How to create a repeatable field with multiple rows programmatically (PHP)?

[GitHub-Mike]

I have read the documentation, examples and issues in detail, but I cannot find a way to programmatically (PHP) create a repeatable field with multiple rows.

I would like to create a TOC with shortened link texts. I get the original texts from the DB. I want to store the shortened link texts as meta data (one field per page) in the DB.

I only need one field with one row per heading.

I can realise this via JS as "repeatable field". I don't want to generate the lines by click, but programmatically via PHP.

Is there a solution that I have overlooked?

[tw2113]

Closest I can think of would be somehow creating some default metadata upon post draft creation that holds an empty array that matches what you want to initially have for structure.

[GitHub-Mike]

It is an existing WordPress project with many posts. The structure is not complicated as only the H2 headings are used in TOC.

Actually I only need several fields with different id and the name value as array. So like the JS add row functionality does.

[tw2113]

Not sure what to suggest for that.

[GitHub-Mike]

I have now found a solution with 'render_row_cb' callback by looping through there with the headings and inserting the field HTML.

This is a lot of work just to write the value into a name array. It would certainly make sense to build a solution that makes it easier.

Something else:

I write the changed headings with json_encode into an associative array ( ['h2-original' => 'h2-changed', ...] ).

It would be useful if $meta_value was also passed to the hooks "cmb2_save_field" and "cmb2_save_field_{$field_id}". Otherwise this has to be pulled out here: $field->data_to_save[ $field->args( 'id' ) ].

[tw2113]

curious how an easier solution for that first part would look like. It's possible the way we potentially implement would be very much like the solution came up with, but as a helper function or similar. More bundled out of box, but less work for the user.

For that last part, we're definitely open to pull requests if you want to work one up.