I did something similar recently for a simple email log (for diagnosing some problems). I don’t have time to dissect the code, but hopefully it’ll be clear enough for you.
It creates a CPT for storing data that can be viewed in the admin (only), and allows the user to view and delete each post. NB: delete, not trash — no need for resurrection of deleted posts. Edit is changed to View, and metaboxes are replaced with a view template. This code is obviously missing the bits that write to the CPT and auto-purge old ones, but should be enough for your question.
/**
* custom post type for email log
*/
class LogEmailsPostTypeLog {
/**
* hooks
*/
public function __construct() {
add_action('admin_init', array($this, 'init'));
add_action('init', array($this, 'register'));
}
/**
* admin_init action
*/
public function init() {
global $typenow;
if (empty($typenow)) {
// try to pick it up from the query string
if (!empty($_GET['post'])) {
$post = get_post($_GET['post']);
$typenow = $post->post_type;
}
}
if ($typenow == 'log_emails_log') {
add_filter('display_post_states', '__return_false');
add_action('edit_form_after_title', array($this, 'adminEditAfterTitle'), 100);
add_filter('post_row_actions', array($this, 'adminPostRowActions'), 10, 2);
add_filter('bulk_actions-edit-log_emails_log', array($this, 'adminBulkActionsEdit'));
add_filter('manage_log_emails_log_posts_columns', array($this, 'adminManageColumns'));
add_action('manage_log_emails_log_posts_custom_column', array($this, 'adminManageCustomColumn'), 10, 2);
add_action('admin_print_footer_scripts', array($this, 'adminPrintFooterScripts'));
add_action('in_admin_header', array($this, 'adminScreenLayout'));
add_filter('views_edit-log_emails_log', array($this, 'adminViewsEdit'));
if (is_admin()) {
add_filter('gettext', array($this, 'adminGetText'), 10, 3);
}
wp_enqueue_script('jquery');
}
}
/**
* register Custom Post Type
*/
public function register() {
// register the post type
register_post_type('log_emails_log', array(
'labels' => array (
'name' => __('Email Logs', 'log-emails'),
'singular_name' => __('Email Log', 'log-emails'),
'add_new_item' => __('Add New Email Log', 'log-emails'),
'edit_item' => __('View Email Log', 'log-emails'),
'new_item' => __('New Email Log', 'log-emails'),
'view_item' => __('View Email Log', 'log-emails'),
'search_items' => __('Search Email Log', 'log-emails'),
'not_found' => __('No email logs found', 'log-emails'),
'not_found_in_trash' => __('No email logs found in Trash', 'log-emails'),
'parent_item_colon' => __('Parent email logs', 'log-emails'),
),
'description' => __('Email Logs, as a custom post type', 'log-emails'),
'exclude_from_search' => true,
'publicly_queryable' => false,
'public' => false,
'show_ui' => true,
'show_in_admin_bar' => false,
'menu_position' => 75,
'hierarchical' => false,
'has_archive' => false,
'supports' => array('nada'),
'rewrite' => false,
'can_export' => false,
'capabilities' => array (
'create_posts' => false,
'edit_post' => 'manage_options',
'read_post' => 'manage_options',
'delete_post' => 'manage_options',
'edit_posts' => 'manage_options',
'edit_others_posts' => 'manage_options',
'publish_posts' => 'manage_options',
'read_private_posts' => 'manage_options',
),
));
}
/**
* change some text on admin pages
* @param string $translation
* @param string $text
* @param string $domain
* @return string
*/
public function adminGetText($translation, $text, $domain) {
if ($domain == 'default') {
if ($text == 'Edit “%s”') {
$translation = 'View “%s”';
}
}
return $translation;
}
/**
* remove views we don't need from post list
* @param array $views
* @return array
*/
public function adminViewsEdit($views) {
unset($views['publish']);
unset($views['draft']);
return $views;
}
/**
* remove unwanted actions from post list
* @param array $actions
* @param WP_Post $post
* @return array
*/
public function adminPostRowActions($actions, $post) {
unset($actions['inline hide-if-no-js']); // "quick edit"
unset($actions['trash']);
unset($actions['edit']);
if ($post && $post->ID) {
// add View link
$actions['view'] = sprintf('<a href="https://wordpress.stackexchange.com/questions/124868/%s" title="https://wordpress.stackexchange.com/questions/124868/%s">%s</a>',
get_edit_post_link($post->ID),
__('View', 'log-emails'), __('View', 'log-emails'));
// add Delete link
$actions['delete'] = sprintf('<a href="https://wordpress.stackexchange.com/questions/124868/%s" title="https://wordpress.stackexchange.com/questions/124868/%s" class="submitdelete">%s</a>',
get_delete_post_link($post->ID, '', true),
__('Delete', 'log-emails'), __('Delete', 'log-emails'));
}
return $actions;
}
/**
* change the list of available bulk actions
* @param array $actions
* @return array
*/
public function adminBulkActionsEdit($actions) {
unset($actions['edit']);
return $actions;
}
/**
* filter to add columns to post list
* @param array $posts_columns
* @return array
*/
public function adminManageColumns($posts_columns) {
$posts_columns['title'] = 'Subject';
$posts_columns['_log_emails_log_to'] = 'Recipients';
return $posts_columns;
}
/**
* action to add custom columns to post list
* @param string $column_name
* @param int $post_id
*/
public function adminManageCustomColumn($column_name, $post_id) {
switch ($column_name) {
case '_log_emails_log_to':
$post = get_post($post_id);
if ($post) {
echo htmlspecialchars(get_post_meta($post_id, '_log_emails_log_to', true));
}
break;
}
}
/**
* change the screen layout
*/
public function adminScreenLayout() {
// set max / default layout as single column
add_screen_option('layout_columns', array('max' => 1, 'default' => 1));
}
/**
* drop all the metaboxes and output what we want to show
*/
public function adminEditAfterTitle($post) {
global $wp_meta_boxes;
// remove all meta boxes
$wp_meta_boxes = array('log_emails_log' => array(
'advanced' => array(),
'side' => array(),
'normal' => array(),
));
// show my admin form
require LOG_EMAILS_PLUGIN_ROOT . 'views/log-detail.php';
}
/**
* replace Trash bulk actions with Delete
* NB: WP admin already handles the delete action, it just doesn't expose it as a bulk action
*/
public function adminPrintFooterScripts() {
?>
<script>
jQuery("select[name="action"],select[name="action2"]").find("option[value="trash"]").each(function() {
this.value="delete";
jQuery(this).text("<?php esc_attr_e('Delete', 'log-emails'); ?>");
});
</script>
<?php
}
}