Settings API - how to update options manually?

Question

I'm storing all my options using Settings API:

function registerSettings() {

register_setting('XX_theme_settings', 'XX_theme_settings', 'setting_validate' );

add_settings_section('theme_options', 'Theme Options', 'theme_options_generate', 'page1' ); 
add_settings_field( 'XX_Option1', 'Option 1', 'text_input', 'page1', 'theme_options', 'XX_Option1' );
add_settings_field( 'XX_Option2', 'Option 2', 'text_input', 'page1', 'theme_options', 'XX_Option2' ); 

};

add_action('admin_init', 'registerSettings');

Let's say I want to update XX_Option2 manually (not using forms, but via PHP), how should I do that?

I was thinking about update_option('XX_theme_settings[XX_Option2]', value), but that doesn't work (?).

Answer 1

That's because your options are stored as a serialised array, in one row with name XX_theme_settings. To update one option, you would still need to retrieve the existing settings, ammend the appropriate value and update all options in your array together.

For example:

$my_options= get_option('XX_theme_settings');//retrieve all options
$my_options['XX_Option2'] = 'my new value'; //amend value in array(s)
update_option('XX_theme_settings', $my_options); //update option array