* User API: WP_Roles class
* Core class used to implement a user roles API.
* The role option is simple, the structure is organized by role name that store
* the name in value of the 'name' key. The capabilities are stored as an array
* in the value of the 'capability' key.
* 'capabilities' => array()
* List of roles and capabilities.
* List of the role objects.
public $role_objects = array();
public $role_names = array();
* Option name for storing role list.
* Whether to use the database for retrieval and storage.
* The site ID the roles are initialized for.
* @since 4.9.0 The `$site_id` argument was added.
* @global array $wp_user_roles Used to set the 'roles' property value.
* @param int $site_id Site ID to initialize roles for. Default is the current site.
public function __construct( $site_id = null ) {
$this->use_db = empty( $wp_user_roles );
$this->for_site( $site_id );
* Make private/protected methods readable for backward compatibility.
* @param string $name Method to call.
* @param array $arguments Arguments to pass when calling.
* @return mixed|false Return value of the callback, false otherwise.
public function __call( $name, $arguments ) {
if ( '_init' === $name ) {
return $this->_init( ...$arguments );
* Set up the object properties.
* The role key is set to the current prefix for the $wpdb object with
* 'user_roles' appended. If the $wp_user_roles global is set, then it will
* be used and the role option will not be updated or used.
* @deprecated 4.9.0 Use WP_Roles::for_site()
protected function _init() {
_deprecated_function( __METHOD__, '4.9.0', 'WP_Roles::for_site()' );
* Reinitialize the object
* Recreates the role objects. This is typically called only by switch_to_blog()
* after switching wpdb to a new site ID.
* @deprecated 4.7.0 Use WP_Roles::for_site()
public function reinit() {
_deprecated_function( __METHOD__, '4.7.0', 'WP_Roles::for_site()' );
* Add role name with capabilities to list.
* Updates the list of roles, if the role doesn't already exist.
* The capabilities are defined in the following format `array( 'read' => true );`
* To explicitly deny a role a capability you set the value for that capability to false.
* @param string $role Role name.
* @param string $display_name Role display name.
* @param bool[] $capabilities List of capabilities keyed by the capability name,
* e.g. array( 'edit_posts' => true, 'delete_posts' => false ).
* @return WP_Role|void WP_Role object, if role is added.
public function add_role( $role, $display_name, $capabilities = array() ) {
if ( empty( $role ) || isset( $this->roles[ $role ] ) ) {
$this->roles[ $role ] = array(
'capabilities' => $capabilities,
update_option( $this->role_key, $this->roles );
$this->role_objects[ $role ] = new WP_Role( $role, $capabilities );
$this->role_names[ $role ] = $display_name;
return $this->role_objects[ $role ];
* @param string $role Role name.
public function remove_role( $role ) {
if ( ! isset( $this->role_objects[ $role ] ) ) {
unset( $this->role_objects[ $role ] );
unset( $this->role_names[ $role ] );
unset( $this->roles[ $role ] );
update_option( $this->role_key, $this->roles );
if ( get_option( 'default_role' ) == $role ) {
update_option( 'default_role', 'subscriber' );
* Add capability to role.
* @param string $role Role name.
* @param string $cap Capability name.
* @param bool $grant Optional. Whether role is capable of performing capability.
public function add_cap( $role, $cap, $grant = true ) {
if ( ! isset( $this->roles[ $role ] ) ) {
$this->roles[ $role ]['capabilities'][ $cap ] = $grant;
update_option( $this->role_key, $this->roles );
* Remove capability from role.
* @param string $role Role name.
* @param string $cap Capability name.
public function remove_cap( $role, $cap ) {
if ( ! isset( $this->roles[ $role ] ) ) {
unset( $this->roles[ $role ]['capabilities'][ $cap ] );
update_option( $this->role_key, $this->roles );
* Retrieve role object by name.
* @param string $role Role name.
* @return WP_Role|null WP_Role object if found, null if the role does not exist.
public function get_role( $role ) {
if ( isset( $this->role_objects[ $role ] ) ) {
return $this->role_objects[ $role ];
* Retrieve list of role names.
* @return string[] List of role names.
public function get_names() {
return $this->role_names;
* Whether role name is currently in the list of available roles.
* @param string $role Role name to look up.
public function is_role( $role ) {
return isset( $this->role_names[ $role ] );
* Initializes all of the available roles.
public function init_roles() {
if ( empty( $this->roles ) ) {
$this->role_objects = array();
$this->role_names = array();
foreach ( array_keys( $this->roles ) as $role ) {
$this->role_objects[ $role ] = new WP_Role( $role, $this->roles[ $role ]['capabilities'] );
$this->role_names[ $role ] = $this->roles[ $role ]['name'];
* After the roles have been initialized, allow plugins to add their own roles.
* @param WP_Roles $this A reference to the WP_Roles object.
do_action( 'wp_roles_init', $this );
* Sets the site to operate on. Defaults to the current site.
* @global wpdb $wpdb WordPress database abstraction object.
* @param int $site_id Site ID to initialize roles for. Default is the current site.
public function for_site( $site_id = null ) {
if ( ! empty( $site_id ) ) {
$this->site_id = absint( $site_id );
$this->site_id = get_current_blog_id();
$this->role_key = $wpdb->get_blog_prefix( $this->site_id ) . 'user_roles';
if ( ! empty( $this->roles ) && ! $this->use_db ) {
$this->roles = $this->get_roles_data();
* Gets the ID of the site for which roles are currently initialized.
public function get_site_id() {
* Gets the available roles data.
* @global array $wp_user_roles Used to set the 'roles' property value.
* @return array Roles array.
protected function get_roles_data() {
if ( ! empty( $wp_user_roles ) ) {
if ( is_multisite() && get_current_blog_id() != $this->site_id ) {
remove_action( 'switch_blog', 'wp_switch_roles_and_user', 1 );
$roles = get_blog_option( $this->site_id, $this->role_key, array() );
add_action( 'switch_blog', 'wp_switch_roles_and_user', 1, 2 );
return get_option( $this->role_key, array() );