Task Management System (WordPress Plugin)

# Task Management System (WordPress Plugin)

A complete task management solution for WordPress that provides comprehensive task tracking with priorities, statuses, assignees, due dates, categories, and powerful filtering capabilities. Designed for teams and organizations managing projects and tasks within WordPress.

Purpose and Philosophy

The Problem

WordPress lacks native task management:

No built-in way to track project tasks
Need for custom post type solutions
No unified interface for team task management
Difficulty tracking task history and updates

The Solution

A full-featured task management system:

Custom Post Type — Dedicated task CPT with rich metadata
Status Workflow — Configurable status progression
Priority System — Visual priority indicators
User Assignment — Task assignment to users
Due Date Tracking — Calendar integration
Category Organization — Taxonomy-based grouping
Filtering System — Advanced search and filter
Webhook Integration — External system connectivity

Core Components

Task CPT Registration

php

function tms_register_task_cpt() {
    register_post_type('tms_task', [
        'labels' => [
            'name' => 'Tasks',
            'singular_name' => 'Task',
            'add_new' => 'Add Task',
            'add_new_item' => 'Add New Task',
            'edit_item' => 'Edit Task',
            'new_item' => 'New Task',
            'view_item' => 'View Task',
            'search_items' => 'Search Tasks',
        ],
        'public' => false,
        'show_ui' => true,
        'supports' => ['title', 'editor', 'comments', 'custom-fields'],
        'menu_icon' => 'dashicons-clipboard',
        'menu_position' => 25,
        'show_in_menu' => 'tms-menu',
        'hierarchical' => false,
    ]);
    
    // Task Categories
    register_taxonomy('tms_category', ['tms_task'], [
        'labels' => [
            'name' => 'Task Categories',
            'singular_name' => 'Category',
        ],
        'hierarchical' => true,
        'show_in_menu' => 'tms-menu',
    ]);
    
    // Task Tags
    register_taxonomy('tms_tag', ['tms_task'], [
        'labels' => [
            'name' => 'Task Tags',
            'singular_name' => 'Tag',
        ],
        'hierarchical' => false,
        'show_in_menu' => 'tms-menu',
    ]);
}
add_action('init', 'tms_register_task_cpt');

Task Meta Fields

php

// Task metadata fields
$task_meta_fields = [
    '_tms_priority' => 'priority',        // high, medium, low
    '_tms_status' => 'status',           // pending, in-progress, completed, on-hold
    '_tms_assignee' => 'assignee',       // user ID
    '_tms_due_date' => 'due_date',       // date
    '_tms_start_date' => 'start_date',   // date
    '_tms_estimated_hours' => 'estimated_hours',
    '_tms_actual_hours' => 'actual_hours',
    '_tms_client' => 'client',           // client name/ID
    '_tms_project' => 'project',         // project name/ID
    '_tms_dependencies' => 'dependencies', // array of task IDs
];

// Add meta boxes
function tms_add_task_meta_boxes() {
    add_meta_box('tms_task_details', 'Task Details', 'tms_task_details_callback', 'tms_task', 'normal', 'high');
    add_meta_box('tms_task_dates', 'Dates & Hours', 'tms_task_dates_callback', 'tms_task', 'side', 'default');
    add_meta_box('tms_task_relations', 'Relations', 'tms_task_relations_callback', 'tms_task', 'side', 'default');
}
add_action('add_meta_boxes', 'tms_add_task_meta_boxes');

Task Status Management

php

// Predefined statuses
define('TMS_STATUS_PENDING', 'pending');
define('TMS_STATUS_IN_PROGRESS', 'in_progress');
define('TMS_STATUS_COMPLETED', 'completed');
define('TMS_STATUS_ON_HOLD', 'on_hold');
define('TMS_STATUS_CANCELLED', 'cancelled');

function tms_get_status_options() {
    return [
        'pending' => ['label' => 'Pending', 'color' => '#ffc107'],
        'in_progress' => ['label' => 'In Progress', 'color' => '#2196f3'],
        'completed' => ['label' => 'Completed', 'color' => '#4caf50'],
        'on_hold' => ['label' => 'On Hold', 'color' => '#9e9e9e'],
        'cancelled' => ['label' => 'Cancelled', 'color' => '#f44336'],
    ];
}

Priority System

php

function tms_get_priority_options() {
    return [
        'urgent' => ['label' => 'Urgent', 'color' => '#f44336', 'icon' => '🔥'],
        'high' => ['label' => 'High', 'color' => '#ff9800', 'icon' => '⬆️'],
        'medium' => ['label' => 'Medium', 'color' => '#2196f3', 'icon' => '➡️'],
        'low' => ['label' => 'Low', 'color' => '#4caf50', 'icon' => '⬇️'],
    ];
}

function tms_display_priority_indicator($priority) {
    $options = tms_get_priority_options();
    $p = $options[$priority] ?? $options['medium'];
    return '<span class="tms-priority-badge" style="background:' . $p['color'] . ';">' . $p['icon'] . ' ' . $p['label'] . '</span>';
}

Filtering System

php

function tms_filter_tasks($args, $filter_params) {
    $meta_query = [];
    
    // Filter by status
    if (!empty($filter_params['status'])) {
        $meta_query[] = [
            'key' => '_tms_status',
            'value' => $filter_params['status'],
        ];
    }
    
    // Filter by priority
    if (!empty($filter_params['priority'])) {
        $meta_query[] = [
            'key' => '_tms_priority',
            'value' => $filter_params['priority'],
        ];
    }
    
    // Filter by assignee
    if (!empty($filter_params['assignee'])) {
        $meta_query[] = [
            'key' => '_tms_assignee',
            'value' => $filter_params['assignee'],
        ];
    }
    
    // Filter by due date range
    if (!empty($filter_params['due_date_from'])) {
        $meta_query[] = [
            'key' => '_tms_due_date',
            'value' => $filter_params['due_date_from'],
            'compare' => '>=',
            'type' => 'DATE',
        ];
    }
    
    if (!empty($filter_params['due_date_to'])) {
        $meta_query[] = [
            'key' => '_tms_due_date',
            'value' => $filter_params['due_date_to'],
            'compare' => '<=',
            'type' => 'DATE',
        ];
    }
    
    if (!empty($meta_query)) {
        $args['meta_query'] = $meta_query;
    }
    
    return $args;
}

Task List Shortcode

php

function tms_task_list_shortcode($atts) {
    $atts = shortcode_atts([
        'status' => '',
        'priority' => '',
        'assignee' => '',
        'category' => '',
        'show_filters' => 'true',
        'per_page' => 20,
    ], $atts);
    
    ob_start();
    
    if ($atts['show_filters'] === 'true') {
        echo tms_render_filter_form($atts);
    }
    
    $args = [
        'post_type' => 'tms_task',
        'posts_per_page' => intval($atts['per_page']),
    ];
    
    $filter_params = [
        'status' => $atts['status'],
        'priority' => $atts['priority'],
        'assignee' => $atts['assignee'],
    ];
    
    $args = tms_filter_tasks($args, $filter_params);
    
    $query = new WP_Query($args);
    
    echo '<div class="tms-task-list">';
    
    if ($query->have_posts()) {
        echo '<table class="tms-table">';
        echo '<thead><tr>';
        echo '<th>Title</th>';
        echo '<th>Status</th>';
        echo '<th>Priority</th>';
        echo '<th>Assignee</th>';
        echo '<th>Due Date</th>';
        echo '</tr></thead>';
        echo '<tbody>';
        
        while ($query->have_posts()) {
            $query->the_post();
            $task_id = get_the_ID();
            
            echo '<tr>';
            echo '<td><a href="' . get_edit_post_link($task_id) . '">' . get_the_title() . '</a></td>';
            echo '<td>' . tms_display_status_badge(get_post_meta($task_id, '_tms_status', true)) . '</td>';
            echo '<td>' . tms_display_priority_indicator(get_post_meta($task_id, '_tms_priority', true)) . '</td>';
            echo '<td>' . tms_get_assignee_name(get_post_meta($task_id, '_tms_assignee', true)) . '</td>';
            echo '<td>' . get_post_meta($task_id, '_tms_due_date', true) . '</td>';
            echo '</tr>';
        }
        
        echo '</tbody></table>';
    } else {
        echo '<p>No tasks found.</p>';
    }
    
    echo '</div>';
    
    wp_reset_postdata();
    return ob_get_clean();
}
add_shortcode('tms_tasks', 'tms_task_list_shortcode');

Calendar View

php

function tms_calendar_shortcode($atts) {
    $atts = shortcode_atts([
        'view' => 'month', // month, week, agenda
        'assignee' => '',
    ], $atts);
    
    // Enqueue calendar scripts
    wp_enqueue_script('tms-fullcalendar');
    wp_enqueue_style('tms-fullcalendar-css');
    
    // Get tasks with due dates
    $tasks = tms_get_tasks_for_calendar($atts['assignee']);
    
    $events = [];
    foreach ($tasks as $task) {
        $due_date = get_post_meta($task->ID, '_tms_due_date', true);
        if ($due_date) {
            $events[] = [
                'title' => get_the_title($task->ID),
                'start' => $due_date,
                'url' => get_edit_post_link($task->ID),
                'className' => 'tms-event-' . get_post_meta($task->ID, '_tms_priority', true),
            ];
        }
    }
    
    ob_start();
    ?>
    <div id="tms-calendar" data-events='<?php echo json_encode($events); ?>'></div>
    <script>
        jQuery(document).ready(function($) {
            $('#tms-calendar').fullCalendar({
                events: JSON.parse($('#tms-calendar').data('events')),
                header: {
                    left: 'prev,next today',
                    center: 'title',
                    right: 'month,agendaWeek'
                }
            });
        });
    </script>
    <?php
    return ob_get_clean();
}
add_shortcode('tms_calendar', 'tms_calendar_shortcode');

php

function tms_add_dashboard_widget() {
    wp_add_dashboard_widget(
        'tms_overview_widget',
        'Task Overview',
        'tms_dashboard_widget_callback'
    );
}
add_action('wp_dashboard_setup', 'tms_add_dashboard_widget');

function tms_dashboard_widget_callback() {
    $stats = tms_get_task_stats();
    ?>
    <div class="tms-dashboard-stats">
        <div class="stat-box">
            <span class="stat-number"><?php echo $stats['total']; ?></span>
            <span class="stat-label">Total Tasks</span>
        </div>
        <div class="stat-box pending">
            <span class="stat-number"><?php echo $stats['pending']; ?></span>
            <span class="stat-label">Pending</span>
        </div>
        <div class="stat-box in-progress">
            <span class="stat-number"><?php echo $stats['in_progress']; ?></span>
            <span class="stat-label">In Progress</span>
        </div>
        <div class="stat-box completed">
            <span class="stat-number"><?php echo $stats['completed']; ?></span>
            <span class="stat-label">Completed</span>
        </div>
    </div>
    <?php
}

Webhook Integration

php

// Webhook triggers
function tms_trigger_webhook($task_id, $action) {
    $webhook_url = get_option('tms_webhook_url');
    
    if (!$webhook_url) {
        return;
    }
    
    $task_data = tms_prepare_task_data($task_id);
    
    $payload = [
        'action' => $action,
        'task' => $task_data,
        'timestamp' => current_time('mysql'),
    ];
    
    wp_remote_post($webhook_url, [
        'body' => json_encode($payload),
        'headers' => ['Content-Type' => 'application/json'],
    ]);
}

// Trigger on task status change
add_action('transition_post_status', 'tms_on_task_status_change', 10, 3);
function tms_on_task_status_change($new_status, $old_status, $post) {
    if ($post->post_type !== 'tms_task') {
        return;
    }
    
    if ($new_status !== $old_status) {
        tms_trigger_webhook($post->ID, 'status_changed');
    }
}

Analytics

php

function tms_get_task_stats() {
    $args = ['post_type' => 'tms_task', 'posts_per_page' => -1];
    $query = new WP_Query($args);
    
    $stats = [
        'total' => 0,
        'pending' => 0,
        'in_progress' => 0,
        'completed' => 0,
        'on_hold' => 0,
        'overdue' => 0,
    ];
    
    if ($query->have_posts()) {
        $stats['total'] = $query->found_posts;
        
        while ($query->have_posts()) {
            $query->the_post();
            $task_id = get_the_ID();
            $status = get_post_meta($task_id, '_tms_status', true);
            $due_date = get_post_meta($task_id, '_tms_due_date', true);
            
            if (isset($stats[$status])) {
                $stats[$status]++;
            }
            
            // Check overdue
            if ($due_date && strtotime($due_date) < time() && $status !== 'completed') {
                $stats['overdue']++;
            }
        }
    }
    
    wp_reset_postdata();
    return $stats;
}

Installation

Upload to WordPress plugins directory
Activate via Plugins admin
Create pages with shortcodes:

[tms_tasks] - Task list
[tms_calendar] - Calendar view
[tms_dashboard] - User dashboard

Configure settings in TMS Settings page

Portfolio Context

This plugin demonstrates:

Custom Post Types — Rich task management CPT
Meta Fields — Multiple metadata for task properties
Taxonomies — Categories and tags for organization
Shortcodes — Multiple UI components
AJAX Filtering — Real-time task filtering
Calendar Integration — FullCalendar.js integration
Webhook System — External system connectivity
Analytics — Dashboard statistics
Role Management — User assignment and permissions

Architecture Feedback

Spotted a potential optimization or antipattern? Let me know.