How to use Namespaces in your WP plugin

Namespaces allow you to structure your PHP code while avoiding name conflicts with other programs. In a WordPress plugin, you may utilize namespaces to organize and manage your classes and functions.

Here’s an easy way to utilize namespaces in your WordPress plugin:

At the start of your PHP file, declare the namespace:

namespace MyPlugin;
// Your code goes here

The namespace keyword informs PHP that all of the classes and functions declared in the file are members of the MyPlugin namespace.

Within the namespace, define your classes and functions:

namespace MyPlugin;

class MyClass {
    // Class code goes here
}

function my_function() {
    // Function code goes here
}

Unless expressly made public, any code defined under the MyPlugin namespace is exclusively available within that namespace.

To use a class or function from the namespace in another file or inside WordPress, include the file and give the class or function’s complete namespace:

// Include the file containing your code
require_once plugin_dir_path( __FILE__ ) . 'my-plugin-file.php';

// Use the class within the namespace
$my_class = new MyPlugin\MyClass();

// Use the function within the namespace
MyPlugin\my_function();

In this example, we utilize the require_once method to include the namespace file. Then, under the MyPlugin namespace, we create a new instance of the MyClass class and invoke the my_function function.

In your WordPress plugin, using namespaces can help you prevent naming conflicts with other plugins and make your code easier to manage. Simply pick a unique namespace name that fits the name or functionality of your plugin.