Prevent wp_trim_words from stripping text formatting

This snippet of code is a custom modified version of the wp_trim_words function. This function enables users to trim a given text to a certain number of words and allows for a custom “more” string to be added to the end of the trimmed text. This is useful for when a user wants to limit the amount of text that is displayed, for example in a blog post excerpt, without cutting off the end of a sentence.

    //We use a custom modified wp_trim_words function
function codeart_wp_trim_words( $text, $num_words = 55, $more = null ) {
	if ( null === $more ) {
		$more = __( '…' );
	}
	$original_text = $text;
	$num_words     = (int) $num_words;
	if ( strpos( _x( 'words', 'Word count type. Do not translate!' ), 'characters' ) === 0 && preg_match( '/^utf\-?8$/i', get_option( 'blog_charset' ) ) ) {
		$text = trim( preg_replace( "/[\n\r\t ]+/", ' ', $text ), ' ' );
		preg_match_all( '/./u', $text, $words_array );
		$words_array = array_slice( $words_array[0], 0, $num_words + 1 );
		$sep         = '';
	} else {
		$words_array = preg_split( "/[\n\r\t ]+/", $text, $num_words + 1, PREG_SPLIT_NO_EMPTY );
		$sep         = ' ';
	}

	if ( count( $words_array ) > $num_words ) {
		array_pop( $words_array );
		$text = implode( $sep, $words_array );
		$text = $text . $more;
	} else {
		$text = implode( $sep, $words_array );
	}
	return apply_filters( 'wp_trim_words', $text, $num_words, $more, $original_text );

One example of where this function can be used is on a blog page, where the user may only want to display a certain amount of words from each post. This ensures that the blog page can be easily read and allows the user to give readers a quick overview of each post. Another example is when a user is creating an RSS feed, where they may only want to show a certain number of words from each post.

This allows them to control the amount of text that is displayed and keep the RSS feed to a manageable length.

This custom modified wp_trim_words function can be used on a Woocommerce store as well. It can be used to trim product descriptions to a certain number of words, which can help keep product pages concise and to the point. This can help draw the attention of potential customers and make it easier for them to quickly find the information they need. It can also be used in product reviews, where it can be used to trim reviews to a certain length and make it easier for customers to read through them.

Overall, this custom modified wp_trim_words function is an incredibly useful tool, enabling users to trim text to a certain number of words and customize the “more” string that is added. This can be used in a variety of situations, from blog post excerpts to RSS feeds, where it can be used to give readers a quick overview of the content without taking up too much space.