Rating and Review Methods

When users are rating the rating object, they are using rating methods. This can be the standard stars rating method or thumbs rating method, or some other rating method implement with the plugin. Each rating method can have its own rules, own display style, and own templates to display various information to the user or visitor.

There are two types of methods: Rating and Review.

Rating Methods

These methods are meant for use on the website frontend for users and visitors to rate objects. By default, GD Rating System contains the following rating methods:

• Stars Rating (also in Free)
• Like This (also in Free)
• Slider Rating
• Thumbs Rating
• Emote This
• Multi Stars Rating (added with Multi Ratings Addon)
• Multi Slider Rating (added with Multi Ratings Addon)

Review Methods

These methods are made for the ent author to place a single rating value for rating objects. By default, GD Rating System contains the following review methods:

• Stars Review
• Slider Review
• Multi Stars Review (added with Multi Ratings Addon)
• Multi Slider Review (added with Multi Ratings Addon)

That means that the post author, on the post edit screen can use Meta Box to configure a single rating value as a ‘review rating’ for that post. On the front end, this review rating value can be displayed, but only the post author can change it from the edit screen. Each rating object can have only one review rating assigned, so, these methods always have Votes value set at 1 (or 0 if the vote is not assigned). Good use for this is if the author writes a review post for some product or service, the author can rate that product with his unique rating value, and display that rating alongside the post on the front end. Review methods allow you to add some extra content: review subject and review text that can be displayed with the rating as some sort of the review overview.