johannes.jarolim.com/yapb-forum - Home Page - Random Thumbnail from Category List in Table (Gallery)

Hi all

New to the forums...Great plugin, will be showcasing my new site soon I hope.

OK...I wish to pretty up my home page with a photo gallery with 'thumbnails/category name' output as a table and need help with the code.

ALL of my posts are YAPB and have images (actually the posts are just photos).

Basically my thoughts are this:

1. use wp_list_categories to get the list of categories I want
2. get a random thumbnail from the database for each of the categories in the list
3. output each instance of the list (Thumb & Cat Name) in a table.

Many thanks in advance

Rog
popcornphotography.com.au

OK...moving right along.
Working on a different approach...Watch this space

Right...Using the explode on wp_list_categories I now have a container to put the thumbnails into...BUT... am at a complete loss about where to go from here.

Here is the code as it stands: (I'll put the classes into the style sheet when I am finished)

PHP Code:

<div class="post"><h2><?php _e('Main Galleries *Test*'); ?></h2>
<p>&nbsp;</p>

<?php
    $catList = explode('<br />', wp_list_categories('echo=0&orderby=name&hide_empty=1&depth=1&show_count=0&title_li=&style=none'));
    foreach ($catList as $cat): ?>

<?php 
    {
        $iPos = strpos($cat, '>');
        if ($iPos > 0)
        {
            // add the opening tag behind the opening anchor tag
            $strLink = '' . substr($cat, 0, $iPos) . '><div id="pop_gal" style="width:140px; height:160px; border:0px solid; font-size:small; float:left; text-align:center; padding-top:5px; padding-right:5px; padding-bottom:5px; padding-left:5px;"><div id="pop_gal_thumb" style="width:140px; height:140px; border:1px solid;">Latest thumb from this category</div><strong>' . substr($cat, $iPos + 1) . '';
            // add the closing tag before the closing anchor tag
             echo str_replace('</a>','</div></strong></a>', $strLink);
         }
    } ?>
    
    <?php endforeach ?>
    
</div> 

What I need now is a thumbnail 140x140 from each of the categories.

BTW you can see the working code here http://popcornphotography.com.au/photos/test

Help please...

Nope...Not the right approach...I think I need to ask Johannes' help on this one...

Happily generating random images now on the new site[url= http://www.popcornphotography.com.au] [/url] and still need a solution.

Code I am using is as follows:

PHP Code:

<?php 
    global $wpdb;
    $latest_posts = $wpdb->get_results('SELECT p.* FROM ' . $wpdb->posts . ' p LEFT JOIN ' . YAPB_TABLE_NAME . ' yi ON p.ID = yi.post_id WHERE p.post_type = \'post\' AND yi.URI IS NOT NULL ORDER BY RAND() LIMIT 0,' . $imagecount);
    $thumbConfig = array('h=633','w=950','q=50','fltr[]=usm|60|0.5|3'); 
?>

Now how do we add in to only select from one category....????

Help Please

Rogerr - Sorry for the late reply, but the phrase "lots of work" seems to be the greatest understatement of the century for me right now.

I think your first approach is the better one: Start by getting all categories (incl. category id) outside the loop. Then cycle through the categories and create individual wordpress loops - each selecting all posts of that category with a limit of 1. Then cycle through and display thumb+text.

Don't have time for a code sample right now, but i'll look at that tomorrow.

Sorry again from Salzburg,

Johannes

(11-27-2008 08:47 PM)Johannes Wrote: [ -> ]Rogerr - Sorry for the late reply, but the phrase "lots of work" seems to be the greatest understatement of the century for me right now.

I think your first approach is the better one: Start by getting all categories (incl. category id) outside the loop. Then cycle through the categories and create individual wordpress loops - each selecting all posts of that category with a limit of 1. Then cycle through and display thumb+text.

You are correct...Sorry, I forgot to post my solution to this problem...Here goes.

PHP Code:

<?php query_posts('category_id=474,476,478,482,484,486,488,490,493&showposts=999');?>

<?php $posts = get_posts('category=474,476,478,482,484,486,488,490,493&numberposts=20&orderby=rand');
    foreach ($posts as $post) : start_wp(); ?>
    
<li><a title="<?php echo $current_post->post_title ?>" href="<?php echo get_permalink($current_post->ID) ?>"><?php if (yapb_is_photoblog_post()): ?>  
  <?php
    echo yapb_get_thumbnail(
      '', // HTML before image tag
      array(
        'alt' => '', // image tag alt attribute
        'rel' => 'lightbox'                      // image tag rel attribute
      ),
      '',               // HTML after image tag
      array('w=900', 'h=633', 'q=50','fltr[]=usm|80|0.5|3'), // phpThumb configuration parameters
      ''             // image tag custom css class
    );
  ?></a></li>

<?php else: ?>
<li>Loading...</li>
<?php endif ?>

<?php endforeach; ?>

This is a bit clunky as I have to remember to change the code manually every time I add a category that I want to select from but at least it does the job.

If you can think of a better way...especially for the following I would be very appreciative.

<?php query_posts('category_id= "[I would like to just include child_of=1]" here instead of adding all the children manually.

Again, thanks for all your hard work on this brilliant plugin.

Hi rogerr -

I'd implement your first requirement

Quote:1. use wp_list_categories to get the list of categories I want
2. get a random thumbnail from the database for each of the categories in the list
3. output each instance of the list (Thumb & Cat Name) in a table.

the following way:

PHP Code:

<?php

  // Attention: Whole code has to be placed outside the WP LOOP

  // single point for changes

  $category_ids = array(474,476,478,482,484,486,488,490,493);

  echo '<ul>';

  foreach ($category_ids as $category_id) {

    // Get one random post out of the current category
    // Attention: There is no code whatsoever to ensure we get a YAPB post

    query_posts('cat=' . $category_id . '&showposts=1&orderby=rand');

    // Let's start the current WP LOOP (With one post)

    if (have_posts()) {
      while (have_posts()) {
        the_post();

        echo '<li>';

        // Now the check for YAPB
        // Always ask for existance of the template function:
        // Your blog will work even if you disable YAPB
        // (while upgrading for example)

        if (function_exists('yapb_is_photoblog_post') && yapb_is_photoblog_post()) {
          // Output image +  text
        } else {
          // Output text
        }

        echo '</li>';

      }

    }

  }

  echo '</ul>';

?>

Advantage: Code is simple and readable
Disadvantage: 9 additional SQL fetches

P.S.: I really wouldn't use tables for that Wink

Greets from Salzburg,

Johannes