Structure Content Editor Runtime and API

This developer note documents the BricksMembers Structure Content Editor runtime: route rendering, selected-post payloads, per-post save ownership, native Content Fields handling, compatible custom field handling, and the guardrails that keep content editing separate from hierarchy mutation.

Scope

The Structure Content Editor is the in-admin content editing mode at admin.php?page=brm_structure_{structure_id}&mode=content. It lets structure editors select a post from a navigation-only tree, edit that post’s title/body/settings, and save without entering Structure view Edit Mode.

It does not own structure CRUD, parent assignment, ordering, staged commit, duplication, trash, restore, delete, or projection rebuild orchestration.

Runtime Owners

  • src/Admin/Pages/Routes/StructuresPage.php routes the structure page and selects the content-editor template for mode=content.
  • src/Admin/Pages/Templates/contract/structure-content-editor.php renders the route-local shell, initial JSON state, tabs, navigation tree wrapper, center content area, custom-field section, and right settings panel targets.
  • src/Structures/ContentEditor/StructureContentEditorDataProvider.php builds the page data and selected-post payload.
  • src/Structures/Rendering/StructureAdminRenderer.php renders the simplified content-navigation tree and the row action that opens the selected post in Content mode.
  • assets/admin/js/structures/structures-content-editor.js owns client-side selection, dirty state, panel rendering, save payload assembly, left navigation resizing, custom-field initialization, and media picker interaction.
  • src/Structures/Ajax/StructureContentEditorAjax.php owns selected-item reads and compatible custom-field saves.
  • src/Modules/ContentFields/ContentFieldValueService.php owns native Content Fields value writes when the Content Editor saves the content_fields payload.
  • src/Structures/Ajax/StructureQuickEditAjax.php remains the normal per-post field write endpoint for title, slug, content, author, media, access, module settings, taxonomies, quiz, downloads, submissions, video policy, and drip override.
  • src/Admin/AdminWysiwyg.php and assets/admin/js/admin-wysiwyg.js own the reusable inline classic editor.

Route Contract

  • admin.php?page=brm_structure_{structure_id} opens the hierarchy/structure editing view.
  • admin.php?page=brm_structure_{structure_id}&mode=content opens the Content Editor and selects the first post when no post_id is provided.
  • admin.php?page=brm_structure_{structure_id}&mode=content&post_id=7414 opens the Content Editor with a specific selected post.
  • brm_structure_content_editor_enabled can disable the content editor for a specific structure when page data is built.

Selected Item Payload

StructureContentEditorDataProvider::build_item_payload() returns the selected post payload used by both initial page state and brm_get_structure_content_item.

  • Core post fields: post_id, post_type, post_title, post_name, post_content, post_status, post_author, and assignable authors.
  • Editor routing: body_mode (classic, gutenberg, or bricks), edit_wordpress_url, edit_bricks_url, and preview_url.
  • Media and video: authored video value, saved video provider, connected providers, duration, video image, and featured image.
  • Access and module data: required levels, level options, parent/children flags, enrollment rule, effective enrollment requirement, submissions, assigned quiz, assigned downloads, video watch policy, and drip override.
  • Taxonomy data: hierarchical taxonomy term IDs plus non-hierarchical tag names.
  • Compatible custom fields: acf.active and rendered field-group HTML when an ACF-compatible runtime is available.
  • Native Content Fields: content_fields.active, matching scalar field definitions, current values, and save eligibility when the Content Fields module is active and a field group matches the selected post.

AJAX Endpoints

brm_get_structure_content_item

Reads one selected-post payload. The handler verifies the shared structure editor nonce, requires edit_posts, and also checks edit_post for the requested post ID.

brm_save_structure_content_acf

Saves compatible custom-field values. The handler requires the same nonce and capabilities as the read endpoint. It only calls update_field() for field keys discovered from field groups assigned to the selected post, including nested subfields and flexible-content layouts.

This endpoint is for ACF-compatible runtime fields only. It must not save BRM-owned Content Fields.

brm_save_structure_content_fields

Saves BricksMembers-owned Content Fields for the selected post. The handler requires the same nonce and capabilities as the read endpoint, then delegates the submitted content_fields array to ContentFieldValueService::save_values_for_post(). Required-field validation and value sanitization stay in the Content Fields value owner.

Normal post and module settings continue through brm_quick_edit_post_fields. Do not add another write endpoint for the same fields.

Content Body Modes

  • classic – the inline BricksMembers WYSIWYG loads and saves post_content.
  • gutenberg – the content editor shows a WordPress edit fallback. The inline classic editor is not used for block content.
  • bricks – the content editor shows the Bricks edit fallback. The inline classic editor is not used for Bricks body data.

Security and Escaping

  • Structure content editor AJAX uses StructureAjaxVerifier::verify_editor_request(), which enforces the BRM AJAX nonce, edit_posts, POST-only requests, and the shared AJAX rate-limit context.
  • Each selected-post request additionally checks Security::current_user_can( 'edit_post', $post_id ).
  • The template serializes initial state with wp_json_encode() and JSON hex flags.
  • Navigation tree HTML is rendered server-side and passed through a merged wp_kses_allowed_html( 'post' ) and admin-icon allowlist before output.
  • Client-rendered admin strings must come from localized PHP data. Do not add hardcoded user-facing English strings in the JavaScript.

Implementation Invariants

  • The Content Editor tree is navigation-only.
  • The right settings sidebar stays fixed at the route CSS variable width. Left-navigation resizing changes only the left and center columns.
  • Compatible custom fields render below the body in the center column, not inside the settings sidebar.
  • Native Content Fields render in their own Content Fields section below the body. Keep the Content Fields save path separate from the ACF-compatible save path.
  • The visible custom-field label is generic. Do not hardcode ACF, SCF, or another provider name into the admin label.
  • Module-gated panels should only render when the relevant module and post type support are active.
  • Do not route internal code through brm_* public API wrappers for this surface.
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