README

A PHP library that lets you define WordPress roles as typed classes. Instead of scattering add_role() / remove_role() calls across your plugin, each role becomes a self-contained class that knows its own name, display label, and capabilities. Register and unregister it with a single static call.

Designed for composer-based WordPress projects such as roots/bedrock or johnpbloch/wordpress.

Requirements

• PHP 8.3
• Composer

Installation

composer require rockschtar/wordpress-role

How to

1. Define a role

Extend Role and implement the three required methods. All methods must be static.

use Rockschtar\WordPress\Role\Role;

class FAQManagerRole extends Role
{
    public static function roleName(): string
    {
        return 'faq_manager';
    }

    public static function displayName(): string
    {
        return __('FAQ Manager', 'my-textdomain');
    }

    public static function capabilities(): array
    {
        return [
            'edit_faq',
            'read_faq',
            'delete_faq',
        ];
    }
}

By default the role inherits all capabilities from the built-in subscriber role. Override inheritFrom() to use a different base:

protected function inheritFrom(): string
{
    return 'editor';
}

2. Register and unregister

Wire the role to your plugin's activation and deactivation hooks:

register_activation_hook(MY_PLUGIN_FILE, [FAQManagerRole::class, 'register']);
register_deactivation_hook(MY_PLUGIN_FILE, [FAQManagerRole::class, 'unregister']);

When your plugin defines several roles, group them together:

const ROLES = [
    FAQManagerRole::class,
    EditorPlusRole::class,
];

register_activation_hook(MY_PLUGIN_FILE, function () {
    foreach (ROLES as $role) {
        $role::register();
    }
});

register_deactivation_hook(MY_PLUGIN_FILE, function () {
    foreach (ROLES as $role) {
        $role::unregister();
    }
});

Examples

Check if the current user has the role:

if (current_user_can(FAQManagerRole::roleName())) {
    // ...
}

Assign the role to a user, e.g. after registration:

$user->set_role(FAQManagerRole::roleName());

Use the role in a REST API permission callback:

register_rest_route('my-plugin/v1', '/faqs', [
    'methods'             => 'GET',
    'callback'            => 'my_plugin_get_faqs',
    'permission_callback' => fn() => current_user_can(FAQManagerRole::roleName()),
]);

Available hooks and filters

License

rockschtar/wordpress-role is open source and released under the MIT license. See LICENSE for details.