I have show you how to create a custom widget in a previous post. But how about adding and additional “Archives” widget that won’t list the last 3 years (if you’ve been around that long) in month form stretching down your whole sidebar?

Well, lets take a look at the original code found in the widgets.php file in the ./wp-includes/ folder.

<?php

/**
* Display archives widget.
*
* @since 2.2.0
*
* @param array $args Widget arguments.
*/
function wp_widget_archives($args) {
extract($args);
$options = get_option('widget_archives');
$c = $options['count'] ? '1' : '0';
$d = $options['dropdown'] ? '1' : '0';
$title = empty($options['title']) ? __('Archives') : apply_filters('widget_title', $options['title']);

echo $before_widget;
echo $before_title . $title . $after_title;

if($d) {
?>
<select name="archive-dropdown" onchange='document.location.href=this.options[this.selectedIndex].value;'> <option value=""><?php echo attribute_escape(__('Select Month')); ?></option> <?php wp_get_archives("type=monthly&format=option&show_post_count=$c"); ?> </select>
<?php
} else {
?>
<ul>
<?php wp_get_archives("type=monthly&show_post_count=$c"); ?>
</ul>
<?php
}

echo $after_widget;
}

/**
* Display and process archives widget options form.
*
* @since 2.2.0
*/
function wp_widget_archives_control() {
$options = $newoptions = get_option('widget_archives');
if ( isset($_POST["archives-submit"]) ) {
$newoptions['count'] = isset($_POST['archives-count']);
$newoptions['dropdown'] = isset($_POST['archives-dropdown']);
$newoptions['title'] = strip_tags(stripslashes($_POST["archives-title"]));
}
if ( $options != $newoptions ) {
$options = $newoptions;
update_option('widget_archives', $options);
}
$count = $options['count'] ? 'checked="checked"' : '';
$dropdown = $options['dropdown'] ? 'checked="checked"' : '';
$title = attribute_escape($options['title']);
?>
<p><label for="archives-title"><?php _e('Title:'); ?> <input class="widefat" id="archives-title" name="archives-title" type="text" value="<?php echo $title; ?>" /></label></p>
<p>
<label for="archives-count"><input class="checkbox" type="checkbox" <?php echo $count; ?> id="archives-count" name="archives-count" /> <?php _e('Show post counts'); ?></label>
<br />
<label for="archives-dropdown"><input class="checkbox" type="checkbox" <?php echo $dropdown; ?> id="archives-dropdown" name="archives-dropdown" /> <?php _e('Display as a drop down'); ?></label>
</p>
<input type="hidden" id="archives-submit" name="archives-submit" value="1" />
<?php } ?>

Simple enough? Or not..

Anyway lets just add on and change a few things. Then will add the final code to your functions.php file.

Okay, starting with the first function: wp_widget_archive and rename to widget_archive_limit

Should look like this now:

function widget_archives_limit($args) {

Then under the this line:

$title = empty($options['title']) ? __('Archives') : apply_filters('widget_title', $options['title']);

Add:

$limit = empty($options['limit']) ? __('Limit') : apply_filters('widget_limit', $options['limit']);

At this line:

<?php wp_get_archives("type=monthly&format=option&show_post_count=$c&limit=$limit"); ?>

We have added in &limit=$limit. The same goes for the second wp_get_archives:

<?php wp_get_archives("type=monthly&show_post_count=$c&limit=$limit"); ?>

At the end of this code add:

wp_register_sidebar_widget('archives limit', __('Archives Limit'), 'widget_archives_limit', $widget_ops);

The whole code should look like this:

function widget_archives_limit($args) {
	extract($args);
	$options = get_option('widget_archives');
	$c = $options['count'] ? '1' : '0';
	$d = $options['dropdown'] ? '1' : '0';
	$title = empty($options['title']) ? __('Archives') : apply_filters('widget_title', $options['title']);
	$limit = empty($options['limit']) ? __('Limit') : apply_filters('widget_limit', $options['limit']);

	echo $before_widget;
	echo $before_title . $title . $after_title;

	if($d) {
?>
		<select name="archive-dropdown" onchange='document.location.href=this.options[this.selectedIndex].value;'> <option value=""><?php echo attribute_escape(__('Select Month')); ?></option> <?php wp_get_archives("type=monthly&format=option&show_post_count=$c&limit=$limit"); ?> </select>
<?php
	} else {
?>
		<ul>
		<?php wp_get_archives("type=monthly&show_post_count=$c&limit=$limit"); ?>
		</ul>
<?php
	}

	echo $after_widget;
}

wp_register_sidebar_widget('archives limit', __('Archives Limit'), 'widget_archives_limit', $widget_ops);

That takes care of the widget its self, now we need to create the controls. Once again find the second function and change wp_widget_archive_control to widget_archives_limit_control

Find this line:

$newoptions['title'] = strip_tags(stripslashes($_POST["archives-title"]));

and add this line below:

$newoptions['limit'] = strip_tags(stripslashes($_POST["archives-limit"]));

Then find this line:

$title = attribute_escape($options['title']);

and add this line below:

$limit = attribute_escape($options['limit']);

Finally look for this line:

<label for="archives-dropdown"><input class="checkbox" type="checkbox" <?php echo $dropdown; ?> id="archives-dropdown" name="archives-dropdown" /> <?php _e('Display as a drop down'); ?></label>
			</p>

and add this line below:

<p><label for="archives-limit"><?php _e('Limit (enter a number):'); ?> <input class="widefat" id="archives-limit" name="archives-limit" type="text" value="<?php echo $limit; ?>" /></label></p>

then register the widget controls:

wp_register_widget_control('archives limit', __('Archives Limit'), 'widget_archives_limit_control' );

The code should look like this:

function widget_archives_limit_control() {
	$options = $newoptions = get_option('widget_archives');
	if ( isset($_POST["archives-submit"]) ) {
		$newoptions['count'] = isset($_POST['archives-count']);
		$newoptions['dropdown'] = isset($_POST['archives-dropdown']);
		$newoptions['title'] = strip_tags(stripslashes($_POST["archives-title"]));
		$newoptions['limit'] = strip_tags(stripslashes($_POST["archives-limit"]));
	}
	if ( $options != $newoptions ) {
		$options = $newoptions;
		update_option('widget_archives', $options);
	}
	$count = $options['count'] ? 'checked="checked"' : '';
	$dropdown = $options['dropdown'] ? 'checked="checked"' : '';
	$title = attribute_escape($options['title']);
	$limit = attribute_escape($options['limit']);
?>
			<p><label for="archives-title"><?php _e('Title:'); ?> <input class="widefat" id="archives-title" name="archives-title" type="text" value="<?php echo $title; ?>" /></label></p>
			<p>
				<label for="archives-count"><input class="checkbox" type="checkbox" <?php echo $count; ?> id="archives-count" name="archives-count" /> <?php _e('Show post counts'); ?></label>
				<br />
				<label for="archives-dropdown"><input class="checkbox" type="checkbox" <?php echo $dropdown; ?> id="archives-dropdown" name="archives-dropdown" /> <?php _e('Display as a drop down'); ?></label>
			</p>
			<p><label for="archives-limit"><?php _e('Limit (enter a number):'); ?> <input class="widefat" id="archives-limit" name="archives-limit" type="text" value="<?php echo $limit; ?>" /></label></p>
			<input type="hidden" id="archives-submit" name="archives-submit" value="1" />
<?php } 

wp_register_widget_control('archives limit', __('Archives Limit'), 'widget_archives_limit_control' );

The final code:

/**
 * Display archives widget.
 *
 * @since 2.2.0
 *
 * @param array $args Widget arguments.
 */
function widget_archives_limit($args) {
	extract($args);
	$options = get_option('widget_archives');
	$c = $options['count'] ? '1' : '0';
	$d = $options['dropdown'] ? '1' : '0';
	$title = empty($options['title']) ? __('Archives') : apply_filters('widget_title', $options['title']);
	$limit = empty($options['limit']) ? __('Limit') : apply_filters('widget_limit', $options['limit']);

	echo $before_widget;
	echo $before_title . $title . $after_title;

	if($d) {
?>
		<select name="archive-dropdown" onchange='document.location.href=this.options[this.selectedIndex].value;'> <option value=""><?php echo attribute_escape(__('Select Month')); ?></option> <?php wp_get_archives("type=monthly&format=option&show_post_count=$c&limit=$limit"); ?> </select>
<?php
	} else {
?>
		<ul>
		<?php wp_get_archives("type=monthly&show_post_count=$c&limit=$limit"); ?>
		</ul>
<?php
	}

	echo $after_widget;
}

wp_register_sidebar_widget('archives limit', __('Archives Limit'), 'widget_archives_limit', $widget_ops);

/**
 * Display and process archives widget options form.
 *
 * @since 2.2.0
 */
function widget_archives_limit_control() {
	$options = $newoptions = get_option('widget_archives');
	if ( isset($_POST["archives-submit"]) ) {
		$newoptions['count'] = isset($_POST['archives-count']);
		$newoptions['dropdown'] = isset($_POST['archives-dropdown']);
		$newoptions['title'] = strip_tags(stripslashes($_POST["archives-title"]));
		$newoptions['limit'] = strip_tags(stripslashes($_POST["archives-limit"]));
	}
	if ( $options != $newoptions ) {
		$options = $newoptions;
		update_option('widget_archives', $options);
	}
	$count = $options['count'] ? 'checked="checked"' : '';
	$dropdown = $options['dropdown'] ? 'checked="checked"' : '';
	$title = attribute_escape($options['title']);
	$limit = attribute_escape($options['limit']);
?>
			<p><label for="archives-title"><?php _e('Title:'); ?> <input class="widefat" id="archives-title" name="archives-title" type="text" value="<?php echo $title; ?>" /></label></p>
			<p>
				<label for="archives-count"><input class="checkbox" type="checkbox" <?php echo $count; ?> id="archives-count" name="archives-count" /> <?php _e('Show post counts'); ?></label>
				<br />
				<label for="archives-dropdown"><input class="checkbox" type="checkbox" <?php echo $dropdown; ?> id="archives-dropdown" name="archives-dropdown" /> <?php _e('Display as a drop down'); ?></label>
			</p>
			<p><label for="archives-limit"><?php _e('Limit (enter a number):'); ?> <input class="widefat" id="archives-limit" name="archives-limit" type="text" value="<?php echo $limit; ?>" /></label></p>
			<input type="hidden" id="archives-submit" name="archives-submit" value="1" />
<?php } 

wp_register_widget_control('archives limit', __('Archives Limit'), 'widget_archives_limit_control' );

Today Matt Mullenweg from MA.TT declared today official plugin developer day because the plugin directory hit 4,000 plugins, check it out: 4,000 Plugins.

Well, it was a long run, ok, only 24 hours when Mr. Seidel’s announced that he would pull the plug on further updates to the cforms plugin.

But after consideration and many emails, he has released a update to a GPL compliant version of his plugin: 10.2.