WordPress: meta_query and array

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So, I have a search form, that returns custom posts with wp_query. Now I need to find posts with a custom field and specific value: Lets say I have multiple checkboxes named catagories[]. So when I save them it makes a serialized array in db. Now I need to search in the front end posts with lets say value 11 in it. Array looks like that: a:3:{i:1;s:2:"11";i:2;s:2:"33";i:3;s:2:"33";}. So here comes the problem, how can I retrieve information from this serialized array to find all posts with value 11. My code is: 

$args = array(
         'post_type'=>'paibcresume',
         'posts_per_page' => 10,
         'paged' => $paged,
         'meta_query' => array(),
            'tax_query' => array(),
         'orderby' => 'date',
            'meta_key' => '',
         'order' => 'DESC'
      );


      // BASIC SEARCH FORM

      // Search by category
      // rbsercategories
      // rbwwcategoryhidden
      if (isset($_GET['rbsercategories']) && !empty($_GET['rbsercategories'])) {
         $args['meta_query'][] = array(
            'key'     => 'rbwwcategoryhidden',
            'value'   => $_GET['rbsercategories'],
            'compare' => 'IN'
         );
      }

      $the_query = new WP_Query( $args );
      while ($the_query->have_posts() ) : $the_query->the_post();

This code works if values in data base are not a serialized array, just simple strings, but doesn’t work with arrays so what do I have to do?

Post Views: 3

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1 comment

  1. Ok, I didn’t find the way to search thru serialized arrays, but I found the way to work around it.

    So I didn’t change any fields in admin, instead I added new with a loop. So I have this fields named rbwwcategoryhidden[], that create this array. I unserialized that array and created new fields for each value:

    $wwCategory = get_post_custom_values('rbwwcategoryhidden');

foreach($wwCategory as $wwCategoryValue){$wwCategoryUnser = unserialize($wwCategoryValue);}

$rbWwCatSearchCounter='0';

foreach($wwCategoryUnser as $catId){
  $rbWwCatSearchCounter++;
  echo '<input type="text" name="rbwwcatforsearch'.$rbWwCatSearchCounter.'" id="rbwwcatforsearch'.$rbWwCatSearchCounter.'" value="'.$catId.'">';
}

    So now I got new fields, I personaly have a limit of three fields (user can only check three checkboxes): rbwwcatforsearch1, rbwwcatforsearch2, rbwwcatforsearch3. And I added value to each field from that array: 11, 33 and 33.

    And now I just changed the meta_query code in the front end, and it looks like that:

    // Search by category
if (isset($_GET['rbsercategories']) && !empty($_GET['rbsercategories'])) {
  $args['meta_query'][] = array(
    'key'     => array('rbwwcatforsearch1','rbwwcatforsearch2','rbwwcatforsearch3'),
    'value'   => (isset($_GET['rbsercategories'])?$_GET['rbsercategories']:array()),
    'compare' => 'IN'
  );
}

    And it works just perfect 🙂