Convert comments to Custom Post Type

Question

Currently, I use WordPress as a Q&A website where users can register, ask questions and give answers as well. I use the AskIt theme from ElegantThemes which uses the default WordPress Post Types (Posts, Pages, Comments, etc.). There are about 300 registered users, more than 350 questions and 1000 answers/comments right now.

The new theme I want to migrate to (ForumEngine), adds/uses Custom Post Types for the Questions (instead of the current Posts) and Answers (instead of the current comments). Also, the 'blog' section, which co-exists with Custom Post Types, use the default WP Post types (Posts, comments).

I managed to convert the default Post type to Custom Post Type (Questions) with the help of a plugin. My problem is that I don't know how can I convert the comments to the Custom Post Type (Answers) and since the fact that comments are not Post Types apparently this one might be tricky.

When I go to the Edit page of a converted CPT post, I can see the comments at the bottom but they are not showing in the frontend. So, they are still linked to each post but couldn't figure out how to convert them to the CPT.

Can you please help me figure out how can I do this?

I already did a further research and asked theme's creators for help but this is beyond their scope of support.

Answer 1

OK @John Enxada i looked in the theme admin part. The thing which you are asking is difficult but possible. The first thing you have to check that how they are creating relation between two post types i.e relation between thread and replies. I have no excess to the database(can't see in database to check how they relate). You have to do it by yourself.

For this you have to create a script yourself. I can only help you how to create it. First get the backup of your database so that if anything go wrong you have a backup.

Once you know then you can change the post type of post to thread. Which you did already. Then you can get all the posts of thread using get_posts function. Then using a for/foreach loop get all the comments of each post one by one using get_comments. Again apply a for/foreach loop for each comment one by one. Then using wp_insert_post insert these comments as a post having post_type = replies.

Here is an code that will help you somehow.

$args = array(
    'posts_per_page'   => -1,
    'post_type'        => 'thread'
);

$threads = get_posts( $args ); // Get all posts of thread.
foreach($threads as $thread):
    $comment_args = array(
        'post_id' => $thread->ID
    );
    $thread_comments = get_comments($comment_args); // Get all comments of the post.
    foreach($thread_comments as $thread_comment):
        $reply_post = array(
            'post_status'  => 'publish', // Set replies status.
            'post_type'    => 'replies', // Set post type.
            'post_author'  => $thread_comment->user_id, // Set comment user id as post id.
            'post_title'   => 'RE: '.$thread->post_title, //They prefix RE: to every reply so i think we might be do the same.
            'post_content' => $thread_comment->comment_content // Set comment content as post content.
        );
        wp_insert_post($reply_post); // Insert the comment as post having post type replies.
        // Write the code through which they create relation between these post types
    endforeach;
endforeach;

These are some important value which a post must require while inserting. But i think they are inserting some more values as post_meta. So you have to look onto those values also. Once you start the script it will convert all your comments to posts having post_type = replies.