Copied files from plugin to theme not working

Question

I am working on a plugin. In plugin folder, there is a folder 'template' from where i copied the files and paste into 'my_folder' in active theme. They move perfectly. Now when i editing files from the theme they did not edited, but when i edit files from plugin folder, they edited.

I just want that when i edit files from theme the result will show on frontend, not from plugin.

I also use template_include hook but i don't know where i go wrong.

here is my code:

add_filter('template_include', 'my_template_chooser');
function my_template_chooser($template){
    global $wp_query;
    $plugindir = dirname(__FILE__);

    $post_type = get_query_var('post_type');

    if( $post_type == 'my_items' ){
        if(file_exists(TEMPLATEPATH . '/my_items/my_items.php')) {
            return locate_template('my_items/my_items.php');
        } else {
            return $plugindir . '/template/my_items.php';
        }
    }

    if( $post_type == 'my_items' && is_single() ){
        if(file_exists(TEMPLATEPATH . '/my_items/single-my_items.php')) {
            return locate_template('my_items/single-my_items.php');
        } else {
            return $plugindir . '/template/single-my_items.php';
        }
    }

    if (is_tax('my_items_tags')) {
        if(file_exists(TEMPLATEPATH . '/my_items/taxonomy-my_items_tags.php')) {
            return locate_template('my_items/taxonomy-my_items_tags.php');
        } else {
            return $plugindir . '/template/taxonomy-my_items_tags.php';
        }
    }

    return $template;   
}

I also try this

return locate_template('my_items/taxonomy-my_items_tags.php');

to

return TEMPLATEPATH .'my_items/taxonomy-my_items_tags.php';

But nothing happen. Please tell me where i am doing wrong

Answer 1

To get the template directory, you can use get_template_directory_uri() like this:

$themeDir = get_template_directory_uri();

// ...
$themeItems = $themeDir . '/my_folder/my_items.php';
if (file_exists($themeItems))
  return $themeItems;
else
  return $pluginDir . '/template/my_items.php';

For more info visit Function Reference/get template directory uri.. If you want to place your PHP code in your theme directory, the better place for that is the "functions.php" file, or include($theFile) in the "functions.php" where you want to place your PHP code.