delete_sub_field()

Documentation Functions delete_sub_field()

Last updated Feb 17, 2022

Deletes the value of a specific sub field.

This function can be used inside or outside of a have_rows() loop. When used inside, the current row will be used to delete the sub field value. When used outside, the rows and parents must be specified to target the correct value place.

delete_sub_field($selector, [$post_id]);

• $selector (string|array) (Required) The sub field name or key, or an array of ancestors and row numbers.
• $post_id (mixed) (Optional) The post ID where the value is saved. Defaults to the current post.

(bool) True on successful deletion, false on failure.

• Added in version 5.0.0

This example shows how to loop through a Repeater field and delete one of its sub field values from each row.

if( have_rows('repeater') ) {
    while( have_rows('repeater') ) {
        the_row();
        delete_sub_field('caption');
    }
}

This example shows how to delete a sub field value outside of a have_rows() loop. Here, the $selector parameter is provided an array containing a mixture of field names and row numbers. This array should read from left to right, the parents to children relationship separated by the row number.

Please see notes regarding index offset.

// Delete "caption" within the first row of "repeater".
delete_sub_field( array('repeater', 1, 'caption') );

The delete_sub_field() function can also be used to target a nested sub field both inside and outside of a have_rows() loop. This example shows how to delete a nested sub field function using both methods.

// Loop over parent rows.
if( have_rows('repeater') ) {
    while( have_rows('repeater') ) {
        the_row();

        // Loop over child rows.
        if( have_rows('sub_repeater') ) {
            while( have_rows('sub_repeater') ) {
                the_row();

                // Delete nested sub field value.
                delete_sub_field('sub_sub_field');
            }
        }
    }
}

// target a nested sub field directly.
delete_sub_field( array('repeater', 1, 'sub_repeater', 2, 'sub_sub_field') );

When targeting a sub field using a specific row number, please note that row numbers begin from 1 and not 0. This means that the first row has an index of 1, the second row has an index of 2, and so on.

To begin indexes from 0, please use the row_index_offset setting like so.

add_filter('acf/settings/row_index_offset', '__return_zero');

• Functions: update_sub_field()
• Functions: delete_sub_row()
• Functions: add_sub_row()
• Functions: update_sub_row()
• Functions: delete_row()