Default Value not set until Update Post

• daretothink

• June 28, 2015 at 12:44 am

I have just added a new custom field as a True/False field with the default value as True but it seems I have to go into each post and Update the post for that to work. Otherwise the default value appears to be False, even though the checkbox is checked.

Any ideas? My current code is:

<?php if( get_field('show_sidebar') ): ?>
<div id="sidebar">
<?php if ( !function_exists('dynamic_sidebar') || !dynamic_sidebar('Sidebar') ) : ?><?php endif; ?>
</div>
<?php endif; ?>

Thanks in advance.

• John Huebner

• June 28, 2015 at 1:17 am

That is correct. If the field is added after the post is created the field will not have the default value until the post is updated. ACF does not retroactively set default values.

True/False fields are a little tricky because ACF will return false for it if it is not set or if it is not checked.

The best way, in my experience, to deal with this is to use get_post_meta()

<?php 
    $show_sidebar = get_post_meta($post->ID, 'show_sidebar', true);
    if($show_sidebar === '' || $show_sidebar === '1'): ?>
<div id="sidebar">
<?php if ( !function_exists('dynamic_sidebar') || !dynamic_sidebar('Sidebar') ) : ?><?php endif; ?>
</div>
<?php endif; ?>

• daretothink

• June 28, 2015 at 1:19 am

Thanks for this John. Really appreciate the speedy response.