I'm developing a plugin which creates several custom tables on pages in the WP dashboard. My question is whether it's possible (without modifying core files) to change the text displayed in the pagination above those tables? Specifically, I'd like to change the word "item/items" to reflect the object type being displayed in the table.

I've looked at the core file which defines the WP_List_Table class to see where the method defines that text, but it doesn't seem you can pass any arguments to modify it when you extend the class and pass the pagination params...

Here's the exact portion of the code that defines the text being displayed in the image above:

$output = '<span class="displaying-num">' . sprintf( _n( '%s item', '%s items', $total_items ), number_format_i18n( $total_items ) ) . '</span>';

And below is the full method for context reference...

/**
 * Display the pagination.
 *
 * @since 3.1.0
 *
 * @param string $which
 */
protected function pagination( $which ) {
  if ( empty( $this->_pagination_args ) ) {
    return;
  }

  $total_items     = $this->_pagination_args['total_items'];
  $total_pages     = $this->_pagination_args['total_pages'];
  $infinite_scroll = false;
  if ( isset( $this->_pagination_args['infinite_scroll'] ) ) {
    $infinite_scroll = $this->_pagination_args['infinite_scroll'];
  }

  if ( 'top' === $which && $total_pages > 1 ) {
    $this->screen->render_screen_reader_content( 'heading_pagination' );
  }

  $output = '<span class="displaying-num">' . sprintf( _n( '%s item', '%s items', $total_items ), number_format_i18n( $total_items ) ) . '</span>';

  $current = $this->get_pagenum();
  $removable_query_args = wp_removable_query_args();

  $current_url = set_url_scheme( 'http://' . $_SERVER['HTTP_HOST'] . $_SERVER['REQUEST_URI'] );

  $current_url = remove_query_arg( $removable_query_args, $current_url );

  $page_links = array();

  $total_pages_before = '<span class="paging-input">';
  $total_pages_after  = '</span></span>';

  $disable_first = $disable_last = $disable_prev = $disable_next = false;

  if ( $current == 1 ) {
    $disable_first = true;
    $disable_prev  = true;
  }
  if ( $current == 2 ) {
    $disable_first = true;
  }
  if ( $current == $total_pages ) {
    $disable_last = true;
    $disable_next = true;
  }
  if ( $current == $total_pages - 1 ) {
    $disable_last = true;
  }

  if ( $disable_first ) {
    $page_links[] = '<span class="tablenav-pages-navspan button disabled" aria-hidden="true">&laquo;</span>';
  } else {
    $page_links[] = sprintf(
      "<a class='first-page button' href='%s'><span class='screen-reader-text'>%s</span><span aria-hidden='true'>%s</span></a>",
      esc_url( remove_query_arg( 'paged', $current_url ) ),
      __( 'First page' ),
      '&laquo;'
    );
  }

  if ( $disable_prev ) {
    $page_links[] = '<span class="tablenav-pages-navspan button disabled" aria-hidden="true">&lsaquo;</span>';
  } else {
    $page_links[] = sprintf(
      "<a class='prev-page button' href='%s'><span class='screen-reader-text'>%s</span><span aria-hidden='true'>%s</span></a>",
      esc_url( add_query_arg( 'paged', max( 1, $current - 1 ), $current_url ) ),
      __( 'Previous page' ),
      '&lsaquo;'
    );
  }

  if ( 'bottom' === $which ) {
    $html_current_page  = $current;
    $total_pages_before = '<span class="screen-reader-text">' . __( 'Current Page' ) . '</span><span id="table-paging" class="paging-input"><span class="tablenav-paging-text">';
  } else {
    $html_current_page = sprintf(
      "%s<input class='current-page' id='current-page-selector' type='text' name='paged' value='%s' size='%d' aria-describedby='table-paging' /><span class='tablenav-paging-text'>",
      '<label for="current-page-selector" class="screen-reader-text">' . __( 'Current Page' ) . '</label>',
      $current,
      strlen( $total_pages )
    );
  }
  $html_total_pages = sprintf( "<span class='total-pages'>%s</span>", number_format_i18n( $total_pages ) );
  $page_links[]     = $total_pages_before . sprintf( _x( '%1$s of %2$s', 'paging' ), $html_current_page, $html_total_pages ) . $total_pages_after;

  if ( $disable_next ) {
    $page_links[] = '<span class="tablenav-pages-navspan button disabled" aria-hidden="true">&rsaquo;</span>';
  } else {
    $page_links[] = sprintf(
      "<a class='next-page button' href='%s'><span class='screen-reader-text'>%s</span><span aria-hidden='true'>%s</span></a>",
      esc_url( add_query_arg( 'paged', min( $total_pages, $current + 1 ), $current_url ) ),
      __( 'Next page' ),
      '&rsaquo;'
    );
  }

  if ( $disable_last ) {
    $page_links[] = '<span class="tablenav-pages-navspan button disabled" aria-hidden="true">&raquo;</span>';
  } else {
    $page_links[] = sprintf(
      "<a class='last-page button' href='%s'><span class='screen-reader-text'>%s</span><span aria-hidden='true'>%s</span></a>",
      esc_url( add_query_arg( 'paged', $total_pages, $current_url ) ),
      __( 'Last page' ),
      '&raquo;'
    );
  }

  $pagination_links_class = 'pagination-links';
  if ( ! empty( $infinite_scroll ) ) {
    $pagination_links_class .= ' hide-if-js';
  }
  $output .= "\n<span class='$pagination_links_class'>" . join( "\n", $page_links ) . '</span>';

  if ( $total_pages ) {
    $page_class = $total_pages < 2 ? ' one-page' : '';
  } else {
    $page_class = ' no-pages';
  }
  $this->_pagination = "<div class='tablenav-pages{$page_class}'>$output</div>";

  echo $this->_pagination;
}

I'm developing a plugin which creates several custom tables on pages in the WP dashboard. My question is whether it's possible (without modifying core files) to change the text displayed in the pagination above those tables? Specifically, I'd like to change the word "item/items" to reflect the object type being displayed in the table.

I've looked at the core file which defines the WP_List_Table class to see where the method defines that text, but it doesn't seem you can pass any arguments to modify it when you extend the class and pass the pagination params...

Here's the exact portion of the code that defines the text being displayed in the image above:

$output = '<span class="displaying-num">' . sprintf( _n( '%s item', '%s items', $total_items ), number_format_i18n( $total_items ) ) . '</span>';

And below is the full method for context reference...

/**
 * Display the pagination.
 *
 * @since 3.1.0
 *
 * @param string $which
 */
protected function pagination( $which ) {
  if ( empty( $this->_pagination_args ) ) {
    return;
  }

  $total_items     = $this->_pagination_args['total_items'];
  $total_pages     = $this->_pagination_args['total_pages'];
  $infinite_scroll = false;
  if ( isset( $this->_pagination_args['infinite_scroll'] ) ) {
    $infinite_scroll = $this->_pagination_args['infinite_scroll'];
  }

  if ( 'top' === $which && $total_pages > 1 ) {
    $this->screen->render_screen_reader_content( 'heading_pagination' );
  }

  $output = '<span class="displaying-num">' . sprintf( _n( '%s item', '%s items', $total_items ), number_format_i18n( $total_items ) ) . '</span>';

  $current = $this->get_pagenum();
  $removable_query_args = wp_removable_query_args();

  $current_url = set_url_scheme( 'http://' . $_SERVER['HTTP_HOST'] . $_SERVER['REQUEST_URI'] );

  $current_url = remove_query_arg( $removable_query_args, $current_url );

  $page_links = array();

  $total_pages_before = '<span class="paging-input">';
  $total_pages_after  = '</span></span>';

  $disable_first = $disable_last = $disable_prev = $disable_next = false;

  if ( $current == 1 ) {
    $disable_first = true;
    $disable_prev  = true;
  }
  if ( $current == 2 ) {
    $disable_first = true;
  }
  if ( $current == $total_pages ) {
    $disable_last = true;
    $disable_next = true;
  }
  if ( $current == $total_pages - 1 ) {
    $disable_last = true;
  }

  if ( $disable_first ) {
    $page_links[] = '<span class="tablenav-pages-navspan button disabled" aria-hidden="true">&laquo;</span>';
  } else {
    $page_links[] = sprintf(
      "<a class='first-page button' href='%s'><span class='screen-reader-text'>%s</span><span aria-hidden='true'>%s</span></a>",
      esc_url( remove_query_arg( 'paged', $current_url ) ),
      __( 'First page' ),
      '&laquo;'
    );
  }

  if ( $disable_prev ) {
    $page_links[] = '<span class="tablenav-pages-navspan button disabled" aria-hidden="true">&lsaquo;</span>';
  } else {
    $page_links[] = sprintf(
      "<a class='prev-page button' href='%s'><span class='screen-reader-text'>%s</span><span aria-hidden='true'>%s</span></a>",
      esc_url( add_query_arg( 'paged', max( 1, $current - 1 ), $current_url ) ),
      __( 'Previous page' ),
      '&lsaquo;'
    );
  }

  if ( 'bottom' === $which ) {
    $html_current_page  = $current;
    $total_pages_before = '<span class="screen-reader-text">' . __( 'Current Page' ) . '</span><span id="table-paging" class="paging-input"><span class="tablenav-paging-text">';
  } else {
    $html_current_page = sprintf(
      "%s<input class='current-page' id='current-page-selector' type='text' name='paged' value='%s' size='%d' aria-describedby='table-paging' /><span class='tablenav-paging-text'>",
      '<label for="current-page-selector" class="screen-reader-text">' . __( 'Current Page' ) . '</label>',
      $current,
      strlen( $total_pages )
    );
  }
  $html_total_pages = sprintf( "<span class='total-pages'>%s</span>", number_format_i18n( $total_pages ) );
  $page_links[]     = $total_pages_before . sprintf( _x( '%1$s of %2$s', 'paging' ), $html_current_page, $html_total_pages ) . $total_pages_after;

  if ( $disable_next ) {
    $page_links[] = '<span class="tablenav-pages-navspan button disabled" aria-hidden="true">&rsaquo;</span>';
  } else {
    $page_links[] = sprintf(
      "<a class='next-page button' href='%s'><span class='screen-reader-text'>%s</span><span aria-hidden='true'>%s</span></a>",
      esc_url( add_query_arg( 'paged', min( $total_pages, $current + 1 ), $current_url ) ),
      __( 'Next page' ),
      '&rsaquo;'
    );
  }

  if ( $disable_last ) {
    $page_links[] = '<span class="tablenav-pages-navspan button disabled" aria-hidden="true">&raquo;</span>';
  } else {
    $page_links[] = sprintf(
      "<a class='last-page button' href='%s'><span class='screen-reader-text'>%s</span><span aria-hidden='true'>%s</span></a>",
      esc_url( add_query_arg( 'paged', $total_pages, $current_url ) ),
      __( 'Last page' ),
      '&raquo;'
    );
  }

  $pagination_links_class = 'pagination-links';
  if ( ! empty( $infinite_scroll ) ) {
    $pagination_links_class .= ' hide-if-js';
  }
  $output .= "\n<span class='$pagination_links_class'>" . join( "\n", $page_links ) . '</span>';

  if ( $total_pages ) {
    $page_class = $total_pages < 2 ? ' one-page' : '';
  } else {
    $page_class = ' no-pages';
  }
  $this->_pagination = "<div class='tablenav-pages{$page_class}'>$output</div>";

  echo $this->_pagination;
}

• pagination
• wp-list-table

1 Answer 1

So I just copied the pagination method to my class and changed the wording within it. I would've imagined WP would have a more elegant solution, but apparently not.