I've written a plugin to allow authentication to a WordPress install via an external API. Everything is working except the first and last names are not being set for the new WordPress user created by the plugin when a login attempt passes the external authentication.

Here's the really strange part: one of the selectable display names is the first and last names coming in from the external API.

$userdata = array( 'user_email' => $ext_user['email'],
                                'user_login' => $ext_user['email'],
                                'first_name' => $ext_user['firstName'],
                                'last_name' => $ext_user['lastName'],
                                'role' => $user_role
                                );
$new_user_id = wp_insert_user( $userdata ); 

$user = new WP_User ($new_user_id);

That's the code I'm using to create the new users. I have logged both $ext_user['firstName'] and $ext_user['lastName'] just before filling the $userdata array to ensure those values are coming through properly and they are. I can't understand how they can be in the Display Name field but the First Name and Last Name fields are blank. Can anyone help?

UPDATE: This install runs the Cimy User Extra Fields plugin. At first, I thought this might be the culprit, but I disabled it and the issue persists. Maybe that's still the problem, but I don't know how to determine. Could this plugin replace the default first and last name fields?

I've written a plugin to allow authentication to a WordPress install via an external API. Everything is working except the first and last names are not being set for the new WordPress user created by the plugin when a login attempt passes the external authentication.

Here's the really strange part: one of the selectable display names is the first and last names coming in from the external API.

$userdata = array( 'user_email' => $ext_user['email'],
                                'user_login' => $ext_user['email'],
                                'first_name' => $ext_user['firstName'],
                                'last_name' => $ext_user['lastName'],
                                'role' => $user_role
                                );
$new_user_id = wp_insert_user( $userdata ); 

$user = new WP_User ($new_user_id);

That's the code I'm using to create the new users. I have logged both $ext_user['firstName'] and $ext_user['lastName'] just before filling the $userdata array to ensure those values are coming through properly and they are. I can't understand how they can be in the Display Name field but the First Name and Last Name fields are blank. Can anyone help?

UPDATE: This install runs the Cimy User Extra Fields plugin. At first, I thought this might be the culprit, but I disabled it and the issue persists. Maybe that's still the problem, but I don't know how to determine. Could this plugin replace the default first and last name fields?

• plugin-development
• users
• profiles

• 1 Do you have access to the database? If yes, are the fields filled with the info? Maybe it is just a problem of listing that info in the dashboard – K Themes Commented Mar 4, 2014 at 19:43
• @KThemes I just took a look at the database, and it looks like the plugin I mentioned has hijacked the WP first and last name columns. Those don't exist in the user database at all. – raddevon Commented Mar 4, 2014 at 20:47
• 1 After wp_insert_user, you could try running update_user_meta( $new_user_id, "first_name", $ext_user['firstName'] ) ; – czerspalace Commented Mar 4, 2014 at 21:54
• @czerspalace Your solution worked. Not sure why it came to that, but that fixed the problem. If you want to post it as an answer, I'll mark it correct. – raddevon Commented Mar 5, 2014 at 13:21
• 1 Maybe, just maybe you have some function hooked in the "pre_user_first_name" filter ($first_name = apply_filters('pre_user_first_name', $first_name);) If you wanna check and be sure if there is any function hooked in there you can use this answer: stackoverflow/questions/5224209/… – K Themes Commented Mar 7, 2014 at 11:21

2 Answers 2

After wp_insert_user, you could try running update_user_meta( $new_user_id, "first_name", $ext_user['firstName'] ) ;

This code works when I try it, though it generates an "undefinded variable" error (looks like you should pass a user password). However, there are a number of filters in there that could be used to manipulate the data. including pre_user_first_name and pre_user_last_name. As those fields are "meta" fields, it would also be possible to alter the data via filters run by update_user_meta(). That data is passed through update_metadata() which allows selective filtering.

I can only assume that one or more of those filters are involved in creating this issue.