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comment_class()

comment_class( string|string[] $css_class = ”, int|WP_Comment $comment = null, int|WP_Post $post = null, bool $display = true ): void|string

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Generates semantic classes for each comment element.

Parameters

$css_classstring|string[]optional
One or more classes to add to the class list.

Default:''

$commentint|WP_Commentoptional
Comment ID or WP_Comment object. Default current comment.

Default:null

$postint|WP_Postoptional
Post ID or WP_Post object. Default current post.

Default:null

$displaybooloptional
Whether to print or return the output.

Default:true

Return

void|string Void if $display argument is true, comment classes if $display is false.

More Information

comment_class() will apply the following classes, based on the following conditions:

  • comment_type: for normal comments, adds class “comment”. For all other types, it adds the value of the comment_type as the class
  • user_id: if the comment was made by a registered user, then adds class “byuser” and “comment-author-” + the user_nicename sanitized (i.e. spaces removed). Also, if the comment is by the original author of the post, the class “bypostauthor” is added.
  • Odd/Even: if the comment number is even, adds class “even”. Otherwise, adds class “alt” and “odd”.
  • Comment Depth: The class “depth=” + the comment depth is always added
  • Top-level Comments: If comment depth is top level (1), then adds “thread-even” or “thread-alt” and “thread-odd” depending on whether the comment number is even or odd.
  • If the optional class parameter is passed to comment_class() , then that class gets added to all the others. This is useful for defining your own custom comment class.

comment_class() uses the following global variables. So these variables can be set prior to calling comment_class() to effect the output:

  • $comment_alt
  • $comment_depth
  • $comment_thread_alt

For example, you can force $comment_alt = FALSE if you always want to start with the first comment being even. The comment_class() function will then alternate this variable for you.

Source

function comment_class( $css_class = '', $comment = null, $post = null, $display = true ) {
	// Separates classes with a single space, collates classes for comment DIV.
	$css_class = 'class="' . implode( ' ', get_comment_class( $css_class, $comment, $post ) ) . '"';

	if ( $display ) {
		echo $css_class;
	} else {
		return $css_class;
	}
}

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UsesDescription
get_comment_class()wp-includes/comment-template.php

Returns the classes for the comment div as an array.

Used byDescription
_wp_dashboard_recent_comments_row()wp-admin/includes/dashboard.php

Outputs a row for the Recent Comments widget.

Walker_Comment::comment()wp-includes/class-walker-comment.php

Outputs a single comment.

Walker_Comment::html5_comment()wp-includes/class-walker-comment.php

Outputs a comment in the HTML5 format.

Walker_Comment::ping()wp-includes/class-walker-comment.php

Outputs a pingback comment.

Changelog

VersionDescription
4.4.0Added the ability for $comment to also accept a WP_Comment object.
2.7.0Introduced.

User Contributed Notes

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    Codex
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    Example

    <li <?php comment_class(); ?> id="li-comment-<?php comment_ID() ?>">

    The comment_class() outputs the class=”whatever” piece for that div. This includes several different classes of value: comment, even (or odd), thread-even, depth-1, etc. These make it easy to style different parts of the theme in different ways.

    Specifically, it will apply the following classes, based on the following conditions:

    comment_type: for normal comments, adds class “comment”. For all other types, it adds the value of the comment_type as the class
    user_id: if the comment was made by a registered user, then adds class “byuser” and “comment-author-” + the user_nicename sanitized (i.e. spaces removed). Also, if the comment is by the original author of the post, the class “bypostauthor” is added.
    Odd/Even: if the comment number is even, adds class “even”. Otherwise, adds class “alt” and “odd”.
    Comment Depth: The class “depth=” + the comment depth is always added
    Top-level Comments: If comment depth is top level (1), then adds “thread-even” or “thread-alt” and “thread-odd” depending on whether the comment number is even or odd.
    If the optional class parameter is passed to comment_class() , then that class gets added to all the others. This is useful for defining your own custom comment class.

    For special cases where you want to add your own classes, comment_class supports that too:

    <?php comment_class( 'special' ); ?>

    This will add “special” to the class list.

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