get_ancestors( int $object_id = 0, string $object_type = '', string $resource_type = '' ): int[]

Compatibility

Present in every tracked release (6.7.7 to 7.1.0), and compiles on PHP 7.4 through 8.6-dev.

Parameters

$object_idintoptional

The ID of the object. Default 0.Default: 0

$object_typestringoptional

The type of object for which we'll be retrieving ancestors. Accepts a post type or a taxonomy name. Default empty.Default: ''

$resource_typestringoptional

Type of resource $object_type is. Accepts 'post_type' or 'taxonomy'. Default empty.Default: ''

Return value

int[]

An array of IDs of ancestors from lowest to highest in the hierarchy.

Performance profile

How much work a call to get_ancestors() does, and what it touches: the algorithmic scaling, the Zend instruction count per call across PHP versions, the hooks it hands control to, and the core code that calls it. Measured from the compiled opcodes, not a stopwatch, so every number is identical on any machine running the same PHP version, and every function in core is ranked by cost.

Cost class

Heavy

Reaches the database via get_term().

Scaling

Scales with input

The body loops, so the work grows with what you pass in.

Instructions

16–45

Executed per call on PHP 8.5, depending on the branch taken. The body compiles to 72.

Plugin surface

1 hook

Third-party callbacks on 'get_ancestors' run inside this call, and their cost is not bounded by anything here.

Called by

5

5 places in core call this, so the cost is paid more often than your own code shows.

What it touches

• hookthird-party callbacksapply_filters()called directly
• querycontent queryget_term()called directly

Further down the call graph this can also reach option, cache, serialize and transient. Those are the worst case, several calls deep and usually down an error path, not what a normal call pays.

What one call costs · 9 distinct outcomes

One number would be a lie: the work depends on which branch runs. These are every distinct cost get_ancestors() can have, taken from its control-flow graph on PHP 8.5.

Hooks and filters fired · 2

2 hooks fire while get_ancestors() runs, in this order:

1. 1
   apply_filters( get_ancestors )filterline 5044 (+8 into the body)

   Filters a given object's ancestors.

2. 2
   apply_filters( get_ancestors )filterline 5076 (+40 into the body)

   Filters a given object's ancestors.

Uses · 6

• apply_filters()Calls the callback functions that have been added to a filter hook.
• is_taxonomy_hierarchical()Determines whether the taxonomy object is hierarchical.
• post_type_exists()Determines whether a post type is registered.
• get_term()Gets all term data from database by term ID.
• is_wp_error()Checks whether the given variable is a WordPress Error.
• get_post_ancestors()Retrieves the IDs of the ancestors of a post.

Used by · 5

• WP_Terms_List_Table::single_row()
• block_core_breadcrumbs_get_term_ancestors_items()Generates breadcrumb items for hierarchical term ancestors.
• get_term_link()Generates a permalink for a taxonomy term archive.
• get_term_parents_list()Retrieves term parents with separator.
• wp_ajax_add_tag()Handles adding a tag via AJAX.

Source code

View on Trac ↗View on GitHub ↗

5036function get_ancestors( $object_id = 0, $object_type = '', $resource_type = '' ) {5037	$object_id = (int) $object_id;5038 5039	$ancestors = array();5040 5041	if ( empty( $object_id ) ) {5042 5043		/** This filter is documented in wp-includes/taxonomy.php */5044		return apply_filters( 'get_ancestors', $ancestors, $object_id, $object_type, $resource_type );5045	}5046 5047	if ( ! $resource_type ) {5048		if ( is_taxonomy_hierarchical( $object_type ) ) {5049			$resource_type = 'taxonomy';5050		} elseif ( post_type_exists( $object_type ) ) {5051			$resource_type = 'post_type';5052		}5053	}5054 5055	if ( 'taxonomy' === $resource_type ) {5056		$term = get_term( $object_id, $object_type );5057		while ( ! is_wp_error( $term ) && ! empty( $term->parent ) && ! in_array( $term->parent, $ancestors, true ) ) {5058			$ancestors[] = (int) $term->parent;5059			$term        = get_term( $term->parent, $object_type );5060		}5061	} elseif ( 'post_type' === $resource_type ) {5062		$ancestors = get_post_ancestors( $object_id );5063	}5064 5065	/**5066	 * Filters a given object's ancestors.5067	 *5068	 * @since 3.1.05069	 * @since 4.1.1 Introduced the `$resource_type` parameter.5070	 *5071	 * @param int[]  $ancestors     An array of IDs of object ancestors.5072	 * @param int    $object_id     Object ID.5073	 * @param string $object_type   Type of object.5074	 * @param string $resource_type Type of resource $object_type is.5075	 */5076	return apply_filters( 'get_ancestors', $ancestors, $object_id, $object_type, $resource_type );5077}

Changelog

Introduced in 4.1.0. Unchanged from 6.7.7 through 7.1.0.

1. 6.7.7
2. 6.8.8
3. 6.9.7
4. 7.0.4
5. 7.1.0

Signature, return type and hooks compared across 5 parsed releases.

About this page

Parsed data

Generated from the wordpress-develop 7.1.0 tag, from src/wp-includes/taxonomy.php, and regenerated for each WordPress release so it tracks the code rather than a snapshot of it.

Corrections

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