update_sub_field not working

• scisterna

• December 21, 2014 at 11:22 am

Hi.
I have a Repeater Value which contains a Post Object as sub field 1 and a Number as sub field 2

I’m trying to create a repeater entry (new row) by code in a specific post (ID: 2933). I want my first row to relate post 279 with a Number 1 as value

update_sub_field(array('field_5422339bd5eab', 1, 'field_543afcf561f95'), 279,'2933');
update_sub_field(array('field_5422339bd5eab', 1, 'field_543afcae61f94'), 1,'2933');

I also tried leaving the field values like ‘1’ and ‘279’, also I tried changing the field keys by their field names, and changing ‘2933’ to 2933 but nothing working.

What could be failing?

Edit: I notice this works if the post already has a Repeater row. How can I get it work if the post don’t have any row yet?

• iosoftgame

• January 23, 2015 at 8:48 pm

I have the same issue. Both “update_field” and “update_sub_field” works fine if there is already rows, but not if it’s the first row you are adding to a new post.

• paulgagu

• February 11, 2015 at 8:09 am

I have same issue I need to update a sub_field value based in another subfield and I tried everything and is not working, row loop is fine but it did not update the subfield no matter the way i try ( name_fiel, array(repeater), key_field) nothing works.

• paulgagu

• February 11, 2015 at 9:50 am

Not sure if this help someone:

In my case “update_sub_field()” fails to update POST_META table:
It creates an additional record for the post without repeater name:

_0_subfield
_1_subfield
_2_subfield

and does’nt update the good records:

repeaterName_0_subfield
repeaterName_1_subfield
repeaterName_2_subfield

And from them it updates the wrong ones, “update_sub_field()” seems like the function fails to “add” repeater name to the meta_key, anyway I found a workaround:

Use the core function “update_post_meta()” :

update_post_meta( $post_id, “repeaterName_0_subfield”, “new value” );
update_post_meta( $post_id, “repeaterName_1_subfield”, “new value” );
update_post_meta( $post_id, “repeaterName_2_subfield”, “new value” );

This function update values in custom fields in Post_Meta table.
PD: If you need to know how many “rows” has your repeater you can use this:

$number_rows = get_post_meta( $post_id, “repeaterName” );

This works for me perfectly, I spend a lot of time struggling with update_sub_fiel(), hope there will be an update it soon.

• timotheus0106

• June 11, 2015 at 1:00 am

facing the exact same problem.

but cant use your update_post_meta solution because its a repeater in a repeater where i have to add a new row.

i looked up in the database but the meta_key from the second repeater is = subrepeater_ and not repeaterName_0_subrepeater_0_subsubfield.

so how can i refer to the right row in the repeater and add a field in the subrepeater?

• Jonathan

• June 13, 2015 at 7:32 am

Hi everyone.

The issue here is that update_sub_field does exactly what it says. It updates an existing sub field but does not have the ability to create a new one.

Have a look at my sample code here for a solution:
http://support.advancedcustomfields.com/forums/topic/create-new-repeater-row-from-front-end-form/

• timotheus0106

• June 15, 2015 at 7:58 pm

i really appreciate your solution! i tried it and it works! thank you very much !

• Jonathan

• June 15, 2015 at 8:01 pm

Great to hear 🙂 @scisterna if you also find it to resolve your issues please mark it as an answer so future visitors may find it easily.