Move custom column admin links from below "post title"

Question

It seems I can't figure out how to add the edit, remove, view, etc... to one of my custom columns in the backend of wordpress. The idea is to get the links that are attached to title when one hovers over the title, to be attached to a different column.

This is what the below code outputs.

This is what I want the link in the authors column have when mouse is hovered over the authors, just like when you hover over the title in this screenshot; all the edit links.

This is what I have so far:

add_filter( 'manage_edit-testimonial-quotes_columns', 'view_columns' ) ;
function view_columns( $columns ) {
  $columns = array(
    'cb' => '',
    'date' => __( 'Date' ),
    'tq_author' => __( 'Author' ),
    'tq_quote' => __( 'Testimonial' ),
  );
  return $columns;
}
add_action('manage_testimonial-quotes_posts_custom_column', 'custom_view_columns', 10, 2);
function custom_view_columns($column, $post_id){
global $post;
  switch ($column){
  case 'tq_author':
    echo '<a href="post.php?post=' . $post->ID . '&action=edit">';
    $column_content = the_field('tq_author');
    echo $column_content;
    echo '</a>';
    break;
  case 'tq_quote':
    $column_content = the_field('tq_quote');
    echo $column_content;
    break;
  default:
    break;
  }
}

Answer 1

The best way of doing this since WP 4.3.0 is using

add_filter( 'list_table_primary_column', [ $this, 'list_table_primary_column' ], 10, 2 );

public function list_table_primary_column( $default, $screen ) {
    if ( 'edit-yourpostype' === $screen ) {
        $default = 'yourcolumn';
    }
    return $default;
}

Answer 2

I really doubt that there's a hook to deal with that. So, I'll not even check the core and go straight to the dirty solution:

add_action( 'admin_head-edit.php', 'so_13418722_move_quick_edit_links' );

function so_13418722_move_quick_edit_links()
{
    global $current_screen;
    if( 'post' != $current_screen->post_type )
        return;

    if( current_user_can( 'delete_plugins' ) )
    {
        ?>
        <script type="text/javascript">
        function so_13418722_doMove()
        {
            jQuery('td.post-title.page-title.column-title div.row-actions').each(function() {
                var $list = jQuery(this);
                var $firstChecked = $list.parent().parent().find('td.author.column-author');

                if ( !$firstChecked.html() )
                    return;

                $list.appendTo($firstChecked);
            }); 
        }
        jQuery(document).ready(function ($){
            so_13418722_doMove();
        });
        </script>
        <?php
    }
}

Result:

Notes:

• adjust your post_type: 'post' != $current_screen->post_type
• adjust your column classes: find('td.author.column-author')

Bug and solution:
You'll note that, after updating, the quick-edit menu goes back to its original position. The following AJAX interception deals with it. Refer to this WordPress Developers answer for more details.

add_action( 'wp_ajax_inline-save', 'so_13418722_ajax_inline_save' , 0 );

/**
 Copy of the function wp_ajax_inline_save()
 http://core.trac.wordpress.org/browser/tags/3.4.2/wp-admin/includes/ajax-actions.php#L1315

 Only Modification marked at the end of the function with INTERCEPT
*/
function so_13418722_ajax_inline_save()
{
    global $wp_list_table;

    check_ajax_referer( 'inlineeditnonce', '_inline_edit' );

    if ( ! isset($_POST['post_ID']) || ! ( $post_ID = (int) $_POST['post_ID'] ) )
        wp_die();

    if ( 'page' == $_POST['post_type'] ) {
        if ( ! current_user_can( 'edit_page', $post_ID ) )
            wp_die( __( 'You are not allowed to edit this page.' ) );
    } else {
        if ( ! current_user_can( 'edit_post', $post_ID ) )
            wp_die( __( 'You are not allowed to edit this post.' ) );
    }

    set_current_screen( $_POST['screen'] );

    if ( $last = wp_check_post_lock( $post_ID ) ) {
        $last_user = get_userdata( $last );
        $last_user_name = $last_user ? $last_user->display_name : __( 'Someone' );
        printf( $_POST['post_type'] == 'page' ? __( 'Saving is disabled: %s is currently editing this page.' ) : __( 'Saving is disabled: %s is currently editing this post.' ),    esc_html( $last_user_name ) );
        wp_die();
    }

    $data = &$_POST;

    $post = get_post( $post_ID, ARRAY_A );
    $post = add_magic_quotes($post); //since it is from db

    $data['content'] = $post['post_content'];
    $data['excerpt'] = $post['post_excerpt'];

    // rename
    $data['user_ID'] = $GLOBALS['user_ID'];

    if ( isset($data['post_parent']) )
        $data['parent_id'] = $data['post_parent'];

    // status
    if ( isset($data['keep_private']) && 'private' == $data['keep_private'] )
        $data['post_status'] = 'private';
    else
        $data['post_status'] = $data['_status'];

    if ( empty($data['comment_status']) )
        $data['comment_status'] = 'closed';
    if ( empty($data['ping_status']) )
        $data['ping_status'] = 'closed';

    // update the post
    edit_post();

    $wp_list_table = _get_list_table('WP_Posts_List_Table');

    $mode = $_POST['post_view'];
    $wp_list_table->display_rows( array( get_post( $_POST['post_ID'] ) ) );

    // INTERCEPT: Check if it is our post_type, if not, do nothing  
    if( 'post' == $_POST['post_type'] )
    {
    ?>
        <script type="text/javascript">so_13418722_doMove();</script>
    <?php       
    }
    // end INTERCEPT    

    wp_die();

}

Answer 3

I had the same need.

Nicola's solution worked for me except I was getting an "Undefined variable" notice/error. Then I realized that the parameter has to be without the "[$this ... ]" part.

I guess that was a copy/paste from the documentation.

So this worked:

add_filter( 'list_table_primary_column', 'list_table_primary_column', 10, 2 );
function list_table_primary_column( $default, $screen ) {
    if ( 'edit-your_post_type' === $screen ) {
        // Set default columns to Minutes Spent.
        $default = 'your_column';
    }
    return $default;
}

If you don't know what your_column is, just inspect the title of that column and get the ID.