Replace Dashes Before Title in Page List

Question

I want to replace the dashes before the page title in the dashboard page list. For each hierarchy below the first, a dash is prepended (as seen in the screenshot below):

It seems that the filter the_title does not affect these dashes:

add_filter( 'the_title', 'change_my_title' );
function change_my_title( $title ) {
    return str_replace( '–', $title );
    // nor preg_replace or – or — work
}

So my question is: How can I replace these dashes with something specific? Do I really have to implement a custom list table or meddle around with jQuery?

Answer 1

You can't change dashes using any filter because there is no filter available to change it.

but still you can change this using jQuery put this code inside functions.php

add_action('admin_head',function(){


global $pagenow;

// check current page.
if( $pagenow == 'edit.php' ){ ?>

    <script>

        jQuery(function($){

            var post_title = $('.wp-list-table').find('a.row-title');
            $.each(post_title,function(index,em){
                var text = $(em).html();
                // Replace all dashes to * 
                $(em).html(text.replace(/—/g ,'*'));
            });
        });

    </script>
    <?php
    }
});

See https://github.com/WordPress/WordPress/blob/master/wp-admin/includes/class-wp-posts-list-table.php#L918-L919

Answer 2

This is hard-coded and cannot be changed without changing the entire list table class:

    $pad = str_repeat( '— ', $this->current_level );
    echo "<strong>";

    $format = get_post_format( $post->ID );
    if ( $format ) {
        $label = get_post_format_string( $format );

        $format_class = 'post-state-format post-format-icon post-format-' . $format;

        $format_args = array(
            'post_format' => $format,
            'post_type' => $post->post_type
        );

        echo $this->get_edit_link( $format_args, $label . ':', $format_class );
    }

    $can_edit_post = current_user_can( 'edit_post', $post->ID );
    $title = _draft_or_post_title();

    if ( $can_edit_post && $post->post_status != 'trash' ) {
        printf(
            '<a class="row-title" href="%s" aria-label="%s">%s%s</a>',
            get_edit_post_link( $post->ID ),
            /* translators: %s: post title */
            esc_attr( sprintf( __( '&#8220;%s&#8221; (Edit)' ), $title ) ),
            $pad,
            $title
        );
    } else {
        echo $pad . $title;
    }

And even changing that table is very difficult, because the class instance is set to a global variable with the function _get_list_table(), which doesn't even offer a filter.

Welcome to the wonderful world of procedural code.

I guess you have to use JavaScript for that.

Answer 3

As @Toscho says, the title column is hard coded, so you cannot change that. What you can do, however, is remove the column and redefine it as a custom column:

add_filter( 'manage_pages_columns', 'wpse248405_columns', 25, 1 );
function wpse248405_columns ($cols) {
   // remove title column
   unset( $cols['title'] );
   // add custom column in second place
   $cols = array('cb' => $cols['cb']) + array('title' => __( 'Title', 'textdomain' )) + $cols;
   // return columns
   return $cols;
   }

Now you have to make the custom column behave like the original:

add_action( 'manage_pages_custom_column', 'wpse248405_custom_column', 10, 2 );
function wpse248405_custom_column( $col, $post_id ) {
    if ($col == 'title') {
        $post               = get_post( $post_id );
        $title              = _draft_or_post_title();
        $can_edit_post      = current_user_can( 'edit_post', $post->ID );
        // set up row actions
        $actions = array();
        if ( $can_edit_post && 'trash' != $post->post_status ) {
            $actions['title'] = '<strong><a href="' . get_edit_post_link( $post->ID, true ) . '" aria-label="' . $title . esc_attr( __( 'Edit this item' ) ) . '">' . $title . '</a></strong>';
            // invoke row actions
            $table = new WP_Posts_List_Table;
            echo $table->row_actions( $actions, true );
            }
        }
     }

Beware that if you mimick core behaviour in your own functions you become vulnerable to future core releases.

Answer 4

The dashes are because you have them listed under parent pages. Lower right side of the page edit screen you can remove the parents if you want or need to.