if have posts display div else display no posts statment - php

Question

I have no idea why this code is not working. I am trying to create a conditional statement where if this custom post type has posts then display customer-section div. if post does not exist then print no post statement. I did everything I thought I am suppose to but I must be doing something silly wrong because I can still see the customer-section div even though there are no posts.
here is what I have:
<?php if ( have_posts() ) : while ( have_posts() ) : the_post(); ?>
<div class="customer-section case-study">
<div class="case-study-container">
<h2>Case Studies</h2>
<?php $loop = new WP_Query( array( 'post_type' => 'case_study', 'posts_per_page' => 9 ) ); ?>
<?php while ( $loop->have_posts() ) : $loop->the_post(); ?>
<div <?php post_class(); ?>>
<?php if ( has_post_thumbnail() ): ?>
<div class="press-featured-image">
<?php the_post_thumbnail('', array('class' => 'th')); ?>
</div>
<?php endif; ?>
<div class="blog-post">
<h3><?php the_title(); ?></h3>
<div class="entry-summery">
<?php the_excerpt(); ?>
</div>
<footer>
<?php $tag = get_the_tags(); if (!$tag) { } else { ?><p><?php the_tags(); ?></p><?php } ?>
</footer>
</div>
<hr />
</div>
<?php endwhile; wp_reset_query(); ?>
</div>
</div>
<?php endwhile; else : ?>
<p><?php _e( 'Sorry, no posts matched your criteria.' ); ?></p>
<?php endif; ?>

Answer 1

What you are currently doing is checking if your initial have_posts() (the default query) condition is true and if this is a page template it is always true. Actually (for page templates) you don't need that check at all, since WordPress will return 404 if the page is not found.
You need a check for posts for your custom query:
<?php the_post(); ?>
<div class="customer-section case-study">
<div class="case-study-container">
<h2>Case Studies</h2>
<?php $loop = new WP_Query( array( 'post_type' => 'case_study', 'posts_per_page' => 9 ) );
if ( $loop->have_posts() ):
while ( $loop->have_posts() ) : $loop->the_post(); ?>
<div <?php post_class(); ?>>
<?php if ( has_post_thumbnail() ): ?>
<div class="press-featured-image">
<?php the_post_thumbnail('', array('class' => 'th')); ?>
</div>
<?php endif; ?>
<div class="blog-post">
<h3><?php the_title(); ?></h3>
<div class="entry-summery">
<?php the_excerpt(); ?>
</div>
<footer>
<?php $tag = get_the_tags(); if (!$tag) { } else { ?><p><?php the_tags(); ?></p><?php } ?>
</footer>
</div>
<hr />
</div>
<?php endwhile;
else: ?>
<p><?php _e( 'Sorry, no posts matched your criteria.' ); ?></p>
<?php endif;
wp_reset_query();
?>
</div>
</div>

Answer 2

I believe the issue is your syntax with the two loops.
You're missing the if statement before the while condition
You're trying to load your $loop loop inside the standard page or post loop.
Try this instead:
<?php
$case_studies = new WP_Query( array( 'post_type' => 'case_study', 'posts_per_page' => 9 ) );
if ( $case_studies->have_posts() ) : ?>
<div class="customer-section case-study">
<div class="case-study-container">
<h2>Case Studies</h2>
<?php while ( $case_studies->have_posts() ) : $case_studies->the_post(); ?>
<div <?php post_class(); ?>>
<?php if ( has_post_thumbnail() ): ?>
<div class="press-featured-image">
<?php the_post_thumbnail('', array('class' => 'th')); ?>
</div>
<?php endif; ?>
<div class="blog-post">
<h3><?php the_title(); ?></h3>
<div class="entry-summary">
<?php the_excerpt(); ?>
</div>
<footer>
<?php if (get_the_tags()) { ?>
<p><?php the_tags(); ?></p>
<?php } ?>
</footer>
</div>
<hr />
</div>
<?php endwhile; ?>
</div>
</div>
<?php else : ?>
<p><?php _e( 'Sorry, no posts matched your criteria.' ); ?></p>
<?php endif; wp_reset_query(); ?>

Answer 3

this is what worked for me. You don't need to end the while loop if it's inside the WP_Query. All you have to do is close the if statement for the main div you want to show, add the while for the repeating section and if it doesn't work, I'd try deleting the conditions you have set on your footer.
<?php $loop = new WP_Query( array( 'post_type' => 'case_study', 'posts_per_page' => 9 ) ); if($loop->have_posts()): ?>
<div class="customer-section case-study">
<div class="case-study-container">
<h2>Case Studies</h2>
<?php while ( $loop->have_posts() ) : $loop->the_post(); ?>
<div <?php post_class(); ?>>
<?php if ( has_post_thumbnail() ): ?>
<div class="press-featured-image">
<?php the_post_thumbnail('', array('class' => 'th')); ?>
</div>
<?php endif; ?>
<div class="blog-post">
<h3><?php the_title(); ?></h3>
<div class="entry-summery">
<?php the_excerpt(); ?>
</div>
<footer>
<?php $tag = get_the_tags(); if (!$tag) { } else { ?><p><?php the_tags(); ?></p><?php } ?>
</footer>
</div>
<hr />
</div>
<?php } wp_reset_postdata(); ?>
</div>
</div>
<?php endif; ?>