How To Create WordPress Custom Widgets Without any plugin

Hello, today we will try to create WordPress custom widgets in WordPress Without any plugin. We only use simple PHP coding. I will provide the full code of the widgets in the post read carefully and learn it.

Popular Post Widgets

Now we are going to create popular post widgets in a simple way. The widget counts your post views automatically display post on top according to the post views. So lets start

First of all open you themes function.php

<?php 
 /*======================================
   Popular post by count views
=======================================*/   
function w3hax_save_post_views( $postID ){
	$metaKey = 'w3hax_post_views';
	$views = get_post_meta( $postID, $metaKey, true );
	$count = ( empty( $views ) ? 0 : $views );
	$count++;
	update_post_meta( $postID, $metaKey, $count );
}
 remove_action('wp_head', 'adjacent_posts_rel_link_wp_head', 10, 0);
 
 /*======================================
   Popular post widget
=======================================*/
 
 /**
 * Name: Popular Posts widget.
 * Author: https://www.w3templates.com
 */
class Popular_Post_Widget extends WP_Widget {

	/* Register widget with WordPress.*/
	function __construct() {
		parent::__construct(
			'popular_post_widget', // Base ID
			esc_html__( 'W3hax Popular Posts', 'text_domain' ), // Name
			array( 'description' => esc_html__( 'A Popular Post Widget', 'text_domain' ), ) // Args
		);
	}

	/**
	 * Front-end display of widget.*/
	public function widget( $args, $instance ) {		
		$title = $instance['title'];
		$posts = $instance['posts'];
		
		$posts_args = array(
		    'post_type'      =>   'post',
			'posts_per_page'  =>   $posts,
			'meta_key'       =>   'w3hax_post_views',
			'orderby'        =>   'meta_value_num',
			'order'          =>   'DESC'
		);
		$posts_query = new WP_Query( $posts_args );
		
		echo $args['before_widget'];
		
		if ( ! empty( $instance['title'] ) ) {
			echo $args['before_title'] . apply_filters( 'widget_title', $instance['title'] ) . $args['after_title'];
		}
	
		//write code for determining popular posts
		
		echo '<ul>';
		if( $posts_query->have_posts() ):
		  while( $posts_query->have_posts() ): $posts_query->the_post();
		?>

		<?php
		echo '<li><a href="' . get_permalink() . '" title="' . get_the_title() . '">' . get_the_title() . '</a></li>'; 
         ?>

		<?php
		  endwhile;
	    echo '</ul>';
        endif;
		
		echo $args['after_widget'];
	}

	/**
	 * Back-end widget form.
	 *
	 * @see WP_Widget::form()
	 *
	 * @param array $instance Previously saved values from database.
	 */
	public function form( $instance ) {
		$title = ! empty( $instance['title'] ) ? $instance['title'] : esc_html__( 'Popular Posts', 'text_domain' );
		$posts = ! empty( $instance['posts'] ) ? $instance['posts'] : esc_html__( '5', 'text_domain' );
		?>
		<p>
			<label for="<?php echo esc_attr( $this->get_field_id( 'title' ) ); ?>"><?php esc_attr_e( 'Title:', 'text_domain' ); ?></label> 
			<input class="widefat" id="<?php echo esc_attr( $this->get_field_id( 'title' ) ); ?>" name="<?php echo esc_attr( $this->get_field_name( 'title' ) ); ?>" type="text" value="<?php echo esc_attr( $title ); ?>">
			<label for="<?php echo esc_attr( $this->get_field_id( 'posts' ) ); ?>"><?php esc_attr_e( 'Number of Posts:', 'text_domain' ); ?></label> 
			<input class="widefat" id="<?php echo esc_attr( $this->get_field_id( 'posts' ) ); ?>" name="<?php echo esc_attr( $this->get_field_name( 'posts' ) ); ?>" type="text" value="<?php echo esc_attr( $posts ); ?>">
		</p>
		<?php 
	}

	/* @return array Updated safe values to be saved. */
	
	public function update( $new_instance, $old_instance ) {
		$instance = array();
		$instance['title'] = ( ! empty( $new_instance['title'] ) ) ? sanitize_text_field( $new_instance['title'] ) : '';
		$instance['posts'] = ( ! empty( $new_instance['posts'] ) ) ? sanitize_text_field( $new_instance['posts'] ) : '';

		return $instance;
	}

}

// register Popular_Post_Widget widget
function register_popular_post_widget() {
    register_widget( 'Popular_Post_Widget' );
}
add_action( 'widgets_init', 'register_popular_post_widget' );


?>

Place the above code into function.php and save it. After saving the code open your themes single.php and search

<?php while ( have_posts() ) : the_post(); ?>

After search the above code past a line of code below of the line.

<?php w3hax_save_post_views( get_the_ID() ); ?>

The line display on above. This line count single post views and provide data to the function. And the function display post according to post views.