register_meta()

register_meta( string $object_type, string $meta_key, array $args, string|array $deprecated = null ): bool

function register_meta( $object_type, $meta_key, $args, $deprecated = null ) {
	global $wp_meta_keys;

	if ( ! is_array( $wp_meta_keys ) ) {
		$wp_meta_keys = array();
	}

	$defaults = array(
		'object_subtype'    => '',
		'type'              => 'string',
		'label'             => '',
		'description'       => '',
		'default'           => '',
		'single'            => false,
		'sanitize_callback' => null,
		'auth_callback'     => null,
		'show_in_rest'      => false,
		'revisions_enabled' => false,
	);

	// There used to be individual args for sanitize and auth callbacks.
	$has_old_sanitize_cb = false;
	$has_old_auth_cb     = false;

	if ( is_callable( $args ) ) {
		$args = array(
			'sanitize_callback' => $args,
		);

		$has_old_sanitize_cb = true;
	} else {
		$args = (array) $args;
	}

	if ( is_callable( $deprecated ) ) {
		$args['auth_callback'] = $deprecated;
		$has_old_auth_cb       = true;
	}

	/**
	 * Filters the registration arguments when registering meta.
	 *
	 * @since 4.6.0
	 *
	 * @param array  $args        Array of meta registration arguments.
	 * @param array  $defaults    Array of default arguments.
	 * @param string $object_type Type of object metadata is for. Accepts 'blog', 'post', 'comment', 'term',
	 *                            'user', or any other object type with an associated meta table.
	 * @param string $meta_key    Meta key.
	 */
	$args = apply_filters( 'register_meta_args', $args, $defaults, $object_type, $meta_key );
	unset( $defaults['default'] );
	$args = wp_parse_args( $args, $defaults );

	// Require an item schema when registering array meta.
	if ( false !== $args['show_in_rest'] && 'array' === $args['type'] ) {
		if ( ! is_array( $args['show_in_rest'] ) || ! isset( $args['show_in_rest']['schema']['items'] ) ) {
			_doing_it_wrong( __FUNCTION__, __( 'When registering an "array" meta type to show in the REST API, you must specify the schema for each array item in "show_in_rest.schema.items".' ), '5.3.0' );

			return false;
		}
	}

	$object_subtype = ! empty( $args['object_subtype'] ) ? $args['object_subtype'] : '';
	if ( $args['revisions_enabled'] ) {
		if ( 'post' !== $object_type ) {
			_doing_it_wrong( __FUNCTION__, __( 'Meta keys cannot enable revisions support unless the object type supports revisions.' ), '6.4.0' );

			return false;
		} elseif ( ! empty( $object_subtype ) && ! post_type_supports( $object_subtype, 'revisions' ) ) {
			_doing_it_wrong( __FUNCTION__, __( 'Meta keys cannot enable revisions support unless the object subtype supports revisions.' ), '6.4.0' );

			return false;
		}
	}

	// If `auth_callback` is not provided, fall back to `is_protected_meta()`.
	if ( empty( $args['auth_callback'] ) ) {
		if ( is_protected_meta( $meta_key, $object_type ) ) {
			$args['auth_callback'] = '__return_false';
		} else {
			$args['auth_callback'] = '__return_true';
		}
	}

	// Back-compat: old sanitize and auth callbacks are applied to all of an object type.
	if ( is_callable( $args['sanitize_callback'] ) ) {
		if ( ! empty( $object_subtype ) ) {
			add_filter( "sanitize_{$object_type}_meta_{$meta_key}_for_{$object_subtype}", $args['sanitize_callback'], 10, 4 );
		} else {
			add_filter( "sanitize_{$object_type}_meta_{$meta_key}", $args['sanitize_callback'], 10, 3 );
		}
	}

	if ( is_callable( $args['auth_callback'] ) ) {
		if ( ! empty( $object_subtype ) ) {
			add_filter( "auth_{$object_type}_meta_{$meta_key}_for_{$object_subtype}", $args['auth_callback'], 10, 6 );
		} else {
			add_filter( "auth_{$object_type}_meta_{$meta_key}", $args['auth_callback'], 10, 6 );
		}
	}

	if ( array_key_exists( 'default', $args ) ) {
		$schema = $args;
		if ( is_array( $args['show_in_rest'] ) && isset( $args['show_in_rest']['schema'] ) ) {
			$schema = array_merge( $schema, $args['show_in_rest']['schema'] );
		}

		$check = rest_validate_value_from_schema( $args['default'], $schema );
		if ( is_wp_error( $check ) ) {
			_doing_it_wrong( __FUNCTION__, __( 'When registering a default meta value the data must match the type provided.' ), '5.5.0' );

			return false;
		}

		if ( ! has_filter( "default_{$object_type}_metadata", 'filter_default_metadata' ) ) {
			add_filter( "default_{$object_type}_metadata", 'filter_default_metadata', 10, 5 );
		}
	}

	// Global registry only contains meta keys registered with the array of arguments added in 4.6.0.
	if ( ! $has_old_auth_cb && ! $has_old_sanitize_cb ) {
		unset( $args['object_subtype'] );

		$wp_meta_keys[ $object_type ][ $object_subtype ][ $meta_key ] = $args;

		return true;
	}

	return false;
}