WordPress : post_name or slug

Since release 2.5, editing post_name or slug of a post or a page is not possible if “permalink” is not used. It’s not good for webmastering (i.e. when preparing or cloning a website between a server with or without apache rewriting). So we decide to write a plugin to temporary solve the lack and continue to control the unique name of a post or page.

Here the code of the plugin “as is”:

<?php
/*
Plugin Name: xili post-slug editor
Plugin URI: https://dev.xiligroup.com
Description: An postname (slug) editor in post or page when permalink is not activated
Version: 0.8 alpha - 080828
Author: Michel S. 
Author URI: https://dev.xiligroup.com
*/

/* alpha version - reserved to developer only */

add_action('admin_menu', 'xili_slug_add_custom_box');

function xili_slug_add_custom_box() {
if (function_exists('add_meta_box'))  {
	//This starts with WP 2.5
	// test if permalink - only used if permalink is not activated//
	$permatemplate = get_option('permalink_structure');
	if (empty($permatemplate)) :
		add_meta_box( 'xili_slug_editor', 'xili Slug editor', 'xilipostslug_inner_custom_box', 'post', 'normal' );
    	add_meta_box( 'xili_slug_editor', 'xili Slug editor', 'xilipostslug_inner_custom_box', 'page', 'normal' );

	load_plugin_textdomain('xili-slug-edit', PLUGINDIR.'/'.dirname(plugin_basename(__FILE__)), dirname(plugin_basename(__FILE__)));

	endif;
	}
}

/* Prints the inner fields for the custom post/page xili Slug editor section */
function xilipostslug_inner_custom_box() {
  	global $post_ID;
  	$post = &get_post($post_ID);
	$post_name = $post->post_name;

  // Use nonce for verification

  echo '<input type="hidden" name="xili_slug_editor_nonce" id="xili_slug_editor_nonce" value="' . 
    wp_create_nonce( plugin_basename(__FILE__) ) . '" />';
	if (!empty($post_ID)) :
  // The actual fields for data entry

  /*inspired from wp-admin/include/post.php */
  $title = __('Edit');
	if (strlen($post_name) > 30) {
		$post_name_abridged = substr($post_name, 0, 14). '&hellip;' . substr($post_name, -14);
	} else {
		$post_name_abridged = $post_name;
	}

  $post_name_html = '<span id="editable-post-name" title="'.$title.'">'.$post_name_abridged.'</span><span id="editable-post-name-full">'.$post_name.'</span>';
	$display_link = $post_name_html;
	$return =  '<div id="edit-slug-box"><span id="sample-permalink">' . $display_link . "</span>\n";
	$return .= '<span id="edit-slug-buttons"><a href="#post_name" class="edit-slug" onclick="edit_permalink(' . $post_ID . '); return false;">' . __('Edit') . "</a></span>\n</div>";
	$return .= '<br />('.__('Post_name or slug is definitively saved - and sanitized - when post is saved.','xili-slug-edit').')';
	echo $return;

endif;
}

?>

(copy the source and create a xili-slug-editor.php file and put it in plugin folder and test after activation)

If the WordPress version is >= 2.5 and permalink is not activated, a meta box is added in admin write form under categories box.

Admin post snapshot

Info : Post_name or slug is definitively saved – and sanitized – when post is saved.

If the demand is confirmed, this plugin will be published…