Static WordPress theme templates

The idea is for a theme to have a static-templates folder, with .php templates named after certain slugs. So when /about/ is requested, you don’t need to worry about creating a page in WordPress, creating a new template and assigning it to your page. All you have to worry about is your /static-templates/about.php file.

/**
 * Snippet Name: Static WordPress theme templates
 * Snippet URL: https://wpcustoms.net/snippets/static-wordpress-theme-templates/
 */
  /* Examples:
 *
 * - /foo/          => /wp-content/themes/twentyten/static-templates/foo.php
 * - /foo/bar/      => /wp-content/themes/twentyten/static-templates/foo-bar.php
 * - /foo/bar/baz/  => /wp-content/themes/twentyten/static-templates/foo-bar-baz.php
 *
 */
 
add_filter( 'template_include', function( $template ) {
	$url = parse_url( 'http://' . $_SERVER['HTTP_HOST'] . $_SERVER['REQUEST_URI'] );
	$home = parse_url( home_url( '/' ) );
	$request = trim( preg_replace( '#^' . preg_quote( $home['path'] ) . '#i', '', $url['path'] ), '/' );
 
	if ( ! is_404() || empty( $request ) )
		return $template;
 
	// Loop throuh parts and makes ure they're sane.
	$parts = explode( '/', $request );
	foreach ( $parts as $part )
		if ( ! preg_match( '#^[a-z0-9-]+$#i', $part ) )
			return $template;
 
	// Using stylesheet directory so parent/child themes don't share static pages.
	$template_name = implode( '-', $parts );
	$template_path = get_stylesheet_directory() . sprintf( '/static-templates/%s.php', $template_name );
 
	if ( file_exists( $template_path ) ) {
		$template = $template_path;
 
		// We want trailing slashes, this is our last chance for a redirect.
		if ( trailingslashit( $url['path'] ) != $url['path'] ) {
			$url['path'] = trailingslashit( $url['path'] );
			$redirect = set_url_scheme( 'http://' . $_SERVER['HTTP_HOST'] . $url['path'] );
			if ( ! empty( $url['query'] ) )
				$redirect .= '?' . $url['query'];
 
			wp_safe_redirect( esc_url_raw( $redirect ) );
			die();
		}
 
		// We're hi-jacking 404s.
		status_header( 200 );
	}
 
	return $template;
});
 
add_action( 'template_redirect', function() {
	// Core will redirect /dashboard/ to /wp-admin/, we don't want that. Unless you do.
	remove_action( 'template_redirect', 'wp_redirect_admin_locations', 1000 );
});