List post titles by category?

https://codex.www.ads-software.com/The_Loop#Multiple_Loops_Version_1
You can do example 3 from the top

<?php $my_query = new WP_Query('category_name=special_cat&showposts=10'); ?>

<?php while ($my_query->have_posts()) : $my_query->the_post(); ?>
// Do stuff.
<?php endwhile; ?>

this one? if so, im not quite sure how to use it. do I just need this loop by itself?

and “category_name” how would I use the category ID?

thanks alphaiode

ok ive got something like this so far, am I doing it right?

<?php $my_query = new WP_Query('category_id=1&showposts=10'); ?>

<?php while ($my_query->have_posts()) : $my_query->the_post(); ?>
<h2 id="post-<?php the_ID(); ?>">
<a href="<?php the_permalink() ?>" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to <?php the_title(); ?>">
<?php the_title(); ?></a></h2>
<small><?php the_time('F jS, Y') ?> <!-- by <?php the_author() ?> --></small>
<?php endwhile; ?>

this seems to be working, although it doesnt just list category_id=1 posts, it lists others as well…..

If you want to pass category id, use keyword cat
If you want to pass category name, use keyword category_name
There is no category_id

cat=1
returns an error:

WordPress database error: [Not unique table/alias: ‘mainwp_post2cat’]
SELECT DISTINCT * FROM mainwp_posts LEFT JOIN mainwp_post2cat ON (mainwp_posts.ID = mainwp_post2cat.post_id) LEFT JOIN mainwp_post2cat ON (mainwp_posts.ID = mainwp_post2cat.post_id) WHERE 1=1 AND (category_id = 1) AND post_date_gmt <= ‘2005-05-05 02:02:59’ AND (post_status = “publish”) AND (category_id = 1 OR category_id = 5 OR category_id = 6) GROUP BY mainwp_posts.ID ORDER BY post_date DESC LIMIT 0, 999

also interesting is that bit:

AND (category_id = 1 OR category_id = 5 OR category_id = 6)

those are the very categories that were showing up in addition to category 1

I’m lost right now. Is passing category_name working for you?

no that throws the same error as using “cat”

the one that works sort of is the one i posted above:

<?php $my_query = new WP_Query('category_id=1&showposts=10'); ?>

<?php while ($my_query->have_posts()) : $my_query->the_post(); ?>
<h2 id="post-<?php the_ID(); ?>">
<a href="<?php the_permalink() ?>" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to <?php the_title(); ?>">
<?php the_title(); ?></a></h2>
<small><?php the_time('F jS, Y') ?> <!-- by <?php the_author() ?> --></small>
<?php endwhile; ?>

that works but doesnt show just category 1 posts, it shows 1, 5 and 6 like the error message states above.. so that is coming somewhere from the original example you pointed me to

Do, instead, example 2 in that CODEX link. In this example, the regular loop will be overwritten, so make sure you call the custom loop after the regular loop (if any).

ok that one works!

now where its showposts=10

is there a way to substitute the # (10 in this case) with something like “all” or will I need to use some exorbidant # like 999 ?

You could pass posts_per_page=-1
Don’t forget the ampersand symbol (&) between parameters.

sweet, last thing is there anyway that I can add multiple categories? I have a news link that i want to show posts from a few categories…

<?php query_posts('cat=1,4,5&showposts=3'); ?>

is that written right?

separated by a comma or a whitespace, I believe

thanks for all the help alphaoide ??