guest author madness

gistfile1.php

/**
 * Returns an array of contributors and stories based on passed tab.
 *
 */
function time_get_contributors( $tab = 'all' ) {

	global $wpdb, $wp_query;

	$contributors = wp_cache_get( 'time_contributors_'.$tab, 'time_contributors_cache' );

	if( !$contributors ) {

		// select all guest authors, join posts by guest author id, group by guest author id
		switch( $tab ) {
			case 'time-100' :
				$contributors = $wpdb->get_results(
					"
					SELECT g.*, p.ID as article_id, p.post_title as article_title
					FROM $wpdb->posts AS g
					LEFT JOIN $wpdb->postmeta AS pm ON pm.meta_value = g.ID
					LEFT JOIN $wpdb->posts AS p ON pm.post_id = p.ID
					LEFT JOIN $wpdb->postmeta AS pm2 ON pm2.post_id = g.ID
					WHERE g.post_type = 'time_guest'
					AND pm.meta_key = 'time_guest_author'
					AND pm2.meta_key = 'time_guest_time100'
					AND ( pm2.meta_value = 'on' OR pm2.meta_value = 1 )
					ORDER BY p.post_date DESC
					LIMIT 0, 100
					"
				);
				break;
			/*
			case 'most-recent' :
				$contributors = $wpdb->get_results(
					"
					SELECT g.*, p.ID as article_id, p.post_title as article_title
					FROM $wpdb->posts AS g
					LEFT JOIN $wpdb->postmeta AS pm ON pm.meta_value = g.ID
					LEFT JOIN $wpdb->posts AS p ON pm.post_id = p.ID
					WHERE g.post_type = 'time_guest'
					AND pm.meta_key = 'time_guest_author'
					ORDER BY p.post_date DESC
					"
				);
				break;
			*/
			default :

				// LEFT JOIN $wpdb->posts AS p ON pm.post_id = p.ID
				// LEFT JOIN ( SELECT s.* FROM $wpdb->posts AS s ORDER BY s.post_date DESC ) AS p ON p.ID = pm.post_id
				// LEFT JOIN ( SELECT sub.ID, sub.post_title, MAX(sub.post_date) FROM $wpdb->posts AS sub GROUP BY sub.ID ) AS p ON p.ID = pm.post_id

				$contributors = $wpdb->get_results(
					"
					SELECT g.*, p.ID as article_id, p.post_title as article_title
					FROM $wpdb->posts AS g
					LEFT JOIN $wpdb->postmeta AS pm ON pm.meta_value = g.ID
					LEFT JOIN $wpdb->posts AS p ON pm.post_id = p.ID
					WHERE g.post_type = 'time_guest'
					AND pm.meta_key = 'time_guest_author'
					ORDER BY p.post_date DESC
					LIMIT 0, 100
					"
				);

				break;
		}

		// having trouble getting this order in query using GROUP BY or MAX(p.post_date)

		$guest_ids = array();
		$filtered_contributors = array();

		foreach( $contributors as $c ) {
			if( !in_array( $c->ID, $guest_ids ) ) {
				$filtered_contributors[] = $c;
				$guest_ids[] = $c->ID;
			}
		}

		$contributors = $filtered_contributors;

		// sort by last name
		$names = array();

		// see if the contributor has a last name field filled out, 
		// otherwise split the post title and assume the last name
		foreach( $contributors as $c ) {

			$last_name = get_post_meta( $c->ID, 'time_guest_lname', true );

			if( empty( $last_name ) ) {

				$parts = explode( ' ', $c->post_title );

				$last_name = $parts[1];
			}

			$names[$last_name] = $c;
		}

		// sort them alphabetically
		ksort( $names );

		$contributors = array();

		// this seems dumb
		foreach( $names as $name ) {
			$contributors[] = $name;
		}

		// set our cache
		if( count( $contributors ) ) {
			wp_cache_set( 'time_contributors_'.$tab, $contributors, 'time_contributors_cache', 3600 * 12 );
		}
	}

	return $contributors;

}