Mac's WordPress Tips

There is a lot of code here, and the output doesn’t look very pretty, but it illustrates a basic form to let the Viewer select a Category and sort order for the Twenty Ten theme.

<?php
/*
Template Name: Simple-wp-Form

A template for Twenty Ten to display Posts
with a form for choosing category and sort order.

*/
global $wp_query;

$default_cat = 'All Categories';
$default_sort = 'Title, A to Z';

?>
<?php get_header(); ?><!-- file:simple-wp-form.php -->
<div id="container">
   <div id="content">
<?php

// First, get any data from a previous display of the Page
if ($_GET['frmReset']) {
   $reset_page = true;
   $curr_cat = $default_cat;
   $curr_sort = $default_sort;
} else {
   $reset_page = ($_POST['frmSubmit'] == 'frmSubmit') ? true : false;
   $curr_cat = ($_POST['frmCategory']) ? $_POST['frmCategory'] :
      (($_GET['frmCategory']) ? $_GET['frmCategory'] : $default_cat);
   //print_r('<p>GET CAT:' . $_GET['frmCategory'] . ' POST CAT:' . $_POST['frmCategory'] . " CURR CAT:$curr_cat" . '</p>');

   $curr_sort = ($_POST['frmSort']) ? $_POST['frmSort'] :
      (($_GET['frmSort']) ? $_GET['frmSort'] : $default_sort);
   // print_r('<p>CURR SORT:');print_r($curr_sort);print_r('</p>');
}

// Set values for the dropdowns
$cats = get_terms('category');
$sort_opts = array(
   'Title, A to Z' => array('orderby' => 'title', 'order' => 'ASC'),
   'Title, Z to A' => array('orderby' => 'title', 'order' => 'DESC'),
);
?>

<?php
// Show the title from the calling Page and save the permalink
if (have_posts()) {
   while (have_posts()) {
      the_post(); ?>

      <div id="post-<?php the_ID(); ?>" <?php post_class(); ?>>
      	<h1 class="entry-title"><?php the_title(); ?></h1>
		</div>
      <?php $page_permalink = get_permalink(); // save this for later use
      break;
   }
} ?>
<?php
   // Set up the parameters to query the Posts
   $args = array(
      'ignore_sticky_posts' => 1,
   );

   $category = ($curr_cat == $default_cat) ? '' : $curr_cat;
   if($category) $args['category_name'] = $category;

   $sort = ($sort_opts[$curr_sort]) ? $sort_opts[$curr_sort] : array();
   $args = array_merge($args,$sort);
   // print_r('<p>ARGS:');print_r($args);print_r('</p>');

   if ($reset_page || $_POST['frmSubmit'] == 'frmSubmit') {
      $paged = 1;
   } elseif (get_query_var('paged')) {
      $paged = get_query_var('paged');
   } elseif (get_query_var('page')) {
      $paged = get_query_var('page');
   } else {
      $paged = 1;
   }
   $args['paged'] = $paged;

   // Issue the query so we can show the top pagination
   $my_query = new WP_Query($args);

   ?>
   <div class="simple-option-form">
   <form method="post" action="<?php echo $page_permalink; ?>">
      <table>
         <tbody>
            <tr>
               <td align="right">Category:</td>
               <td><select name="frmCategory">
                  <option value='All Categories'>All Categories</option>
                  <?php
                  foreach ($cats as $cat) {
                     $selected = ($cat->slug == $curr_cat) ? 'selected="selected"' : '';
                     echo "<option value='$cat->slug' $selected>$cat->name</option>n";
                  }
                  ?>
               </select></td>
               <td width="30px">&nbsp;</td>
               <td align="right">Sort:</td>
               <td><select name="frmSort">
                  <?php
                  foreach (array_keys($sort_opts) as $sort_key) {
                     $selected = ($sort_key == $curr_sort) ? 'selected="selected"' : '';
                     echo "<option value='$sort_key' $selected>$sort_key</option>n";
                  }
                  ?>
               </select></td>
               <td width="30px">&nbsp;</td>
               <td><input type="submit" value="Submit" /></td>
            </tr>
         </tbody>
      </table>
      <input type="hidden" name="frmSubmit" value="frmSubmit" />
   </form>
   </div>

   <?php

   // Pagination ==============
   global $wp_rewrite;

   //figure out page
   $current = $paged;

   // TESTING ONLY - change page numbers
   // $max_num_pages += 100;
   // $current = 22;

   $prev_text = __('&laquo; Previous Page');
   $next_text = __('Next Page &raquo;');
   $pagination_args = array(
      'base' => @add_query_arg('paged','%#%'),
      'format' => '',
      'total' => $my_query->max_num_pages,
      'current' => $current,
      'show_all' => false,
      'type' => 'array',
      'prev_text' => $prev_text,
      'next_text'    => $next_text,
   );
   $add_args = array('frmCategory' => urlencode($curr_cat), 'frmSort' => urlencode($curr_sort) );

   $pagination_args['add_args'] = $add_args;

   // Create pagination string for later use
   $links = paginate_links($pagination_args);
   if( $links ) :
      $sep = '&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;';
      $paginate_string = "<div class='paginate'>";
      // Make sure 'Previous Page' and 'Next Page' always show
      if ( stripos($links[0], $prev_text) === false ) array_unshift($links,"<span class='paginate-inactive'>$prev_text</span>");
      $last_link = end($links);
      reset($links);
      if( stripos($last_link, $next_text) === false ) array_push($links, "<span class='paginate-inactive'>$next_text</span>");

      // Now add Page x of Y to the front
      $paginate_string .= " Page <span class='page-numbers current'>$current</span> of $my_query->max_num_pages: &nbsp; &nbsp;";
      for ($i = 0;$i < sizeof($links) ; ++$i ) {
         if ($i > 0) $paginate_string .= $sep;
         $link = $links[$i];
         if(  preg_match('#(>d+</)#',$link, $matches) ) {
            $paginate_string .= preg_replace('#(>(d+)</)#', '>[ 2 ]</', $link );
         } else {
            $paginate_string .= $link;
         }
      }
      $paginate_string .= "</div><!-- /paginate -->";
   endif;
   // End Pagination ============

   // And finally, we get to show the Posts
   if ( $my_query->have_posts() ) :
      echo $paginate_string;
      while ( $my_query->have_posts() ) : $my_query->the_post(); ?>
         <p><?php the_title(); echo " &nbsp Posted in $curr_cat"; ?></p>
      <?php endwhile;
      echo $paginate_string;
   endif; ?>
   </div><!-- #container -->
   </div><!-- #content -->
<div class="cleared"></div>
<?php
// get_sidebar();
get_footer();

?>