WordPress › Support » How do I....list categories an author has wrote in on author.php

itsbarry
Member
Posted 2 years ago #
Hello,

Great thread. I'd like to do something a little simpler (I hope!)

I am modifying my author.php template.

I want to show all posts by an author, but I want to restrict results to a single category. Always. So I'm hard-coding the category. However I have multiple authors so I have to pass the author id.

My code:
```
<?php
// housekeeping to get the author's name
if(isset($_GET['author_name'])) :
    // NOTE: 2.0 bug requires: get_userdatabylogin(get_the_author_login());
    $curauth = get_userdatabylogin($author_name);
else :
    $curauth = get_userdata(intval($author));
endif;
?>

<?php
// I just want to show blog posts in cat 6
query_posts('cat=6&author=$curauth');
?>
```
This doesn't work. I think my syntax could be wrong, but please let me know if I'm on the right track here.

thanks,

Barry
Mark / t31os
Moderator
Posted 2 years ago #
Hi Barry,

It may not be immediately obvious, but i've spotted your problem.. just here..
```
query_posts('cat=6&author=$curauth');
```
You can't use variables inside single quotes, they get treated as literal values.

The alternatives
Concatate the string:
```
query_posts('cat=6&author=' . $curauth);
```
Switch to double quotes so you can use variables:
```
query_posts("cat=6&author=$curauth");
```
First method will be faster ... but you'll not likely notice the difference. Use whichever suits you, they'll both essentially do the same..

Hope that helps.. :)
itsbarry
Member
Posted 2 years ago #

Hi t31os_,

I was hoping you'd reply!

Actually I figured it out. I ended up going with this:

query_posts('cat=6&author=$curauth->ID')

Also I found this "in the woods" article valuable when I was putting this project together.

thanks much!
itsbarry
Member
Posted 2 years ago #

Update:

My solution did not work after all.

t310s's first approach threw an error

So what worked for me was his second suggestion, using double quotes.

Thanks again

Barry
Gawd
Member
Posted 1 year ago #

Hi,

I am looking to do something along the same lines are the people here also.

In my sidebar I have author links listed as my headings.
When someone clicks the link to go to the author page, I'd like a listing to be displayed under there name in the sidebar with all the categories they've posted in.

I am not sure how to get that author specific category listing.