Permalinks custom base to redirect to archive.php

Question

I am using a custom post structure, which ads a slug /travel-advice/before the post name. E.g. http://example.com/travel-advice/article-one/

I would like Wordpress to use archive.php whenever I use the following url `http://example.com/travel-advice/

For custom post types it is possible to specify an archive page slug using 'has_archive' but what to do in case I want this for the default posts?

So far it gives me 404 error. The only solution I found so far is creating a page which uses a custom template and shows all default posts. Is there a way to do it differently through functions.php, for instance?

Answer 1

Have a look at the following ..

function my_parse_request allows for the template to override.

function my_query_vars adds your custom argument to the WordPress white listed args

function my_init registers the rewrite.

function find_custom_template finds your template in either a parent or child theme.

remember you will need to flush() your permalinks for the rewrite. Just do this either from the Admin>settings>permalink>save or flush through code on plugin activation (not on the init hook !)

// redirect to the signup template file
add_action( 'parse_request', 'my_parse_request' ); 

function my_parse_request( &$wp ) {
    if ( array_key_exists( 'custom-travel-advice', $wp->query_vars ) ) {  
        /* Allow themes to override the signup template with the file 'page-signup.php'
        * in either the parent or child theme.
        */                
        if ( $template_found = find_custom_template( 'page-signup.php' ) ) {               
                include( $template_found );
                exit();
        }
    }
}



add_action( 'query_vars', 'my_query_vars' );        

/**
 * whitelist plugin defined query variable within WordPress
 *
 * @access public    
 * @param $query_vars
 * @return $query_vars
 */
function my_query_vars( $query_vars ) {
        $query_vars[] = 'custom-travel-advice';
        return $query_vars;
}


add_action( 'init', 'my_init' );

/**
 * Registers all required code
 *
 * @access public    
 * @return void
 */
function my_init() {
        // add rewrite on the frontend and amdmin side for any furture flush of the rewrites
        // the query variable 'custom-travel-advice' is used
        add_rewrite_rule( 'travel-advice/?$', 'index.php?custom-travel-advice=true', 'top' );


}



/**
 * Finds a custom template is available, if present allows the child or 
 * parent theme to override the plugin templates.
 *
 * @return   False if not found otherwise the template file location given within the site
 */
function find_custom_template( $template_wanted = '' ) {

        $plugin_template_file = false;                       
        if ( locate_template( $template_wanted ) != '' ) {

                // locate_template() returns path to file
                // if either the child theme or the parent theme have overridden the template
                $plugin_template_file = locate_template( $template_wanted );
        }

        return $plugin_template_file;
}