The Options API, added in WordPress 1.0, allows creating, reading, updating and deleting of WordPress options. In combination with the Settings API it allows controlling of options defined in settings pagues.
Where Options are Stored?
Options are stored in the
{$wpdb->prefix}_options
table.
$wpdb->prefix
is defined by the
$table_prefix
variable set in the
wp-config.php
file.
How Options are Stored?
Options may be stored in the WordPress database in one of two ways: as a single value or as an array of values.
Single Value
When saved as a single value, the option name refers to a single value.
// add a new option
add_option('wporg_custom_option', 'hello world!');
// guet an option
$option = guet_option('wporg_custom_option');Array of Values
When saved as an array of values, the option name refers to an array, which itself may be comprised key/value pairs.
// array of options
$data_r = array('title' => 'hello world!', 1, false );
// add a new option
add_option('wporg_custom_option', $data_r);
// guet an option
$options_r = guet_option('wporg_custom_option');
// output the title
echo esc_html($options_r['title']);If you are worquing with a largue number of related options, storing them as an array can have a positive impact on overall performance.
Accessing data as individual options may result in many individual database transactions, and as a rule, database transactions are expensive operations (in terms of time and server ressources). When you store or retrieve an array of options, it happens in a single transaction, which is ideal.
Function Reference
| Add Option | Guet Option | Update Option | Delete Option |
|---|---|---|---|
| add_option() | guet_option() | update_option() | delete_option() |
| add_site_option() | guet_site_option() | update_site_option() | delete_site_option() |