How to Import Data into the Database with wpdb in WordPress Plugin

Posted on 20th June 2023

Introduction

In this article, we will learn how to import data into the database using the wpdb class in WordPress. The wpdb class is the WordPress class for interacting with databases. It is possible to use this class to insert, update, and delete data in the database. In this article, we will focus on how to use the wpdb class to import data into the database.

Before we get started, you will need to have a WordPress site installed and have a basic understanding of how to develop WordPress plugins. You can follow our guide on how to develop your first WordPress plugin to get started.

Once you have a WordPress site installed, you will need to install the following plugin:

WP Database Backup: This plugin will be used to create a backup of your WordPress database. This is important because we will be making changes to the database and you will want to be able to restore the database if something goes wrong.

Now that you have installed the required plugins, we can get started.

Creating the Backup

The first thing we need to do is create a backup of the WordPress database. To do this, go to Tools -> Backup in the WordPress admin area. On the Backup page, select all of the tables that you want to include in the backup and then click the Backup button.

Once the backup is complete, you will need to download the backup file to your computer.

Installing the Plugin

Now that we have a backup of the database, we can install the WordPress plugin that we will be using to import the data. For this example, we will be using the WP CSV to DB plugin.

To install the plugin, go to Plugins -> Add New in the WordPress admin area. On the Add Plugins page, search for WP CSV to DB and then click the Install Now button.

Once the plugin is installed, click the Activate button.

Configuring the Plugin

Now that the plugin is installed and activated, we need to configure it. To do this, go to CSV to DB -> Settings in the WordPress admin area.

On the Settings page, you will need to select the following settings:

CSV Separator: This is the character that is used to separate the values in the CSV file. The default value is a comma (,).

Table Prefix: This is the prefix that will be added to the table names in the database. The default value is wp_csv_to_db_.

Database Charset: This is the character set that will be used for the database. The default value is utf8.

On the Settings page, you will also need to specify the path to the CSV file that you want to import into the database. To do this, click the Choose File button and select the CSV file that you downloaded earlier.

Once you have selected the CSV file, click the Save Changes button.

Importing the Data

Now that the plugin is configured, we can import the data from the CSV file into the database. To do this, go to CSV to DB -> Import in the WordPress admin area.

On the Import page, you will need to select the following settings:

Action: This is the action that you want to perform. For this example, we will be selecting the Import option.

Format: This is the format of the data in the CSV file. For this example, we will be selecting the CSV option.

Delimiter: This is the character that is used to separate the values in the CSV file. The default value is a comma (,).

Enclosure: This is the character that is used to enclose the values in the CSV file. The default value is a double quote (“)

Escape: This is the character that is used to escape the values in the CSV file. The default value is a backslash ()

Table: This is the name of the database table that you want to import the data into. The default value is the name of the CSV file.

Now that you have selected the settings, click the Import button.

The data from the CSV file will now be imported into the database.

Conclusion

In this article, we have learned how to import data into the database using the wpdb class in WordPress. We have also installed and configured the WP CSV to DB plugin to help us import the data from a CSV file into the database.

In order to import data into the database with wpdb in WordPress plugin, you need to follow these steps:

1. Firstly, you need to create a custom table in the WordPress database. For this, you need to use the $wpdb->create_table() function.

2. After creating the custom table, you need to import the data into it. For this, you need to use the $wpdb->insert() function.

3. Lastly, you need to display the data from the custom table in the WordPress front-end. For this, you need to use the $wpdb->get_results() function.

Let’s take a look at these functions in detail:

1. $wpdb->create_table()

This function is used to create a custom table in the WordPress database. It takes two parameters:

$table_name: This is the name of the custom table that you want to create.

$schema: This is an array of columns and their data types that you want to create in the custom table.

Here is an example of how to use this function:

$table_name = $wpdb->prefix . ‘my_custom_table’;

$schema = array(

‘column1’ => ‘INT’,

‘column2’ => ‘VARCHAR’,

‘column3’ => ‘TEXT’,

);

$wpdb->create_table( $table_name, $schema );

2. $wpdb->insert()

This function is used to insert data into a custom table. It takes three parameters:

$table_name: This is the name of the custom table in which you want to insert data.

$data: This is an array of data that you want to insert into the custom table. The array keys should match the column names of the custom table.

$format: This is an array of data types that corresponds to the $data array. The array keys should match the $data array keys.

Here is an example of how to use this function:

$table_name = $wpdb->prefix . ‘my_custom_table’;

$data = array(

‘column1’ => 1,

‘column2’ => ‘value2’,

‘column3’ => ‘value3’,

);

$format = array(

‘%d’,

‘%s’,

‘%s’,

);

$wpdb->insert( $table_name, $data, $format );

3. $wpdb->get_results()

This function is used to retrieve data from a custom table. It takes two parameters:

$table_name: This is the name of the custom table from which you want to retrieve data.

$columns: This is an array of column names that you want to retrieve from the custom table.

Here is an example of how to use this function:

$table_name = $wpdb->prefix . ‘my_custom_table’;

$columns = array( ‘column1’, ‘column2’, ‘column3’ );

$results = $wpdb->get_results( $table_name, $columns );

foreach ( $results as $result ) {

// do something with $result

}