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List values for a given meta_key in the current category

Im attempting to list on basic category pages (category.php) a list of all values for a certain meta_key ('product_brands' in this case) for the currently showing category. Any takers?

Im using this query to do the heavy lifting on this category template:



<?php  



$sort= $_GET['sort'];



if($sort == "brand") {

	// sort by brand;

	$meta_key= "product_brand";

	$orderby= "meta_value";

	$order= "ASC";

} else {

	// sort by price;

	$meta_key= "Retail_Price";

	$orderby= "meta_value_num";

	$order= "DESC";

}

				

$paged = (get_query_var('paged')) ? get_query_var('paged') : 1;

query_posts('paged='.$paged.'&cat=' . $thiscategory . '&meta_key='. $meta_key .'&orderby='. $orderby .'&order='. $order .'');

?>

Adam Bundy | 07/23/10 at 5:22pm | Edit

custom fields, custom queries, wpdb

(2) Possible Answers Submitted...

Last edited:
07/23/10
6:50pm
Oleg Butuzov says:
```
$posts   = get_objects_in_term(array($YourCategoryID), 'category');

$results = $wpdb->get_results("SELECT meta_value FROM {$wpdb->postmeta} WHERE meta_key = 'product_brands' AND post_id in('.implode(",", $posts).')");

var_dump($results);

// your brends
```
Previous versions of this answer: 07/23/10 at 5:29pm | 07/23/10 at 5:47pm
- 07/23/10 5:30pm
  
  Oleg Butuzov says:
  $YourCategoryID can be replaced by the $wp_query->query_vars['cat'];
- 07/23/10 6:02pm
  
  Adam Bundy says:
  Oleg- Ive tried quite a few variations on what you posted, including the following, but the return is always NULL.
```
<?php  

$myPosts   = get_objects_in_term(array($thiscategory), 'category');

$myBrands = $wpdb->get_results("SELECT meta_value FROM {$wpdb->postmeta} WHERE meta_key = 'product_brands' AND post_id in('.implode(",", $myPosts).')");

var_dump($myBrands);

?>
```
- 07/23/10 6:09pm
  
  Oleg Butuzov says:
  var_dump($wpdb);
  // do you have this variable?
- 07/23/10 6:12pm
  
  Adam Bundy says:
  Yep, I got a load of output when I inserted that...
- 07/23/10 6:16pm
  
  Oleg Butuzov says:
  step by step
  
  <?php
  
  $myPosts = get_objects_in_term(array($thiscategory), 'category');
  var_dump($myPosts);
  // should return the list of IDS of the posts...
  
  $sql = "SELECT meta_value FROM {$wpdb->postmeta} WHERE meta_key = 'product_brands' AND post_id in('.implode(",", $myPosts).')";
  var_dump($sql);
  $myBrands = $wpdb->get_results($sql);
  var_dump($myBrands);
  ?>
  
  actualy you shoulnd get null, you should at elast get empty array...
- 07/23/10 6:23pm
  
  Adam Bundy says:
  There seems to be something wrong with the second part- the first part outputs something like this:
  
  array(20) { [0]=> string(4) "2238" [1]=> string(4) "2239" [2]=> string(4) "2249" [3]=> string(4) "2250" [4]=> string(4) "2869" [5]=> string(4) "3405" [6]=> string(4) "3792" [7]=> string(4) "4043" [8]=> string(4) "4792" [9]=> string(4) "4815" [10]=> string(5) "21829" [11]=> string(5) "21987" [12]=> string(5) "24148" [13]=> string(5) "24156" [14]=> string(5) "24157" [15]=> string(5) "29710" [16]=> string(5) "31267" [17]=> string(5) "31712" [18]=> string(5) "35099" [19]=> string(5) "35117" }
  
  When I insert the second step, I get blank page...
- 07/23/10 6:30pm
  
  Oleg Butuzov says:
  global $wpdb;
  and step 2
- 07/23/10 6:34pm
  
  Adam Bundy says:
  OK now I have this, and still getting a blank page:
```
<?php 



$myPosts = get_objects_in_term(array($thiscategory), 'category');

var_dump($myPosts);



global $wpdb;



$sql = "SELECT meta_value FROM {$wpdb->postmeta} WHERE meta_key = 'product_brands' AND post_id in('.implode(",", $myPosts).')";

var_dump($sql);



//$myBrands = $wpdb->get_results($sql);

//var_dump($myBrands);

?>
```
- 07/23/10 6:37pm
  
  Oleg Butuzov says:
  can you give me an ftp access to debug it?
- 07/23/10 6:38pm
  
  Oleg Butuzov says:
  oops!
  soorry correct string for sql
  
  $sql = "SELECT meta_value FROM {$wpdb->postmeta} WHERE meta_key = 'product_brands' AND post_id in(".implode(",", $myPosts).")";
- 07/23/10 6:42pm
  
  Adam Bundy says:
  Now we're getting somewhere! The dump for that gives me this:
  
  string(194) "SELECT meta_value FROM wp_postmeta WHERE meta_key = 'product_brands' AND post_id in(2238,2239,2249,2250,2869,3405,3792,4043,4792,4815,21829,21987,24148,24156,24157,29710,31267,31712,35099,35117)"
  
  But the dump for the $myBrands gives this:
  
  array(0) { }
- 07/23/10 6:44pm
  
  Adam Bundy says:
  Found a goof- 'product-brands' should be 'product-brand'. That was the ticket. So, here's the final output:
  
  array(20) { [0]=> object(stdClass)#5588 (1) { ["meta_value"]=> string(9) "Big Agnes" } [1]=> object(stdClass)#5587 (1) { ["meta_value"]=> string(9) "Big Agnes" } [2]=> object(stdClass)#5586 (1) { ["meta_value"]=> string(9) "Big Agnes" } [3]=> object(stdClass)#5585 (1) { ["meta_value"]=> string(9) "Big Agnes" }...
  
  Oleg, could you help me echo this in a nicer list (comma sep.)?
- 07/23/10 6:45pm
  
  Oleg Butuzov says:
  are you sure product_brands is your meta_key for the brends ?
  
  you can debug it by
  
  $sql = "SELECT meta_value, meta_key FROM {$wpdb->postmeta} WHERE AND post_id in(".implode(",", $myPosts).")";
  
  this will return all meta_keys and meta_values from the posts inside this category... is there product_brands?
- 07/23/10 6:47pm
  
  Oleg Butuzov says:
  1) replace wpdb->get_results by wpdb->get_col
  2) and
```
echo implode(', ', $results);
```
- 07/23/10 6:47pm
  
  Oleg Butuzov says:
  and this is a better sql
  
  $sql = "SELECT meta_value FROM {$wpdb->postmeta} WHERE meta_key = 'product_brands' AND post_id in(".implode(",", $myPosts).") GROUP BY meta_value ";
- 07/23/10 6:49pm
  
  Adam Bundy says:
  Take a bow, Oleg. Made my day. Have a great weekend!
Last edited:
07/23/10
5:52pm
Paul Sanduleac says:
Nevermind...mine would not work for you.

Previous versions of this answer: 07/23/10 at 5:52pm