ProcessWire functions

Documentation for procedural functions available in ProcessWire CMS.

Common

Name	Return	Summary
wire() wire() wire(string $name = 'wire')	`mixed`	Return an API variable, or return current ProcessWire instance if given no arguments
wire404() wire404() wire404(string $message = '')	(nothing)	Stop execution with a 404 unless redirect URL available (for front-end use)
wireCount() wireCount(mixed $value) wireCount(mixed $value)	`int`	Return the count of item(s) present in the given value
wireDate() wireDate() wireDate($format = '', $ts = null)	`string` `bool`	Format a date, using PHP date(), strftime() or other special strings (see arguments).
wireEmpty() wireEmpty(mixed $value) wireEmpty(mixed $value)	`bool`	Is the given value empty according to ProcessWire standards?
wireInstance() wireInstance() wireInstance($wire = null)	`ProcessWire`	Get or set the current ProcessWire instance
wireLen() wireLen($value) wireLen($value)	`int`	Returns string byte length of any type (string, array, object, bool, int, etc.)
wireLength() wireLength($value) wireLength($value, bool $mb = true)	`int`	Returns string length of any type (string, array, object, bool, int, etc.)
wireMail() wireMail() wireMail($to = '', string $from = '', string $subject = '', $body = '', $options = array)	`int` `WireMail`	Send an email or get a WireMail object to populate before send

Markup

Name	Return	Summary
wireIconMarkup() wireIconMarkup(string $icon) wireIconMarkup(string $icon, string $class = '')	`string`	Render markup for a system icon
wireIconMarkupFile() wireIconMarkupFile(string $filename) wireIconMarkupFile(string $filename, $class = '')	`string`	Get the markup or class name for an icon that can represent the given filename

Strings

Name	Return	Summary
wireBytesStr() wireBytesStr(int $bytes) wireBytesStr(int $bytes, $small = false, $options = array)	`string`	Given a quantity of bytes (int), return readable string that refers to quantity in bytes, kB, MB, GB and TB
wireDate() wireDate() wireDate($format = '', $ts = null)	`string` `bool`	Format a date, using PHP date(), strftime() or other special strings (see arguments).
wirePopulateStringTags() wirePopulateStringTags(string $str, $vars) wirePopulateStringTags(string $str, $vars, array $options = array)	`string`	Given a string ($str) and values ($vars), replace “{tags}” in the string with the values
wireRelativeTimeStr() wireRelativeTimeStr($ts) wireRelativeTimeStr($ts, $abbreviate = false, bool $useTense = true)	`string`	Given a unix timestamp (or date string), returns a formatted string indicating the time relative to now

Arrays

These shortcuts for creating WireArray types are available in ProcessWire 3.0.123 and newer.

Name	Return	Summary
PageArray() PageArray() PageArray($items = array)	`PageArray`	Create new PageArray, add given $items (pages) to it, and return it
WireArray() WireArray() WireArray($items = array)	`WireArray`	Create new WireArray, add given $items to it, and return it
WireData() WireData() WireData($data = array)	`WireData`	Create a new WireData instance and optionally add given associative array of data to it

Functions API

Provides an alternative to the API variables by providing functions of the same name, with these benefits:

They are always in scope whether inside a function or outside of it.
They are self documenting with your IDE, unlike API $variables.
They cannot be accidentally overwritten the way variables can be.
They provider greater contrast between what are API-calls and variables.
In some cases it makes for shorter API calls.
Some of the functions provide arguments for useful shortcuts.

These functions always refer to the current ProcessWire instance, so are intended primarily for front-end usage in template files (not for modules).

If these functions are not working for you, you can enable them by setting $config->useFunctionsAPI=true; in your /site/config.php file.

Regardless of whether the Functions API is enabled or not, you can also access any of these functions by prefixing the word wire to them and using the format wireFunction() i.e. wirePages(), wireUser(), etc. Or, if you do not

Name	Return	Summary
cache() cache() cache(string $name = '', $expire = null, $func = null)	`WireCache` `string` `array` `PageArray` `null`	Get and save caches ($cache API variable as a function)
config() config() config(string $key = '', null $value = null)	`Config` `mixed`	Access a ProcessWire configuration setting ($config API variable as a function)
database() database() database()	`WireDatabasePDO`	Create and execute PDO database queries ($database API variable as a function)
datetime() datetime() datetime(string $format = '', $value = '')	`WireDateTime` `string` `int`	Access date and time related tools ($datetime API variable as a function)
fields() fields() fields(string $name = '')	`Fields` `Field` `null`	Get or save fields independent of templates ($fields API variable as as function)
files() files() files()	`WireFileTools`	Access tools for working on the file system ($files API variable as a function)
input() input() input(string $type = '', string $key = '', string $sanitizer = null, $fallback = null)	`WireInput` `WireInputData` `array` `string` `int` `null`	Access GET, POST or COOKIE input variables and more ($input API variable as a function)
languages() languages() languages($name = '')	`Languages` `Language` `NullPage` `null`	Access all installed languages in multi-language environment ($languages API variable as a function)
modules() modules() modules(string $name = '')	`Modules` `Module` `ConfigurableModule` `null`	Get a module, get module information, and much more ($modules API variable as a function)
page() page() page(string $key = '', null $value = null)	`Page` `mixed`	Returns the current Page being viewed ($page API variable as a function)
pageId() pageId($value) pageId($value)	`int` `false`	Return id for given page or false if it’s not a page
pages() pages() pages($selector = '')	`Pages` `PageArray` `Page` `NullPage`	Retrieve or save pages ($pages API variable as a function)
paths() paths() paths(string $key = '')	`null` `Paths` `string`	Get one of any named server disk paths (shortcut to the $config API variable “paths” property)
permissions() permissions() permissions($selector = '')	`Permissions` `Permission` `PageArray` `null` `NullPage`	Get, find or save permissions ($permissions API variable as a function)
region() region() region(string $key = '', $value = null)	`string` `null` `bool` `array`	Get or set an output region (primarily for front-end output usage)
roles() roles() roles($selector = '')	`Roles` `Role` `PageArray` `null` `NullPage`	Get, find or save roles ($roles API variable as a function)
sanitizer() sanitizer() sanitizer(string $name = '', string $value = '')	`Sanitizer` `string` `int` `array` `null` `mixed`	Sanitize variables and related string functions ($sanitizer API variable as a function)
session() session() session(string $key = '', null $value = null)	`Session` `null` `string` `array` `int` `float`	Get or set values in the current user session ($session API variable as a function)
setting() setting() setting($name = '', $value = null)	`array` `string` `int` `bool` `mixed` `null`	Get or set a runtime site setting
templates() templates() templates(string $name = '')	`Templates` `Template` `null`	Get or save templates ($templates API variable as a function)
urls() urls() urls(string $key = '')	`null` `Paths` `string`	Get one of any named system URLs (shortcut to the $config API variable “urls” property)
user() user() user(string $key = '', null $value = null)	`User` `mixed`	Get the currently logged in user ($user API variable as a function)
users() users() users($selector = '')	`Users` `PageArray` `User` `mixed`	Get, find or save users ($users API variable as a function)
wire() wire() wire(string $name = 'wire')	`mixed`	Return an API variable, or return current ProcessWire instance if given no arguments

Files

These file system functions are procedural versions of some of those provided by the $files API variable.

Name	Return	Summary
wireChmod() wireChmod(string $path) wireChmod(string $path, bool $recursive = false, string $chmod = null)	`bool`	Change the mode of a file or directory (optionally recursive)
wireCopy() wireCopy(string $src, string $dst) wireCopy(string $src, string $dst, $Array = true)	`bool`	Copy all files recursively from one directory to another
wireIconMarkupFile() wireIconMarkupFile(string $filename) wireIconMarkupFile(string $filename, $class = '')	`string`	Get the markup or class name for an icon that can represent the given filename
wireIncludeFile() wireIncludeFile(string $filename) wireIncludeFile(string $filename, array $vars = array, array $options = include)	`bool`	Include a PHP file passing it all API variables and optionally your own specified variables
wireMkdir() wireMkdir(string $path) wireMkdir(string $path, bool $recursive = false, string $chmod = null)	`bool`	Create a directory (optionally recursively) that is writable to ProcessWire and uses the $config chmod settings
wireRenderFile() wireRenderFile(string $filename) wireRenderFile(string $filename, array $vars = array, array $options = /site/templates/)	`string` `bool`	Given a filename, render it as a ProcessWire template file
wireRmdir() wireRmdir(string $path) wireRmdir(string $path, bool $recursive = false)	`bool`	Remove a directory (optionally recursively)
wireSendFile() wireSendFile(string $filename, array $headers) wireSendFile(string $filename, array $options = array, array $headers)	(nothing)	Send the contents of the given filename via http
wireTempDir() wireTempDir($name) wireTempDir($name, $options = array)	`WireTempDir`	Return a new temporary directory/path ready to use for files
wireUnzipFile() wireUnzipFile(string $file, string $dst) wireUnzipFile(string $file, string $dst)	`array`	Unzips the given ZIP file to the destination directory
wireZipFile() wireZipFile(string $zipfile, $files) wireZipFile(string $zipfile, $files, array $options = array)	`array`	Create a ZIP file from given files

Class helpers

Name	Return	Summary
wireClassExists() wireClassExists(string $className) wireClassExists(string $className, bool $autoload = true)	`bool`	Does the given class name exist?
wireClassImplements() wireClassImplements($className) wireClassImplements($className, bool $autoload = true)	`array`	Get an array of all the interfaces that the given class implements
wireClassName() wireClassName($className) wireClassName($className, $withNamespace = false, bool $verbose = false)	`string` `null`	Normalize a class name with or without namespace, or get namespace of class
wireClassNamespace() wireClassNamespace($className) wireClassNamespace($className, bool $withClass = false, bool $strict = false)	`string` `array`	Get namespace for given class
wireClassParents() wireClassParents($className) wireClassParents($className, bool $autoload = true)	`array`	Return array of all parent classes for given class/object
wireInstanceOf() wireInstanceOf($instance, $className) wireInstanceOf($instance, $className, bool $autoload = true)	`bool` `string`	Does given instance (or class) represent an instance of the given className (or class names)?
wireIsCallable() wireIsCallable($var) wireIsCallable($var, bool $syntaxOnly = false)	`bool`	Is the given $var callable as a function?
wireMethodExists() wireMethodExists(string $className, string $method) wireMethodExists(string $className, string $method, bool $hookable = false)	`bool`	Does the given class have the given method?

Translation

Provides GetText-like language translation functions to ProcessWire.

Name	Return	Summary
__() __($text) __($text, $textdomain = null, $context = '')	`string` `array`	Perform a language translation
_n() _n(string $textSingular, string $textPlural, int $count) _n(string $textSingular, string $textPlural, int $count, string $textdomain = null)	`string`	Perform a language translation with singular and plural versions
_x() _x(string $text, string $context) _x(string $text, string $context, string $textdomain = null)	`string`	Perform a language translation in a specific context
wireLangEntityEncode() wireLangEntityEncode() wireLangEntityEncode($value = '')	`bool` `int` `string` `null`	Set entity encoding state for language translation function calls
wireLangReplacements() wireLangReplacements(array $values) wireLangReplacements(array $values)	`array` `string`	Set global translation replacement values
wireLangTranslations() wireLangTranslations() wireLangTranslations(array $values = array)	`array`	Set predefined fallback translation values

API reference based on ProcessWire core version 3.0.236