the UI for usergroup assignment based on WP Role would look something like the image below…  a bit more write up help would be needed…  btw, the dummy role was added with role manager…

After thinking about the storage a bit more this afternoon, I am leaning towards using sfmeta table to store the default usergroup assignments.  A new table, while cheap, would be overkill especially if users dont utiilize this feature.

I am thinking a new sfmeta row for each default role assignment, plus the two (guests and members) default user types.  this would be straight forward. 

the meta type would be something like “auto usergroup”.  the meta key would be set to the WP role.  the meta value would then be the usergroup id to be used for memberships.  The meta value could potentially become a serialized array if more info (such as other membership behaviour) is required.

thoughts?

My suggestion after reading the first two posts was going to be sfmeta – it's the sort of thing it's for really so if it is a fit then I would go for it. All looks and sounds good to me.

okay, will press on…

for now, will simply add the new user group membership if the role is changed, but still need to come up with strategy for existing user group memberships.

oh, this was just going to smooth to be true…  but of course, wp in its infinite wisdom has to throw a monkey wrench in the mix…

this is working fine for user registrations via wp-register.php and for profile updates done via the wp admin user profile.

unfortunately, it doesn't work for users created by wp admin in the add user admin panel.  for some very odd reason, when a user is created this way, the user_register hook is called twice.  The first time, it has the new role of the user as selected from a dropdown on the add user form.  however, the hook is fired a second time this time with a role of the default role for new wp users.  the wp routines for adding users have special code to ignore this second update with a default role, but it sure does mess up any function waiting on that hook firing…

well, maybe not.. this is a mess for wp admin created users.  may not work right since they appear to update the role after calling the hook.

ah, figured out how fix its goat!!!

We have some users who are goats?

Actually judgoing by some of the questions we get this wouldn't suprise me too much!

well luckily they add their own temp routine on the same hook to fix up their initially incorrect role…  so I just changed the priority of my hook action to let their hook actions run before mine.  this should also let other plugins that might muck with the new user data run first too.

but you got to love it when their comment on what they are doing says “The hackiest hack that ever did hack”

okay, I got the basic stuff here working and have committed my changes for others to play around with.

Its working fine with role manager too… any time a role of a user is updated via the wp admin, new user group assignment if defined is made.  If the user is already in that usergroup, nothing is done.

Whats left?

Cleaning up the UI for setting the role/usergroup mappings.

writing the help

still need to decide what to do about existing memberships.  Currently, if the role is changed, the new usergroup membership is given (if applicable).  any existing memberships remain. kind of torn as to whether that is optimal or should offer perhpas a check box next to the pull down in the options setting which says remove all other memberships when the assignment is made.  the way it currently is going to be fine for most cases.  however, if a user role is “downgraded” at a later time, folks will want the other membershi revoked and the new one to be in place from the new role.  The checkbox idea complicates stuff a bit, but would handle this situation.  other UI ideas for this?

missing anything else?

Could this be a global option along the lines of 'on my forum users can only belong to one user group'?

interesting option worth considering. 

what would be the downside to this?  might be limiting for multiple private forums where users can do some things in one forum but more/less in another forum based on some sort of subscription level.

certainly a simple implementation.

Well it would just mean that for most users who have a simple, straightforward forum the option would be checked.

For those that want to have a more sophisticated arrangement then iot would not be and they would have to make manual adjustments as required. But – that is what they have to do now in any case so it might not be that bad…

seems logical…  so a global option for limiting membership to single user group?  add the check box for that at the bottom of the section where I have the wp role to usergroup mapping?  would think the default is not checked?