How to style latest post AND recent posts differently?

No one has any idea how to do this? The code above is partially from a different post. I just can’t figure out why it isn’t working.

<?php get_header(); ?>

    <div id="x">

	<?php if (have_posts()) : ?>
		<!-- you want to show 5 posts per page... -->
    <?php query_posts("showposts=5"); ?>
	<?php while (have_posts()) : the_post(); ?>
		<!-- ...so your blog will have many pages. but only the first post on page 1 should use a different class  -->
			<?php if (is_paged()) : ?>
				<?php $postclass = ('other entries'); ?>
			<?php else : ?>
				<?php $postclass = ($post == $posts[0]) ? 'first entry' : 'other entries'; ?>
			<?php endif; ?>

	<!-- let's go -->

	<div class="<?php echo $postclass; ?>">

		<h1><a href="<?php the_permalink() ?>" rel="bookmark" title=""><?php the_title(); ?></a></h1>
		<?php the_content(''); ?>

	</div>

    <?php endwhile; ?>

	<?php else : ?>

	<!-- what if there are no posts? -->

    <?php endif; ?>

    </div>

    <?php get_sidebar(); ?>

    <?php get_footer(); ?>

Perhaps you can try using:

if ($wp_query->current_post < 1)

the above will match the first post on the index page.

What do you mean try using: if ($wp_query->current_post < 1) srikat?

Won’t this only allow me to style the latest/newest post?

@mdi: This script seems to only give me different classes for all 5 post on the page. I would like to have a different class for the most recent post AND then the 4 latest posts after that. Any suggestions?

i’m still a little confused

so am i. ;o)

– you want to show 5 posts per page
– you want one class/style for the first (the most recent) post
– you want a different class/style for posts 2-5

– AND you want another different class/style for any other/older posts?

if that’s the case, you can simply change:

<?php if (is_paged()) : ?>
				<?php $postclass = ('other entries'); ?>
			<?php else : ?>
				<?php $postclass = ($post == $posts[0]) ? 'first entry' : 'other entries'; ?>
			<?php endif; ?>

to:

<?php if (is_paged()) : ?>
				<?php $postclass = ('class 3'); ?>
			<?php else : ?>
				<?php $postclass = ($post == $posts[0]) ? 'class 1' : 'class 2'; ?>
			<?php endif; ?>

in your css-file you need 3 classes. class 1 for the first post, class 2 for posts 2-5, class 3 for the older posts.

Hmmm… that seems to only give me one class called “class 2.” Do I have to use multiple loops for this maybe? Let me try to break it down a little more for you.

This template is only for the homepage.

I have already styled the other posts which are in single.php(and various other places).

So on the home page there will be…

1st: MOST RECENT POST (styled differently than the other posts)

2nd: THE NEXT 4 MOST RECENT POSTS AFTER THAT (also styled differently) – located below the most recent post.

— THAT’S IT FOR THE HOMEPAGE —

****** I’m not sure if I still need another class to define the “normal looking posts” (in places like single.php)******

Hopefully this helps a little.

I was trying to do something similar and discovered something pretty simple. You may try the following:

<?php if (have_posts()) : ?>
 <?php query_posts("showposts=1"); // show one latest post only ?>
  <?php while (have_posts()) : the_post(); ?>
   <!-- the latest post here -->
  <?php endwhile; ?>
 <?php query_posts("showposts=4&offset=1"); // show 4 latests posts excluding the latest ?>
  <?php while (have_posts()) : the_post(); ?>
   <!-- the subsequent posts here -->
 <?php endwhile; ?>
<?php else: ?>
 <!-- Error message when no post published -->
<?php endif; ?>

Hope it helps. ??

Wow, poppacket, great solution, and very simple. Using ‘offset’ is a great tip. Thanks.

poppacket, thank you very much, as chedonline said great solution.

<div id="rightcol">

    <?php

// this is where you enter the IDs of which categories you want to display

$display_categories = array(5,6,7);

foreach ($display_categories as $category) { ?>

    <div class="clearfloat">

      <?php query_posts("showposts=1&cat=$category");

	    $wp_query->is_category = false;

		$wp_query->is_archive = false;

		$wp_query->is_home = true;

		 ?>

      <h3><a href="<?php echo get_category_link($category);?>"><?php 

	// this is where the name of each category gets printed	  

	  single_cat_title(); ?></a></h3>

      <?php while (have_posts()) : the_post(); ?>

      <?php

// this grabs the image filename

	$values = get_post_custom_values("Image");

// this checks to see if an image file exists

	if (isset($values[0])) {						

?>

      <a href="<?php the_permalink() ?>" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to <?php the_title(); ?>"><img src="<?php bloginfo('template_url'); ?>/images/<?php $values = get_post_custom_values("Image"); echo $values[0]; ?>" alt="" /></a>

      <?php } ?>

      <a href="<?php the_permalink() ?>" rel="bookmark" class="title"><?php 

// this is where title of the article gets printed	  

	  the_title(); ?>&raquo;</a>

      <?php the_excerpt(); ?>

      <?php endwhile; ?>

    </div>

    <?php } ?>

  </div><!--END RIGHTCOL-->

but i still have a problem. as i am not so into wp, i couldn’t port it to this code.

i know this will be too much but can you help?

thanks :$

edit:
I’m trying to solve this problem but getting a T_ELSE error on line 65 which is
<?php else: ?>

Here is the code i’m trying to replace the old right column with yours

<div id="rightcol">
<div class="clearfloat">
<?php query_posts("showposts=4&offset=1"); // show 4 latests posts excluding the latest ?>
      <h3><a href="<?php echo get_category_link($category);?>"><?php 

	// this is where the name of each category gets printed	  

	  single_cat_title(); ?></a></h3>
  <?php while (have_posts()) : the_post(); ?>
      <?php

// this grabs the image filename

	$values = get_post_custom_values("Image");

// this checks to see if an image file exists

	if (isset($values[0])) {						

?>

      <a href="<?php the_permalink() ?>" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to <?php the_title(); ?>"><img src="<?php bloginfo('template_url'); ?>/images/<?php $values = get_post_custom_values("Image"); echo $values[0]; ?>" alt="" /></a>

      <?php } ?>

      <a href="<?php the_permalink() ?>" rel="bookmark" class="title"><?php 

// this is where title of the article gets printed	  

	  the_title(); ?>&raquo;</a>

      <?php the_excerpt(); ?>

 <?php endwhile; ?>
<?php else: ?>
 <!-- Error message when no post published -->
<?php endif; ?>
</div>
    <?php } ?>
</div>

I still couldn’t make it to show the category name and title.

I see stars. What is in line 65? It’s too messy. Sorry. ??

Usually when I get such error, I try to count how many if and endif. Then edit accordingly. You might wanna start there.

Hi, I’m currently using poppacket’s code from this very thread above (https://www.ads-software.com/support/topic/153039?replies=11#post-686564).

But it’s overkill, and also, when you have many posts spread over several pages, the second page is displayed exactly as the first (eg. latest posts). This is because there is no if (!(is_paged()) { in the code. I’m not sure how to implement this if/else in php though.

Any ideas how I can simplify this code and have multiple pages work again?

Here’s my site btw: https://doodlebug.josephlavington.com

I’ve broken this script down and made it perfectly simple to use here https://www.ads-software.com/support/topic/212494