Changing Your Smilies In WordPress

There are several ways to do this and perhaps an easy way to change is to use a plugin to make them themeable, but this tutorial is for those who do not want themeable smilies. This will also help you understand where the smilies are located.

Step 1. Load your new smilies. In WordPress 2.7.1, smiley image files can be located in the /wp-includes/images/smilies folder. This is where you will upload them. Remember to overwrite the old ones.

Step 2. In wp-includes folder, find the functions.php file and open it.

Step 3. Find the code for the smilies. It will look something like this:


function smilies_init() {
global $wpsmiliestrans, $wp_smiliessearch, $wp_smiliesreplace;

// don't bother setting up smilies if they are disabled
if ( !get_option( 'use_smilies' ) )
return;

if ( !isset( $wpsmiliestrans ) ) {
$wpsmiliestrans = array(
':mrgreen:' => 'icon_mrgreen.gif',
':neutral:' => 'icon_neutral.gif',
':twisted:' => 'icon_twisted.gif',
':arrow:' => 'icon_arrow.gif',
':shock:' => 'icon_eek.gif',
':smile:' => 'icon_smile.gif',
':???:' => 'icon_confused.gif',
':cool:' => 'icon_cool.gif',
':evil:' => 'icon_evil.gif',
':grin:' => 'icon_biggrin.gif',
':idea:' => 'icon_idea.gif',
':oops:' => 'icon_redface.gif',
':razz:' => 'icon_razz.gif',
':roll:' => 'icon_rolleyes.gif',
':wink:' => 'icon_wink.gif',
':cry:' => 'icon_cry.gif',
':eek:' => 'icon_surprised.gif',
':lol:' => 'icon_lol.gif',
':mad:' => 'icon_mad.gif',
':sad:' => 'icon_sad.gif',
'8-)' => 'icon_cool.gif',
'8-O' => 'icon_eek.gif',
':-(' => 'icon_sad.gif',
':-)' => 'icon_smile.gif',
':-?' => 'icon_confused.gif',
':-D' => 'icon_biggrin.gif',
':-P' => 'icon_razz.gif',
':-o' => 'icon_surprised.gif',
':-x' => 'icon_mad.gif',
':-|' => 'icon_neutral.gif',
';-)' => 'icon_wink.gif',
'8)' => 'icon_cool.gif',
'8O' => 'icon_eek.gif',
':(' => 'icon_sad.gif',
':)' => 'icon_smile.gif',
':?' => 'icon_confused.gif',
':D' => 'icon_biggrin.gif',
':P' => 'icon_razz.gif',
':o' => 'icon_surprised.gif',
':x' => 'icon_mad.gif',
':|' => 'icon_neutral.gif',
';)' => 'icon_wink.gif',
':!:' => 'icon_exclaim.gif',
':?:' => 'icon_question.gif',
);
}

$siteurl = get_option( 'siteurl' );
foreach ( (array) $wpsmiliestrans as $smiley => $img ) {
$wp_smiliessearch[] = '/(\s|^)' . preg_quote( $smiley, '/' ) . '(\s|$)/';
$smiley_masked = attribute_escape( trim( $smiley ) );
$wp_smiliesreplace[] = " <img src='$siteurl/wp-includes/images/smilies/$img' alt='$smiley_masked' class='wp-smiley' /> ";
}
}

If you have no smilies that you uploaded that are different than the above, then you do not have to alter the file. However, if you do, simply add another line after the last listed smiley file. For example, if you had loaded a smiley image that nods with a file name of ‘icon_nod.gif’, you would insert the following code:


':nod:' => 'icon_nod.gif',

You do not have to mess with the rest of the code if you need to add a smiley, so do not worry about that. It was used as an example in this tutorial.