin / script. So it’s a good idea you prefix their names as well with LMC_.

    Another way you could do is to add them into the class. All of the class’s functions are accesible via $this inside the class:

    class LMC_countdown extends WP_Widget {
  # private functions
  private function countdownTo() {
    ...
  }
  private function findEventStart($year) {
    ...
  }
  ...
  # wp widget functions
  function widget($args){
    ...
    echo $this->countdownTo($this->findEventStart($year));
    ...
  }
  ...
}