Display all posts in a custom post type, grouped by a custom taxonomy

7 comments

1. So, you might consider automating the multiple queries.

   First, get the list of terms in your custom taxonomy, using get_terms():

   <?php
   $member_group_terms = get_terms( 'member_group' );
   ?>
   

   Then, loop through each one, running a new query each time:

   <?php
   foreach ( $member_group_terms as $member_group_term ) {
       $member_group_query = new WP_Query( array(
           'post_type' => 'member',
           'tax_query' => array(
               array(
                   'taxonomy' => 'member_group',
                   'field' => 'slug',
                   'terms' => array( $member_group_term->slug ),
                   'operator' => 'IN'
               )
           )
       ) );
       ?>
       <h2><?php echo $member_group_term->name; ?></h2>
       <ul>
       <?php
       if ( $member_group_query->have_posts() ) : while ( $member_group_query->have_posts() ) : $member_group_query->the_post(); ?>
           <li><?php echo the_title(); ?></li>
       <?php endwhile; endif; ?>
       </ul>
       <?php
       // Reset things, for good measure
       $member_group_query = null;
       wp_reset_postdata();
   }
   ?>
   

   I can’t see anything particularly wrong with this approach, though it may have a limited ability to scale (i.e. if you have hundreds or thousands of members, or member_group terms, you may see performance issues).

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2. I found a solution by using a custom query and then grouping it with the term name:

   SELECT * 
   FROM wp_term_taxonomy AS cat_term_taxonomy
   INNER JOIN wp_terms AS cat_terms ON cat_term_taxonomy.term_id = cat_terms.term_id
   INNER JOIN wp_term_relationships AS cat_term_relationships ON cat_term_taxonomy.term_taxonomy_id = cat_term_relationships.term_taxonomy_id
   INNER JOIN wp_posts AS cat_posts ON cat_term_relationships.object_id = cat_posts.ID
   INNER JOIN wp_postmeta AS meta ON cat_posts.ID = meta.post_id
   WHERE cat_posts.post_status =  'publish'
   AND meta.meta_key =  'active'
   AND meta.meta_value =  'active'
   AND cat_posts.post_type =  'member'
   AND cat_term_taxonomy.taxonomy =  'member_groups'
   

   Then by just using a regular foreach query I can just extract the information I want.

   But I’m still interested in another way if there is, maybe by using WordPress’ own functions.

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3. even simpler:

   $terms = get_terms('tax_name');
   $posts = array();
   foreach ( $terms as $term ) {
       $posts[$term->name] = get_posts(array( 'posts_per_page' => -1, 'post_type' => 'post_type', 'tax_name' => $term->name ));
   }
   

   Within the resultant $posts array, each tax term is the key to a nested array containing its posts.

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4. I had this exact need, and Chip’s solution worked, except for one thing: 'field' => 'slug' is required.

       foreach ( $service_categories as $category ) {
           $services = new WP_Query( 
               array(
                   'post_type'     => 'service',
                   'tax_query'     => array(
                       array(
                           'taxonomy'  => 'service_category',
                           'terms'     => array( $category->slug ),
                           'operator'  => 'IN',
                           'get'       => 'all',
                           'field'     => 'slug'
                       )
                   )
               ) 
           ); ?>
           <h2><?php echo $category->slug; ?></h2>
           <?php if ( $services->have_posts() ) {  // loop stuff goes here ?>
   

   I also needed the resulting display to be flat, so 'get' => 'all' is set here.

   Hopefully this helps somebody else out.

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5. I had to do this on a project years ago. Similar answer to djb, just with a bit more details. This will output all of your taxonomy names as an h3, with a bulleted list of each post title linked to their detail page.

   <?php // Output all Taxonomies names with their respective items
   $terms = get_terms('member_groups');
   foreach( $terms as $term ):
   ?>                          
       <h3><?php echo $term->name; // Print the term name ?></h3>                          
       <ul>
         <?php                         
             $posts = get_posts(array(
               'post_type' => 'member',
               'taxonomy' => $term->taxonomy,
               'term' => $term->slug,                                  
               'nopaging' => true, // to show all posts in this taxonomy, could also use 'numberposts' => -1 instead
             ));
             foreach($posts as $post): // begin cycle through posts of this taxonmy
               setup_postdata($post); //set up post data for use in the loop (enables the_title(), etc without specifying a post ID)
         ?>        
             <li><a href="<?php the_permalink(); ?>"><?php the_title(); ?></a></li>    
           <?php endforeach; ?>
       </ul>                                                   
   <?php endforeach; ?>
   

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6. $query = new WP_Query( 
      array ( 
         'post_type' => 'member', 
         'orderby'   => 'meta_value', 
         'meta_key'  => 'member_group' 
      ) 
   );
   

   Then when you loop through this query you could just use an if along these lines
   (in php pseudocode)

   $groupName = "";
   $counter = 0;
   if havePosts: while havePosts: thePost
   
   if( $groupName != post->meta_value )
   {
   if ($counter > 0)
   {
   </ul>
   }
   <h1>A group name</h1>
   <ul>
   <li>member name</li>
   }
   else
   {
   <li>member name</li>
   }
   
   endwhile;endif
   
   </ul>
   

   I hope that helps. I think you were making this far more complicated than it needed to be.

   More information: http://codex.wordpress.org/Class_Reference/WP_Query#Taxonomy_Parameters

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7. Well, it’s an old thread, but if someone passes by as I did, this might help.
   The idea is to modify the main query so we don’t need to go the templates and generate new queries and loops…

   PS: Yet to be tested in large dbs. It was satisfactory in my case.

   function grouped_by_taxonomy_main_query( $query ) {
   
       if ( $query->is_home() && $query->is_main_query() ) { // Run only on the homepage
   
           $post_ids = array();
   
           $terms = get_terms('my_custom_taxonomy');
   
           foreach ( $terms as $term ) {
               $post_ids = array_merge( $post_ids, get_posts( array( 
                   'posts_per_page' => 4, // as you wish...
                   'post_type' => 'my_custom_post_type', // If needed... Default is posts
                   'fields' => 'ids', // we only want the ids to use later in 'post__in'
                   'tax_query' => array( array( 'taxonomy' => $term->taxonomy, 'field' => 'term_id', 'terms' => $term->term_id, )))) // getting posts in the current term
               );
           }
   
           $query->query_vars['post_type'] = 'my_custom_post_type'; // Again, if needed... Default is posts
           $query->query_vars['posts_per_page'] = 16; // If needed...
           $query->query_vars['post__in'] = $post_ids; // Filtering with the post ids we've obtained above
           $query->query_vars['orderby'] = 'post__in'; // Here we keep the order we generated in the terms loop
           $query->query_vars['ignore_sticky_posts'] = 1; // If you dont want your sticky posts to change the order
   
       }
   }
   
   // Hook my above function to the pre_get_posts action
   add_action( 'pre_get_posts', 'grouped_by_taxonomy_main_query' );
   

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