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get_category( int|object $category, string $output = OBJECT, string $filter = 'raw' )

Retrieves category data given a category ID or category object.

Description

If you pass the $category parameter an object, which is assumed to be the category row object retrieved the database. It will cache the category data.

If you pass $category an integer of the category ID, then that category will be retrieved from the database, if it isn’t already cached, and pass it back.

If you look at get_term(), then both types will be passed through several filters and finally sanitized based on the $filter parameter value.

Parameters

$category

(int|object) (Required) Category ID or category row object.

$output

(string) (Optional) The required return type. One of OBJECT, ARRAY_A, or ARRAY_N, which correspond to a WP_Term object, an associative array, or a numeric array, respectively.

Default value: OBJECT

$filter

(string) (Optional) How to sanitize category fields.

Default value: 'raw'

Return

(object|array|WP_Error|null) Category data in type defined by $output parameter. WP_Error if $category is empty, null if it does not exist.

Source

File: wp-includes/category.php

function get_category( $category, $output = OBJECT, $filter = 'raw' ) {
	$category = get_term( $category, 'category', $output, $filter );

	if ( is_wp_error( $category ) ) {
		return $category;
	}

	_make_cat_compat( $category );

	return $category;
}

Changelog

Version Description
1.5.1 Introduced.

© 2003–2019 WordPress Foundation
Licensed under the GNU GPLv2+ License.
https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/get_category