Retrieves category data given a category ID or category object.

If you pass the $category parameter an object, which is assumed to be the category row object retrieved the database. It will cache the category data.

If you pass $category an integer of the category ID, then that category will be retrieved from the database, if it isn’t already cached, and pass it back.

If you look at get_term() , then both types will be passed through several filters and finally sanitized based on the $filter parameter value.

$category int|object Required

Category ID or category row object.

$output string Optional

The required return type. One of OBJECT, ARRAY_A, or ARRAY_N, which correspond to a WP_Term object, an associative array, or a numeric array, respectively.

Default: OBJECT

$filter string Optional

How to sanitize category fields. Default 'raw'.

Default: 'raw'

object|array|WP_Error|null Category data in type defined by $output parameter.
WP_Error if $category is empty, null if it does not exist.

File: wp-includes/category.php. View all references

function get_category( $category, $output = OBJECT, $filter = 'raw' ) {
	$category = get_term( $category, 'category', $output, $filter );

	if ( is_wp_error( $category ) ) {
		return $category;
	}

	_make_cat_compat( $category );

	return $category;
}