Improve shortcode performance

Queries are cached as Transients for 5 Minutes, which is not much but help for high traffic that cannot be cached normally (e.g. logged-in users).

functions.php

@@ -214,6 +214,11 @@ if ( ! defined( 'FICTIONEER_CHAPTER_FOLDING_THRESHOLD' ) ) {
   define( 'FICTIONEER_CHAPTER_FOLDING_THRESHOLD', 5 );
 }
 
+// Integer: Expiration time for shortcode Transients (-1 to disable)
+if ( ! defined( 'FICTIONEER_SHORTCODE_TRANSIENT_EXPIRATION' ) ) {
+  define( 'FICTIONEER_SHORTCODE_TRANSIENT_EXPIRATION', 300 );
+}
+
 /*
  * Booleans
  */

includes/functions/_caching_and_transients.php

@@ -567,4 +567,32 @@ if ( ! function_exists( 'fictioneer_get_last_story_or_chapter_update' ) ) {
   }
 }
 
+// =============================================================================
+// PURGE SHORTCODE TRANSIENTS
+// =============================================================================
+
+/**
+ * Purge all shortcode Transients
+ *
+ * @since Fictioneer 5.4.9
+ *
+ * @param int $post_id  Updated post ID.
+ */
+
+function fictioneer_purge_shortcode_transients( $post_id ) {
+  // Prevent multi-fire
+  if ( defined( 'REST_REQUEST' ) && REST_REQUEST ) return;
+  if ( wp_is_post_autosave( $post_id ) || wp_is_post_revision( $post_id ) ) return;
+
+  // Delete Transients (fast)
+  fictioneer_delete_transients_like( 'fictioneer_shortcode' );
+}
+
+if ( FICTIONEER_SHORTCODE_TRANSIENT_EXPIRATION > 0 ) {
+  add_action( 'save_post', 'fictioneer_purge_shortcode_transients' );
+  add_action( 'untrash_post', 'fictioneer_purge_shortcode_transients' );
+  add_action( 'trashed_post', 'fictioneer_purge_shortcode_transients' );
+  add_action( 'delete_post', 'fictioneer_purge_shortcode_transients' );
+}
+
 ?>

includes/functions/_shortcodes.php

@@ -1,5 +1,42 @@
 <?php
 
+// =============================================================================
+// GET SHORTCODE TRANSIENT
+// =============================================================================
+
+if ( ! function_exists( 'fictioneer_shortcode_query' ) ) {
+  /**
+   * Returns query for shortcode
+   *
+   * @since 5.4.9
+   *
+   * @param array $args  Query arguments.
+   *
+   * @return WP_Query The query result.
+   */
+
+  function fictioneer_shortcode_query( $args ) {
+    // Transient for shortcodes disabled or in admin panel?
+    if ( FICTIONEER_SHORTCODE_TRANSIENT_EXPIRATION < 1 || is_admin() ) {
+      return new WP_Query( $args );
+    }
+
+    // Setup
+    $transient_key = 'fictioneer_shortcode_' . md5( serialize( $args ) );
+    $transient = get_transient( $transient_key );
+
+    // Query
+    if ( empty( $transient ) ) {
+      $result = new WP_Query( $args );
+      set_transient( $transient_key, $result, FICTIONEER_SHORTCODE_TRANSIENT_EXPIRATION );
+    } else {
+      $result = $transient;
+    }
+
+    return $result;
+  }
+}
+
 // =============================================================================
 // SHORTCODE-BASED RELATIONSHIPS
 // =============================================================================
@@ -842,19 +879,19 @@ function fictioneer_shortcode_chapter_list( $attr ) {
   if ( empty( $chapters ) ) return $empty;
 
   // Query chapters
-  $chapter_query = new WP_Query(
-    array(
-      'post_type' => 'fcn_chapter',
-      'post_status' => 'publish',
-      'post__in' => $chapters,
-      'ignore_sticky_posts' => true,
-      'orderby' => 'post__in', // Preserve order from meta box
-      'posts_per_page' => -1, // Get all chapters (this can be hundreds)
-      'no_found_rows' => false, // Improve performance
-      'update_post_term_cache' => false // Improve performance
-    )
+  $query_args = array(
+    'post_type' => 'fcn_chapter',
+    'post_status' => 'publish',
+    'post__in' => $chapters,
+    'ignore_sticky_posts' => true,
+    'orderby' => 'post__in', // Preserve order from meta box
+    'posts_per_page' => -1, // Get all chapters (this can be hundreds)
+    'no_found_rows' => true, // Improve performance
+    'update_post_term_cache' => false // Improve performance
   );
 
+  $chapter_query = fictioneer_shortcode_query( $query_args );
+
   // Check query for items
   if ( ! $chapter_query->have_posts() ) return $empty;
 

includes/functions/_utility.php

@@ -1706,4 +1706,62 @@ if ( ! function_exists( 'fictioneer_get_story_blog_posts' ) ) {
   }
 }
 
+// =============================================================================
+// DELETE TRANSIENTS THAT INCLUDE A STRING
+// =============================================================================
+
+if ( ! function_exists( 'fictioneer_delete_transients_like' ) ) {
+  /**
+   * Delete Transients with a like key and return the count deleted
+   *
+   * @since 5.4.9
+   *
+   * @param string  $partial_key  String that is part of the key.
+   * @param boolean $fast         Optional. Whether to delete with a single SQL query or
+   *                              loop each Transient with delete_transient(), which can
+   *                              trigger hooked actions (if any). Default true.
+   *
+   * @return int Count of deleted Transients.
+   */
+
+  function fictioneer_delete_transients_like( $partial_key, $fast = true ) {
+    // Globals
+    global $wpdb;
+
+    // Setup
+    $count = 0;
+
+    // Fast?
+    if ( $fast ) {
+      // Prepare SQL
+      $sql = $wpdb->prepare(
+        "DELETE FROM $wpdb->options WHERE `option_name` LIKE %s OR `option_name` LIKE %s",
+        "%_transient%{$partial_key}%",
+        "%_transient_timeout%{$partial_key}%"
+      );
+
+      // Query
+      $count = $wpdb->query( $sql ) / 2; // Count Transient and Transient timeout as one
+    } else {
+      // Prepare SQL
+      $sql = $wpdb->prepare(
+        "SELECT `option_name` AS `name` FROM $wpdb->options WHERE `option_name` LIKE %s",
+        "_transient%{$partial_key}%"
+      );
+
+      // Query
+      $transients = $wpdb->get_col( $sql );
+
+      // Build full keys and delete
+      foreach ( $transients as $transient ) {
+        $key = str_replace( '_transient_', '', $transient );
+        $count += delete_transient( $key ) ? 1 : 0;
+      }
+    }
+
+    // Return count
+    return $count;
+  }
+}
+
 ?>

partials/_latest-chapters-compact.php

@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ if ( ! empty( $args['excluded_cats'] ) ) {
 $query_args = apply_filters( 'fictioneer_filter_shortcode_latest_chapters_query_args', $query_args, $args );
 
 // Query chapters
-$entries = new WP_Query( $query_args );
+$entries = fictioneer_shortcode_query( $query_args );
 
 ?>
 

partials/_latest-chapters.php

@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ if ( ! empty( $args['excluded_cats'] ) ) {
 $query_args = apply_filters( 'fictioneer_filter_shortcode_latest_chapters_query_args', $query_args, $args );
 
 // Query chapters
-$entries = new WP_Query( $query_args );
+$entries = fictioneer_shortcode_query( $query_args );
 
 ?>
 

partials/_latest-posts.php

@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ if ( ! empty( $args['excluded_cats'] ) ) {
 $query_args = apply_filters( 'fictioneer_filter_shortcode_latest_posts_query_args', $query_args, $args );
 
 // Query post
-$latest_entries = new WP_Query( $query_args );
+$latest_entries = fictioneer_shortcode_query( $query_args );
 
 ?>
 

partials/_latest-recommendations-compact.php

@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@ if ( ! empty( $args['excluded_cats'] ) ) {
 $query_args = apply_filters( 'fictioneer_filter_shortcode_latest_recommendations_query_args', $query_args, $args );
 
 // Query chapters
-$entries = new WP_Query( $query_args );
+$entries = fictioneer_shortcode_query( $query_args );
 
 ?>
 

partials/_latest-recommendations.php

@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ if ( ! empty( $args['excluded_cats'] ) ) {
 $query_args = apply_filters( 'fictioneer_filter_shortcode_latest_recommendations_query_args', $query_args, $args );
 
 // Query recommendations
-$entries = new WP_Query( $query_args );
+$entries = fictioneer_shortcode_query( $query_args );
 
 ?>
 

partials/_latest-stories-compact.php

@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ if ( ! empty( $args['excluded_cats'] ) ) {
 $query_args = apply_filters( 'fictioneer_filter_shortcode_latest_stories_query_args', $query_args, $args );
 
 // Query stories
-$entries = new WP_Query( $query_args );
+$entries = fictioneer_shortcode_query( $query_args );
 
 ?>
 

partials/_latest-stories.php

@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ if ( ! empty( $args['excluded_cats'] ) ) {
 $query_args = apply_filters( 'fictioneer_filter_shortcode_latest_stories_query_args', $query_args, $args );
 
 // Query stories
-$entries = new WP_Query( $query_args );
+$entries = fictioneer_shortcode_query( $query_args );
 
 ?>
 

partials/_latest-updates-compact.php

@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ if ( ! empty( $args['excluded_cats'] ) ) {
 $query_args = apply_filters( 'fictioneer_filter_shortcode_latest_updates_query_args', $query_args, $args );
 
 // Query stories
-$entries = new WP_Query( $query_args );
+$entries = fictioneer_shortcode_query( $query_args );
 
 ?>
 

partials/_latest-updates.php

@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ if ( ! empty( $args['excluded_cats'] ) ) {
 $query_args = apply_filters( 'fictioneer_filter_shortcode_latest_updates_query_args', $query_args, $args );
 
 // Query stories
-$entries = new WP_Query( $query_args );
+$entries = fictioneer_shortcode_query( $query_args );
 
 ?>
 

partials/_showcase.php

@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ if ( ! empty( $args['excluded_cats'] ) ) {
 $query_args = apply_filters( 'fictioneer_filter_shortcode_showcase_query_args', $query_args, $args );
 
 // Query collections
-$query = new WP_Query( $query_args );
+$query = fictioneer_shortcode_query( $query_args );
 
 ?>