Fixing Depreciated Widget Constructors in WordPress 4.3

As of WordPress 4.3 older versions of constructor functions are deprecated. Typically these are common in widgets, where you’re extending the parent WP_Widget class. I’ve recently updated a few of my older versions in my plugins and on client site’s, here’s the basics.

Older, now depreciated code (truncated to the first 20 lines):

<?php

/**

 * Depreciated Method as of WordPress 4.3

 * @see https://make.wordpress.org/core/2015/07/02/deprecating-php4-style-constructors-in-wordpress-4-3/

 * @see http://codex.wordpress.org/Widgets_API

 */

class My_Widget extends WP_Widget {

 /**

 * Sets up the widgets name etc

 */

 public function My_Widget() {

 $widget_args = array( 'description' => __( 'A Foo Widget', 'text_domain' ) );

 $this->WP_Widget(

 'foo_widget', // Base ID

 __( 'Widget Title', 'text_domain' ), // Name

 $widget_args // Args

 );

 }

view raw depreciated-method.php hosted with ❤ by GitHub

Harder, better, faster, stronger: *

<?php

/**

 * Correct method for WordPress 4.3

 * @see https://make.wordpress.org/core/2015/07/02/deprecating-php4-style-constructors-in-wordpress-4-3/

 * @see http://codex.wordpress.org/Widgets_API

 */

class My_Widget extends WP_Widget {

 /**

 * Sets up the widgets name etc

 */

 public function __construct() {

  $widget_args = array( 'description' => __( 'A Foo Widget', 'text_domain' ) );

 parent::__construct(

 'foo_widget', // Base ID

 __( 'Widget Title', 'text_domain' ), // Name

 $widget_args // Args

 );

 }

view raw correct-method.php hosted with ❤ by GitHub

It breaks down to being an older PHP method – naming the constructor function the same as the class and/or calling the parent constructor via the class name. Newer versions of PHP allow us to call parent classes via parent:: and utilize the __construct() function, which is now the preferred method for WordPress.

For more information, check out the WP Core Blog post on the subject and the Widgets API Documentation.