Order Categories by most recently updated?

See if you can make use of something like this.

<?php
// get 20 latest posts, display the categories used on those posts (most recent categories)
$cat_array = array();
$args=array(
  'post_type' => 'post',
  'post_status' => 'publish',
  'posts_per_page' => 20,
  'caller_get_posts'=> 1
  );
$my_query = null;
$my_query = new WP_Query($args);
if( $my_query->have_posts() ) {
  while ($my_query->have_posts()) : $my_query->the_post();
    $cat_args=array('orderby' => 'none');
    $cats = wp_get_post_terms( $post->ID , 'category', $cat_args);
    foreach($cats as $cat) {
      $cat_array[$cat->term_id] = $cat->term_id;
    }
  endwhile;
}
if ($cat_array) {
  echo '<p>List of categories used on 20 latest posts</p>';
  foreach($cat_array as $cat) {
    $category = get_term_by('ID',$cat, 'category');
    echo '<p><a href="' . esc_attr(get_term_link($category, 'category')) . '" title="' . sprintf( __( "View all posts in %s" ), $category->name ) . '" ' . '>' . $category->name.'</a><p> ';
  }
}
wp_reset_query();  // Restore global post data stomped by the_post().
?>

Thank you for the swift response Michael, it is now almost there. ??
I changed the echo to output inside of
‘li’ tags, and now I want to limit the number of displayed categories to 5 and exclude some of the other categories

Here was my original list categories statement:
<?php wp_list_categories(‘number=5&exclude=3,13,14,20’); ?>

In the code you sent where would I add this?
‘number=5&exclude=3,13,14,20’

Thanks a ton, I’m just getting started with php.

You’d need to add a counter and an if statement inside that foreach.

Hi michaelH, i have a problem https://www.ads-software.com/support/topic/plugin-wp-copyrightpro-requesting-author-remove-base64-encoding-and-external-links?replies=8

Hi MichaelH, Could you be any more specific? Or provide a link to something similar? When I search for “add a counter” all I find are articles about adding site counters and hit counters.

Also, I see two “foreach” sections
foreach($cats as $cat)
and
foreach($cat_array as $cat)

to which are you referring?

Thanks!

Got this working, here is my example, displaying a category list based on which categories have been most recently updated and excluding four categories, News, Reviews, Specials, and Featured.

<?php
// get 5 latest posts, display the categories used on those posts (most recent categories)
$cat_array = array();
$args=array(
  'post_type' => 'post',
  'post_status' => 'publish',
  'posts_per_page' => 5
  );
$my_query = null;
$my_query = new WP_Query($args);
if( $my_query->have_posts() ) {
  while ($my_query->have_posts()) : $my_query->the_post();
    $cat_args=array('orderby' => 'none');
    $cats = wp_get_post_terms( $post->ID , 'category', $cat_args);
    foreach($cats as $cat) {
      $cat_array[$cat->term_id] = $cat->term_id;
    }
  endwhile;
}
if ($cat_array) {
  foreach($cat_array as $cat)  {	  

    $category = get_term_by('ID',$cat, 'category');
	if ( $category->name != 'News' && $category->name != 'Reviews' && $category->name != 'Specials' && $category->name != 'Featured'){
    	echo '<li><a href="' . esc_attr(get_term_link($category, 'category')) . '" title="' . sprintf( __( "View all posts in %s" ), $category->name ) . '" ' . '>' . $category->name.'</a></li> ';
	}

  }
}
wp_reset_query();  // Restore global post data stomped by the_post().
?>