=== Parentless Categories === Contributors: coffee2code Donate link: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=6ARCFJ9TX3522 Tags: categories, category, list, the_category, coffee2code License: GPLv2 or later License URI: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html Requires at least: 4.6 Tested up to: 6.8 Stable tag: 2.3.1 Provides a template tag like the_category() to list categories assigned to a post except those that have a child category also assigned to the post. == Description == This plugin provides a template tag which acts as a modified version of WordPress's built-in template tag, `the_category()`. `the_category()` lists all categories directly assigned to the specified post. `c2c_parentless_categories()` lists those categories, except for categories that are parents to other assigned categories. For example, assume your category structure is hierarchical and looks like this: ` Vegetables |-- Leafy | |-- Broccoli | |-- Bok Choy | |-- Celery |-- Fruiting | |-- Bell Pepper | |-- Cucumber | |-- Pumpkin |-- Podded | |-- Chickpea | |-- Lentil | |-- Soybean ` If you directly assigned the categories "Fruiting", "Cucumber", and "Pumpkin" to a post, `c2c_parentless_categories()` would return a list that consists of: "Cucumber", and "Pumpkin". Notice that since "Fruiting" was a parent to a directly assigned category, it is not included in the list. By default, categories are listed as an HTML list. The first argument to the template tag allows you to define a custom separator, e.g. to have a simple comma-separated list of categories: ``. As with categories listed via `the_category()`, categories that are listed are presented as links to the respective category's archive page. Example usage (based on preceding example): * `` Outputs something like: `` * `` Outputs something like: `Cucumber, Pumpkin` Links: [Plugin Homepage](https://coffee2code.com/wp-plugins/parentless-categories/) | [Plugin Directory Page](https://wordpress.org/plugins/parentless-categories/) | [GitHub](https://github.com/coffee2code/parentless-categories/) | [Author Homepage](https://coffee2code.com) == Installation == 1. Install via the built-in WordPress plugin installer. Or install the plugin code inside the plugins directory for your site (typically `/wp-content/plugins/`). 2. Activate the plugin through the 'Plugins' admin menu in WordPress 3. Optional: Add filters for 'c2c_parentless_categories_list' to filter parentless category listing 4. Use the template tag `` in a theme template somewhere inside "the loop" == Frequently Asked Questions == = Why isn't an assigned category for the post showing up in the `c2c_parentless_categories()` listing? = If an assigned category is the parent for one or more other assigned categories for the post, then the category parent is not included in the listing. = Does this plugin have unit tests? = Yes. The tests are not packaged in the release .zip file or included in plugins.svn.wordpress.org, but can be found in the [plugin's GitHub repository](https://github.com/coffee2code/parentless-categories/). == Developer Documentation == Developer documentation can be found in [DEVELOPER-DOCS.md](https://github.com/coffee2code/parentless-categories/blob/master/DEVELOPER-DOCS.md). That documentation covers the template tags and hooks provided by the plugin. As an overview, these are the template tags provided by the plugin: * `c2c_parentless_categories()` : Outputs the parentless categories. * `c2c_get_parentless_categories_list()` : Returns the list of parentless categories. * `c2c_get_parentless_categories()` : Returns the list of parentless categories for the specified post. These are the hooks provided by the plugin: * `c2c_parentless_categories` _(action)_, `c2c_get_parentless_categories_list`, `c2c_get_parentless_categories` _(filters)_ : Allows for an alternative approach to safely invoke each of the identically named functions in such a way that if the plugin were deactivated or deleted, then your calls to the functions won't cause errors on your site. * `c2c_parentless_categories_list` _(filter)_ : Customizes the return value of the `c2c_parentless_categories_list()` function. * `c2c_get_parentless_categories_omit_ancestors` _(filter)_ : Customizes the function argument indicating if ancestor categories of all directly assigned categories (even if directly assigned themselves) should be omitted from the return list of categories. == Changelog == = 2.3.1 (2025-04-20) = * Change: Note compatibility through WP 6.8+ * Change: Note compatibility through PHP 8.3+ * Change: Update copyright date (2025) * Unit tests: * Change: Explicitly define return type for overridden method = 2.3 (2024-08-28) = Highlights: This minor release prevents translations from containing unintended markup, notes compatibility through WP 6.6+, removes unit tests from release packaging, and updates copyright date (2024). Details: * Change: Prevent translations from containing unintended markup * Change: Add missing inline comment for translators * Change: Note compatibility through WP 6.6+ * Change: Update copyright date (2024) * Change: Remove development and testing-related files from release packaging * New: Add `.gitignore` file * Unit tests: * Allow tests to run against current versions of WordPress * New: Add `composer.json` for PHPUnit Polyfill dependency * Hardening: Prevent direct web access to `bootstrap.php` * Change: In bootstrap, store path to plugin directory in a constant * New: Add tests for `c2c_parentless_categories()` * New: Add tests for function invocation filters * Change: Tweak some inline comment formatting = 2.2.1 (2023-05-20) = * Change: Note compatibility through WP 6.3+ * Change: Update copyright date (2023) _Full changelog is available in [CHANGELOG.md](https://github.com/coffee2code/parentless-categories/blob/master/CHANGELOG.md)._ == Upgrade Notice == = 2.3.1 = Trivial update: noted compatibility through WP 6.8+ and PHP 8.3+, and updated copyright date (2025) = 2.3 = Minor update: prevented translations from containing unintended markup, noted compatibility through WP 6.6+, removed unit tests from release packaging, and updated copyright date (2024) = 2.2.1 = Trivial update: noted compatibility through WP 6.3+ and updated copyright date (2023) = 2.2 = Minor update: removed support for long-deprecated functions (`parentless_categories()`, `get_parentless_categories_list()`, `get_parentless_categories()`), added DEVELOPER-DOCS.md, noted compatibility through WP 5.8+, and minor reorganization and tweaks to unit tests = 2.1.5 = Trivial update: noted compatibility through WP 5.7+ and updated copyright date (2021) = 2.1.4 = Trivial update: Restructured unit test file structure and noted compatibility through WP 5.5+. = 2.1.3 = Trivial update: Reworded plugin description, added TODO.md file, fixed some documentation typos, updated a few URLs to be HTTPS, and noted compatibility through WP 5.4+ = 2.1.2 = Trivial update: noted compatibility through WP 5.3+ and updated copyright date (2020) = 2.1.1 = Trivial update: modernized unit tests and noted compatibility through WP 5.2+ = 2.1 = Minor update: checked for post type's support of categories, created CHANGELOG.md to store historical changelog outside of readme.txt, noted compatibility through WP 5.1+, updated copyright date (2019), and minor code improvements = 2.0.5 = Trivial update: noted compatibility through WP 4.9+, added README.md for GitHub, updated copyright date (2018), and other minor changes = 2.0.4 = Recommended minor update: fixed PHP warning in WP 4.7 due to function deprecation, noted compatibility through WP 4.7+, updated copyright date = 2.0.3 = Trivial update: noted compatibility through WP 4.4+ and updated copyright date (2016) = 2.0.2 = Trivial update: noted compatibility through WP 4.1+ and updated copyright date = 2.0.1 = Trivial update: noted compatibility through WP 4.0+; added plugin icon. = 2.0 = Major update: deprecated all existing functions and filters in favor of 'c2c_' prepended versions; added unit tests; noted compatibility is now only for WP 3.6-3.8+ = 1.1.5 = Trivial update: noted compatibility through WP 3.5+ = 1.1.4 = Trivial update: noted compatibility through WP 3.4+; explicitly stated license = 1.1.3 = Trivial update: noted compatibility through WP 3.3+ = 1.1.2 = Trivial update: noted compatibility through WP 3.2+ = 1.1.1 = Trivial update: documentation tweaks; noted compatibility with WP 3.1+ and updated copyright date. = 1.1 = Minor update. Highlights: miscellaneous non-functionality tweaks; verified WP 3.0 compatibility.