Change capability type of post type registered by plugin

Question

I'm using the plugin Custom CSS JS which registers it's own post type but the capability is assigned to "post".

I want to change it to "manage_options".

Is there a correct way without altering the plugin to do that? Calling a hook, a function or whatever?

public function register_post_type() {

    $labels = array (
        'name'               => _x( 'Custom Code', 'post type general name' ),
        'singular_name'      => _x( 'Custom Code', 'post type singular name' ),
        'menu_name'          => _x( 'Custom CSS & JS', 'admin menu' ),
        'name_admin_bar'     => _x( 'Custom Code', 'add new on admin bar' ),
        'add_new'            => _x( 'Add Custom Code', 'add new' ),
        'add_new_item'       => __( 'Add Custom Code' ),
        'new_item'           => __( 'New Custom Code' ),
        'edit_item'          => __( 'Edit Custom Code' ),
        'view_item'          => __( 'View Custom Code' ),
        'all_items'          => __( 'All Custom Code' ),
        'search_items'       => __( 'Search Custom Code' ),
        'parent_item_colon'  => __( 'Parent Custom Code:' ),
        'not_found'          => __( 'No Custom Code found.' ),
        'not_found_in_trash' => __( 'No Custom Code found in Trash.' ),
    );
    $args   = array (
        'labels'              => $labels,
        'description'         => __( 'Custom CSS and JS code' ),
        'public'              => false,
        'publicly_queryable'  => false,
        'show_ui'             => true,
        'show_in_menu'        => true,
        'menu_position'       => 100,
        'menu_icon'           => 'dashicons-plus-alt',
        'query_var'           => false,
        'rewrite'             => array ( 'slug' => 'custom-css-js' ),
        'capability_type'     => 'post', // <--- I want to manipulate this
        'has_archive'         => true,
        'hierarchical'        => false,
        'exclude_from_search' => true,
        'menu_position'       => null,
        'can_export'          => false,
        'supports'            => array ( 'title' ),
    );

    register_post_type( 'custom-css-js', $args );
}

The above code is in custom-css-js.php lines 200-239.

Answer 1

@PieterGoosen is cool, and still awake like me and answering like boss.

To simplify his code and make it work to this specifically without a bunch of junk on your page:

/**
 * Pieter Goosen writes awesome code
 */
add_filter( 'register_post_type_args', 'change_capabilities_of_the_custom_css_js_posttype' , 10, 2 );

function change_capabilities_of_the_custom_css_js_posttype( $args, $post_type ){

 // Do not filter any other post type
 if ( 'custom-css-js' !== $post_type ) {

     // Give other post_types their original arguments
     return $args;

 }

 // Change the capability_type of the "custom-css-js" post_type
 $args['capability_type'] = 'manage_options';

  // Give the custom-css-js post type it's arguments
  return $args;

}

The plugin you have chosen is written in a broad way. It has some insecurities.

Answer 2

WordPress 4.4 finally saw the introduction of the register_post_type_args filter which you can use to alter the the arguments used when a custom post type (or build-in type) is registered

I cannot code anything concrete now, but the following should get you going

add_filter( 'register_post_type_args', function ( $args, $post_type )
{
    // Only target our specific post type
    if ( 'my_post_type' !== $post_type )
        return $args;

    // OK, we have our specified post type, lets alter our arguments
    ?><pre><?php var_dump( $args ); ?></pre><?php

    // Change capability_type
    $args['capability_type'] = 'some_new_value';

    return $args;
}, 10, 2 );