(Please Move to Advanced) Modifying sql to pull posts from select categories

Why are you using an sql query, let the WordPress API do the work, look at WP_Query

Category Parameters

Show posts associated with certain categories.
■ cat (int) – use category id.
■ category_name (string) – use category slug (NOT name).
■ category__and (array) – use category id.
■ category__in (array) – use category id.
■ category__not_in (array) – use category id.

Untested Code:

<?php
	$wp_query= null;
	$wp_query = new WP_Query();
	$args = array(
		'post_type' => 'post',
		'cat' => 10,
		'orderby' => 'comment_count',
		'showposts' => '10',
		'&paged' => $paged,
	);
	$wp_query->query( $args );
?>

<?php if ( $wp_query->have_posts() ) : ?>

	<?php while ( $wp_query->have_posts() ) : $wp_query->the_post(); ?>

		<li>
			<a href="<?php the_permalink(); ?>"><?php the_title(); ?></a>
			<span>
			<a class="comments" href="<?php the_permalink(); ?>#comments"><?php echo $post->comment_count; ?> Comments</a>Posted Under: <?php the_category(', '); ?>
			</span>
		</li>

	<?php endwhile; ?>
<?php endif; ?>

HTH

David

I thought you were the developer that was writing the code, that was is why I asked.

Nevermind there are always different ways, I only use sql queries as a last resort, the built in WordPress API calls are just wrapped functions, and do all the joins for us.

Let me explain the structure, the post_date and comment_count are columns (fields) in the wp-post table, where as the post categories (many to one) are in the wp-term-relationship, so we would have to do a join on the two tables, however this is done for us by WP_Query.

It is a handy bit of code, I will use it for a sidebar widget, so I have changed it to filter by category_name, this is the category slug lowercase and no spaces, and set this to featured so you could test.

I have also added on a date filter function, this is from the WP_Query link above.

http://pastebin.com/WDAg54bu

It should just need some posts dated in the last 14 days, and in the featured category.

Please test and let us know how you get on!

HTH

David

I just had another look at the Codex, athough the category_name does not show an array option the code does.

$query = new WP_Query( 'category_name=staff,news' );

In your test sites code try:
'category_name' => 'featured,in-theaters',
or
'category_name' => array('featured','in-theaters'),

David