• there will be some sample reports using the standard wordpress fields
• cache tables will be created

Instructions

1. Create sample users with sample data.
1. create wordpress users and if using any other plugins, do whatever actions you need to create sample data (eg: login/out, download something, create a post as that user etc)
2. There must be at least one entry for each field you want to see.
3. Execute “find the fields“
4. Rename anything that has an ‘ugly’ name
5. Inspect the overview so you get a general understanding
6. Configure the lists

   

1. Add fields by entering a number for a display order – any number
2. To select data by a field value, enter the selection values in the ‘include’ fields (comma separate multiple values)
3. To exclude data by a field value, enter the exclusion values in the ‘exclude’ fields
4. Click Update field settings
7. Rebuild the cache
8. View the list
9. Large or Live Sites:- Check your cache settings
10. If you make any changes to your system such as: Add user plugins ? Add fields ? Add data ? : Cache must be updated for changes to show. (duh!)

Problems?

• have you worked through the steps above?
• Look at ‘test your db’
• do a search on this site
• look at other posts in this category
• try the wordpress forum and this forum

If you intend reporting or listing user data, please look at how the  plugins store the user data.  If they are not storing the data as simple wordpress user meta, this will complicate search, extract, filtering and impact ability to have dynamic users lists with reasonable performance.

A quick look at what’s available…it’s not good news.  No one plugin that I feel I can recommend completely without reservations – what a pity.

Free

 cimy extra fields

• works, but doesn’t use user meta as intended -I have an addon to make the data accessible

user-meta (free version)

• does not  have front end registration in free version
• i’m also not a fan of heavy ajax use – I  like things to work without it

s2member (has pro version too)

• very rich functionality (too complex?)
• really doesn’t use wordpress as intended – data buried deep in one usermeta record, hard to extract usefully without performance and display issues.

wp-members

• adds to user profile but not automatically to standard wordpress registration page, seems to need a custom page (what happens to existing? ), fields didn’t work as expected
• also tons of ‘notices’ in my dev system which to me is not a good sign

Paid

tribulants wordpress-custom-fields-plugin

• I haven’t tried it myself, but looks good

user-meta pro

• need pro for the front end registration
• not tested myself

and various membership plugins of course – but then they have aLOT more functionality.

 Sound useful but….

• add-user-meta too simple, not enough functionality
• force-registration-field – just forces existing
• extra-user-fields – low ratings
• juiz-user-custom – current version lacks functionality – just does text
• extra-user-details

Old, removed

• register plus and register plus redux appear to have been deleted from the wordpress repository – possibly due to lack of maintenance and vulnerabilities – pity they useful at one stage.

• amr-users (via wordpress) 3.3.4
• amr-users-plus V2.0 addon
• filtering improvements especially wrt pagination
• amr-users-multisite V 2.0 addon
• better multisite reporting, additional ‘computed’ fields

Please ensure you have the latest version of the amr-users free plugin available 3.3.4 before loading version 2.0 of the add ons.

• amr users plugin from wordpress must be activated
• activate “amr users plus”  – the ‘edit filtering’ link becomes functional.
• From within the admin ‘view list’, logged in as administrator, click ‘edit filtering’

Enter filter settings screen

• Above each column of your report, choose a type of filtering.
• The weird options are by request, due to some unusual multi-field columns that some people have.  See also user-lists-and-filtering-with-s2member-fields

Define which columns may have which type of filtering

Some columns may not be filterable (eg: id)

Apply filtering

• Update the filtering settings, Exit Filtering
• Most Important: rebuild the cache !
• this is necessary for the plugin to pickup the filter values for display

Public Report ? Check the front end

• filtering input fields may make table columns wider
• exact effect depends on your theme and the width of your filter values
• adjust your css if required

I am so glad to have your excellent plugin working. Thank you!

…

Thanks again for such a great plugin!

Play around with the S2member various options and their interaction with amr-users.  See what works for you.

For S2Member support, please contact S2Member.

Summary

• S2member allows one to create additional user fields for profile or registration
• S2member stores ALL it’s custom fields in one user meta record.  This makes it difficult to query or filter based on the values if not using amr-users.
• amr-users will list the values that S2 members stores for a field, not the labels.
• One can either setup field types and their values to control the output (see radio buttons for most control over values)  OR
• one can get technical and write a filter or pluggable function to format the data when listed

Choosing field types and values

• S2member multi option boolean (on/off) fields are stored as “on” by their existence (not with a true/false as per other radio button fields)
• amr-users can access S2members ‘plain’ fields fairly easily and can list multi option fields – that may be all  you need.√
• Filtering single option in own columns or shared column works √
• BUT Filtering S2member multi option fields not so easy.
• Possible to achieve desired data input and listing with filtering using S2member radio button or single checkbox fields inside a S2 ‘section’ instead – avoid the multi option
• either filter in individual columns, √or
• filter in a shared column √
• Only radio buttons allow control of the value stored in the DB and hence the value displayed in amr-users.
• If you don’t want boolean values to show in amr-users, either use
• radio buttons – one field for each value you want to display
• or get technical (only for people with good php skills) to control the formmating
• or hire me

S2member example configuration

• sample data :
• Service types to be recorded. User can have one, many or none of the values:
• lift passes,
• rentals,
• activities
• 3 representations explored (chosen for the resulting data representation)
• a multi option (select or checkbox similar)
• single checkboxes in a section
• radio buttons in a section

S2 member example configuration

Option values

Note that the option values are entered and what will be listed

s2member detail with section - note option values

In the User Profile (note 3 different options displayed for same data):

All 3 optons in the user profile

In a simple amr users list

Option 1 the multi dropdown

Using Single Checkboxes (in separate columns, see other option below)

Radio button values

Or combine fields into one column!

Combine the 3 values into one column, to achieve similar look as the dropdown multi option

3 S2m fields combined into one column

amr-users configuration for shared column:

• Give them all decimal “x.y” display orders where they all have the same x values
• Edit the headings to  make it look nicer

Putting separate fields into 1 column

Filtering Options

• filtering requires the amr-users-plus plugin (v 2.0 about to go up)
• filter in separate columns (“column values” or “column empty or not”)
• filter in shared columns (“field values”)

What do we want

(and when do we want it!)

Filtering in the reporting view (and/or on the front end):

Filtering checkbox in single column

Filtering with blanks/no blanks only

Filtering with "column empty or not"

Why the multi option does NOT work so well

(one can only filter on combinations)

Without further coding, filters or pluggables, the values are combined. Due to way S2 stores the detail, it is hard to deliver a generic function - a dedicated S2member answer would be required

Filter configuration for fields in separate columns

Configuration of filter with column values in separate columns

Filter configuration for shared columns (multiple fields in one column)

Filtering with field values in a shared column

More examples:

Collect and show country of residence, using a controlled list of countries

• each user has one country code
• consider using a radio button, listing all the possible countries.  then you can control the value stored and displayed.

Collect and show possible multiple countries in which user operates, using country codes, not boolean values

• each user can have multiple country codes
• either use multiple separate radio button fields
• operates in canada/n,  operates in US/n  etc where the positive values are Canada, US etc
• OR a single checkbox and reformat the displayed boolean to show country code based on field name (complex)

For the more technical:

Filters and pluggable functions exist for further customising. EG:

• want the boolean ’1′s to show as a translateable ‘Yes’ , or as the label value ?
• want to dig deeper into the S2 multi options yourself and do your own processing ? See how the other add-ons work

How S2 stores their data for examples above

Multi Options:

• “service_type”
• “Life passes”
• “Ski rental”
• “Activities”

Single Checkboxes

• “rental2″  => “1″
• “activities2″ =>”1″
• “liftpass2″=>”1″

Multiple Radio Buttons

• “Lift passes” =>”Lift passes”;
• “No lift passes”  => ””;

• “Activities” =>”Activities”;
• “No Activities” =>”";

• “Rental”=> “Rental”
• “No rental”=> “”

works like a symphony orchestra

From the your members forum – I couldn’t resist this lovely description – he often has a lovely phrasing!

A great resource for accessing the wp user meta.

Alvaro has been a fan of the plugin for a while … and always thinking, integrating etc.  Buried in this question in the forum is his comment