Developers Guide

This section contains technical documentation for developers who want to extend or integrate with Virtual Files plugin.

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Technical Architecture

Virtual Files is built with modern WordPress development best practices:

• MVC Architecture: Clean separation between controllers and views
• PSR-4 Autoloading: Modern PHP autoloading via Composer
• Trait-Based Design: Modular functionality using PHP traits
• Security-First Approach: Nonce verification, input sanitization
• Performance Optimized: Transient caching for Pro users

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Plugin Constants

Constant	Value	Description
INTENTDEEP_VF_PLUGIN_ROOT	/path/to/plugins/intentdeep-virtual-files-freemius/	Plugin root directory path

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Post Type & Meta Keys

Custom Post Type

Post Type Name: idep_virtual_file

Post Status:

• publish = Active (file is publicly accessible)
• draft = Inactive (file returns 404)

Available Meta Keys

Meta Key	Type	Description	Example
_vf_filename	String	Full filename with path and extension	robots.txt, .well-known/security.txt
_vf_content	Long Text	File content	User-agent: *\nDisallow: /
_vf_mime_type	String	MIME type for HTTP headers	text/plain, application/json
_vf_status	String	File status	active, inactive
_vf_modified	Timestamp	Last modified time	2026-01-01 12:00:00
_vf_access_count	Integer (Pro)	Total access count	42
_vf_analytics_daily	Array (Pro)	Daily view statistics	{"2026-01-01": 10, "2026-01-02": 15}

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Hooks & Filters

intentdeep_vf_allowed_extensions

Modify the list of allowed file extensions.

Parameters:

• $extensions (array) - Array of allowed file extensions

Usage Example:

add_filter('intentdeep_vf_allowed_extensions', function($extensions) {
    // Add custom extension to allowed list
    $extensions[] = 'custom';

    return $extensions;
});

Default Extensions:

• Free users: txt, md, json
• Pro users: txt, md, json, jsonld, xml, rss, csv, yml, log

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Programmatic File Creation

Create virtual files programmatically using WordPress functions:

// Create a virtual file programmatically
$file_id = wp_insert_post([
    'post_type' => 'idep_virtual_file',
    'post_title' => 'My Virtual File',
    'post_status' => 'publish'  // 'publish' = Active, 'draft' = Inactive
]);

// Add file metadata
if ($file_id) {
    // 1. Set the full filename (extension is required)
    update_post_meta($file_id, '_vf_filename', 'robots.txt');

    // 2. Set MIME type (optional, but recommended)
    update_post_meta($file_id, '_vf_mime_type', 'text/plain');

    // 3. Set the content
    update_post_meta($file_id, '_vf_content', "User-agent: *\nDisallow: /wp-admin/\n");

    // 4. Set status to active
    update_post_meta($file_id, '_vf_status', 'active');
}

Example with Nested Path

// Create a file in nested directory
$file_id = wp_insert_post([
    'post_type' => 'idep_virtual_file',
    'post_title' => 'Security TXT',
    'post_status' => 'publish'
]);

if ($file_id) {
    update_post_meta($file_id, '_vf_filename', '.well-known/security.txt');
    update_post_meta($file_id, '_vf_mime_type', 'text/plain');
    update_post_meta($file_id, '_vf_content', 'Contact: security@example.com');
    update_post_meta($file_id, '_vf_status', 'active');

    // Flush rewrite rules to make file accessible
    flush_rewrite_rules();
}

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Querying Virtual Files

// Get all active virtual files
$files = get_posts([
    'post_type' => 'idep_virtual_file',
    'post_status' => 'publish',
    'numberposts' => -1,
    'orderby' => 'modified',
    'order' => 'DESC'
]);

// Get file metadata
foreach ($files as $file) {
    $filename = get_post_meta($file->ID, '_vf_filename', true);
    $content = get_post_meta($file->ID, '_vf_content', true);
    $mime_type = get_post_meta($file->ID, '_vf_mime_type', true);
}

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Need More Developer Tools?

The Virtual Files plugin is actively being developed. More hooks, filters, and developer tools may be added in future versions based on community feedback and developer needs.

Suggest a Hook or Filter: If you need a specific hook or filter that isn't currently available, please:

1. Open an issue on the GitHub repository
2. Or contact the development team through the support page

We'll consider adding it in a future update if there's sufficient community demand.

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Last Updated: January 11, 2026 Plugin Version: 1.0.0