Directory structure for plugin changes

Question

When I'm working in Wordpress, I quite often need to make adjustments to plugins. The recommended method, as I understand it, is to take the plugin file I'd like to modify (say, mypluginfile.php), and copy it to my theme folder. The file will now override the plugin's version of the file.

My problem with this is that in order for it to work, the file HAS to be in the root of the theme directory...which means that the theme root quickly becomes incredibly messy. With adjusted plugin files strewn throughout the theme root, it's also very difficult to, at a glance, keep track of which file belong to which plugin.

Is there any way of modifying plugin files but still maintaining a nice directory structure. Maybe something like:

- /mytheme/style.css
- /mytheme/functions.php
- /mytheme/myplugin/mypluginfile.php
- /mytheme/myplugin/mysecondpluginfile.php
- /mytheme/mysecondplugin/anotherpluginfile.php

I have a hard time believing that everyone out there just fills their theme folder with an array of files belonging to different plugins. What's best practice here?

Answer 1

Putting plugin files into the theme is not recommend, quite the contrary.

If you really have to change the plugin, create a Git repository for the plugin directory:

cd plugindirectory
git init

Now create a new branch:

git checkout -b modified

Git will now hold the original state in the branch master and you can edit the files in the branch modified.

When there is an update for the original available, you switch to the master …

git checkout master

… run the update, make a commit …

git add .
git commit -m 'update'

and then merge the improvements into your modifications:

git checkout modified
git merge master

You can automate these tasks and run the git commands per script on updates.

Keep your theme directory as clean as possible and the plugin code “updatable”.