s2Member-Only Mode

s2Member-Only Mode, is a mode in which s2Member loads WordPress from a special file located here in the s2Member Framework: /wp-content/plugins/s2member/s2member-o.php; as opposed to using the default WordPress loaders: /index.php and/or /wp-load.php.

This special file (/wp-content/plugins/s2member/s2member-o.php) loads WordPress with only the s2Member plugin; thereby excluding all other active plugins (including any MUST USE Plugins—they are excluded too); and also your theme is excluded. We load only s2Member in this mode. This technique reduces latency in scenarios where only the s2Member plugin needs to be running in WordPress.

In the current release, s2Member-Only Mode is used for JavaScript/CSS files loaded by s2Member. For example, when s2Member loads it’s dynamic JavaScript or CSS files; we can eliminate latency caused by loading several plugins in an effort to further streamline page speed—with respect to JS/CSS files.

Developers: Impact on s2 Hack Files

If you're hacking s2Member with Hooks/Filters, you are probably using an MU Plugin file with the name: s2-hacks.php. That’s perfectly fine for 99% of all hacks. In fact, 99% of the time, the name of your MU Plugin file is not even relevant (i.e., you can name it s2.php, my-s2-hacks.php, some-hacks-of-mine.php, or whatever you like best—as long as it ends with .php).

However, in s2Member-Only mode (as detailed above) all MU Plugin files are excluded. So what if you want to hack s2Member in ways that might affect the way s2Member functions in s2Member-Only Mode? The solution is to give your hack file one of the following special names.

Special MU Plugin File Names That Are Loaded (Even in s2Member-Only Mode)

s2member-o-hacks.php
s2-o-hacks.php

s2member-o.php
s2-o.php

s2member-a-hacks.php
s2-a-hacks.php

s2member-a.php
s2-a.php

You can choose from any of these you like best. Each of them work the same way. They affect WordPress as an MU Plugin, and they are also loaded in s2Member-Only mode (simply because they have one of these special names); i.e., s2Member-Only Mode will load hack files with these special names.

When should I care about s2Member-Only Mode?

Not often, and you may never need to. However, translations are a good example—they should be applied to all instances of s2Member (even in s2Member-Only Mode). Hacks that modify Hooks/Filters associated specifically with JS/CSS files are another example.

When not to use one of these special MU Plugin file names?

You should not use these special names if your hack includes dependencies that might not exist in s2Member-Only mode. For instance, if your hack depends on functions provided by your theme, or from another plugin you're running in concert with s2Member; you should not attempt to use that functionality in s2Member-Only Mode, because it will not exist in this mode. In s2Member-Only mode, only WordPress and s2Member are running.

How can I tell if s2Member is in s2Member-Only Mode?

If you are coding a hack file that needs to detect when s2Member is loaded in s2Member-Only Mode, you can add this check to your custom code.

<?php
if(defined('WS_PLUGIN__S2MEMBER_ONLY'))
    {
         // Code that runs in s2Member-Only mode.
    }

Some site owners will create an MU Plugin specifically for s2Member-Only Mode, where they wrap their custom code with this check. That way it only runs in s2Member-Only Mode (or vice-versa). It’s not common for developers to do this, but it is helpful in a few unique circumstances.

<?php
if(!defined('WS_PLUGIN__S2MEMBER_ONLY'))
    {
         // Code that runs when NOT in s2Member-Only mode.
    }