Merge/combine two flexible content fields into one

• elardael

• March 14, 2022 at 3:33 pm

I have a need for a specific behaviour.

Let’s say that I have Field Group called “Layouts” which contains only 1 field “flexible content” with name “default_layouts”.

Then I have another separate Field Group “More Layouts”. In this I create new flexible content field “additional_layouts”. And I disable this field (for it to now show up anywhere).

And then via (php) code I place “additional_layouts” to “default_layouts” as user opens edit post page in admin for example.

This “additional_layouts” won’t be seen in local json (ideally) of “default_layouts” – I save all ACF to local json (just to be sure).

Just loading as new layouts in “default_layouts” when editing a page/post or anything else.

• elardael

• March 14, 2022 at 9:16 pm

I kinda did that, BUT it’s saving to JSON … which should be preventable?

Code for other:

add_filter( 'acf/load_field/name=blocks_content', array( $this, 'add_more_layouts' ), 10, 1 );

public function add_more_layouts( $field ) {
    $add_layouts = array();

    $more_layouts = acf_get_field( 'more_layouts' );
    if( ! empty( $more_layouts[ 'layouts' ] ) ) {
        $add_layouts = array_merge( $add_layouts, $more_layouts[ 'layouts' ] );
    }

    if( ! empty( $add_layouts ) ) {
        $field[ 'layouts' ] = array_merge( $field[ 'layouts' ], $add_layouts );
    }

    return $field;
}

• elardael

• March 15, 2022 at 4:37 pm

Well, for anyone wondering, I found a “solution”.

public function add_more_layouts( $field ) {
    $add_layouts = array();

    $default_layouts = acf_get_field( 'default_layouts' );

    if( ! empty( $default_layouts[ 'layouts' ] ) ) {
        $add_layouts = $this->merge_blocks_correctly( $add_layouts, $default_layouts[ 'layouts' ] );
    }
    
    $user_layouts = acf_get_field( 'user_layouts' );

    if( ! empty( $user_layouts[ 'layouts' ] ) ) {
        $add_layouts = $this->merge_blocks_correctly( $add_layouts, $user_layouts[ 'layouts' ] );
    }
    
    $global_layouts = acf_get_field( 'global_layouts' );

    if( ! empty( $global_layouts[ 'layouts' ] ) ) {
        $add_layouts = $this->merge_blocks_correctly( $add_layouts, $global_layouts[ 'layouts' ] );
    }

    $field[ 'layouts' ] = $add_layouts;
    return $field;
}

public function merge_blocks_correctly( $layouts_start, $layouts_new ) {
    foreach( (array) $layouts_new as $layout_key => $layout_data ) {
        if( array_key_exists( $layout_key, $layouts_start ) ) {
            unset( $layouts_start[ $layout_key ] );
        }
    }

    $merge = array_merge( $layouts_start, $layouts_new );
    return $merge;
}

How it works:
1) I get all default layouts from EMPTY (except first dummy layout) Flexible Content field

2) Then I proceed to load “user” layouts (another Flexible Content field)

3) These I merge BUT remove anything that was previously setup (duplicates)

4) I add more layouts (repetitive point 2 and 3)

5) Overwrite (return) layouts from EMPTY Flexible Content. Each is in seperate Field Group

This way I can modify multiple Flexible Fields separately and they load to the “empty” one.