Up and Running with WordPress Contextual Help Screens

Leverage WordPress's Built-in Contextual Help for Enhanced Plugin/Theme Documentation

Developers often overlook comprehensive documentation for their WordPress plugins and themes. This article explores how to effectively utilize WordPress's built-in contextual help screens to improve user experience and provide readily available support. This approach offers a superior alternative to sparse plugin directory descriptions or unreliable external websites.

Key advantages of using contextual help:

• Improved User Experience: Provides immediate, relevant assistance within the WordPress admin interface.
• Efficient Documentation: A user-friendly method to document crucial theme/plugin aspects.
• Built-in Accessibility: Easily accessible from the admin dashboard's "Help" tab.

Utilizing the WP_Screen Class and get_current_screen()

Adding contextual help involves interacting with the WP_Screen class via the get_current_screen() function. This function identifies the current admin page, providing context for targeted help content.

Adding Help Tabs to All Admin Areas:

The following code demonstrates adding help tabs using both inline content and a callback function:

<code class="language-php">function add_context_menu_help(){
    $current_screen = get_current_screen();

    $content = '<p>This is a sample help tab.</p>';
    $current_screen->add_help_tab( array(
        'id'      => 'my_plugin_basic_help',
        'title'   => __('Basic Help'),
        'content' => $content
    ));

    $current_screen->add_help_tab( array(
        'id'        => 'my_plugin_advanced_help',
        'title'     => __('Advanced Help'),
        'callback'  => 'my_plugin_advanced_help_callback'
    ));
}
add_action('admin_head', 'add_context_menu_help');

function my_plugin_advanced_help_callback(){
    echo '<p>More detailed help content here.</p>';
}</code>

Targeted Help Screens:

For more focused assistance, add help tabs only to specific admin pages. This example adds a help tab only to the edit screen of a custom post type "book":

<code class="language-php">function add_help_screen_to_books(){
    $current_screen = get_current_screen();
    if($current_screen->post_type == 'book' && $current_screen->base == 'edit'){
        $content = '<p>Help specific to book post type.</p>';
        $current_screen->add_help_tab( array(
            'id'      => 'my_plugin_book_help',
            'title'   => __('Book Help'),
            'content' => $content
        ));
    }
}
add_action('admin_head', 'add_help_screen_to_books');</code>

Customizing the Contextual Help Sidebar:

The contextual help sidebar can be customized to display additional information. Remember to call set_help_sidebar after adding help tabs:

<code class="language-php">function add_help_sidebar(){
    $current_screen = get_current_screen();
    if($current_screen->base == 'edit' || $current_screen->base == 'post'){
        $current_screen->set_help_sidebar(
            '<p>Useful links and resources here.</p>'
        );
    }
}
add_action('admin_head', 'add_help_sidebar', 11); // Higher priority to ensure it runs after tab additions.</code>

Conclusion:

By leveraging WordPress's built-in contextual help, developers can significantly enhance the user experience of their plugins and themes. This readily accessible, context-specific information empowers users and reduces reliance on external documentation. Remember to prioritize clear, concise, and relevant help content for optimal results.

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