Wordpress Loop Issue - php

Question

I am running in to an issue with making my own search loop in Wordpress. What I am trying to achieve is that certain circumstances display only certain information:
<?php while ( have_posts() ) : the_post(); echo '<div>'; ?>
<?php if ( in_category('property') ) { ?>
<h3><?php the_title(); ?></h3>
<?php the_field('main-image-description'); ?>
<span class="launch">
<a href="<?php the_permalink(); ?>" title="<?php printf( esc_attr__( 'Permalink to %s', 'boilerplate' ), the_title_attribute( 'echo=0' ) ); ?>" rel="bookmark">
<span class="link">click to launch</span>
<span class="launch-icon"></span>
</a>
</span>
<?php } ?>
<?php if ( in_category('all-developments') ) { ?>
<h3><?php the_title(); ?></h3>
<?php the_field('property-description'); ?>
<span class="launch-brochure">
<a href="<?php the_field('pdf-download-all-developments'); ?>" target="_blank">
<span class="link">Download Brochure</span>
<span class="launch-icon"></span>
</a>
</span>
<?php } ?>
<?php if ( is_page() ) { ?>
<h3><?php the_title(); ?></h3>
<?php the_content(); ?>
<span class="launch">
<a href="<?php the_permalink(); ?>" title="<?php printf( esc_attr__( 'Permalink to %s', 'boilerplate' ), the_title_attribute( 'echo=0' ) ); ?>" rel="bookmark">
<span class="link">click to launch</span>
<span class="launch-icon"></span>
</a>
</span>
<?php } ?>
<?php echo '</div>'; endwhile; ?>
The issue that arises, is that is will always render one or two empty tags at the top and this ruins the style of it, as each div has a dotted border. Is there a way of telling Wordpress that if not of these conditions are met, then don't display the <div>?
Thanks in advance for any help!
JP

Answer 1

Rearrange your code so you compute the conditions before you output the content like so:
<?php
while ( have_posts() ) : the_post();
$propertyCategory = in_category('property');
$allDevelopmentsCategory = in_category('all-developments');
$isPage = is_page();
$output = ($propertyCategory || $allDevelopmentsCategory || $isPage);
if($output){
echo '<div>';
}
?>
<?php if ( $propertyCategory ) { ?>
<h3><?php the_title(); ?></h3>
<?php the_field('main-image-description'); ?>
<span class="launch">
<a href="<?php the_permalink(); ?>" title="<?php printf( esc_attr__( 'Permalink to %s', 'boilerplate' ), the_title_attribute( 'echo=0' ) ); ?>" rel="bookmark">
<span class="link">click to launch</span>
<span class="launch-icon"></span>
</a>
</span>
<?php } ?>
<?php if ( $allDevelopmentsCategory ) { ?>
<h3><?php the_title(); ?></h3>
<?php the_field('property-description'); ?>
<span class="launch-brochure">
<a href="<?php the_field('pdf-download-all-developments'); ?>" target="_blank">
<span class="link">Download Brochure</span>
<span class="launch-icon"></span>
</a>
</span>
<?php } ?>
<?php if ( $isPage ) { ?>
<h3><?php the_title(); ?></h3>
<?php the_content(); ?>
<span class="launch">
<a href="<?php the_permalink(); ?>" title="<?php printf( esc_attr__( 'Permalink to %s', 'boilerplate' ), the_title_attribute( 'echo=0' ) ); ?>" rel="bookmark">
<span class="link">click to launch</span>
<span class="launch-icon"></span>
</a>
</span>
<?php } ?>
<?php
if($output){
echo '</div>';
}
endwhile;
?>
This allows you to detect if anything will be output and then uses a div where appropriate.

Answer 2

Can you just move the <div> inside the conditional statements? Like so:
<?php while ( have_posts() ) : the_post(); ?>
<?php if ( in_category('property') ) { ?>
<div> <!-- Open div here !-->
<h3><?php the_title(); ?></h3>
<?php the_field('main-image-description'); ?>
<span class="launch">
<a href="<?php the_permalink(); ?>" title="<?php printf( esc_attr__( 'Permalink to %s', 'boilerplate' ), the_title_attribute( 'echo=0' ) ); ?>" rel="bookmark">
<span class="link">click to launch</span>
<span class="launch-icon"></span>
</a>
</span>
</div> <!-- Close div here !-->
<?php } ?>
<?php if ( in_category('all-developments') ) { ?>
<div> <!-- Open div here !-->
<h3><?php the_title(); ?></h3>
<?php the_field('property-description'); ?>
<span class="launch-brochure">
<a href="<?php the_field('pdf-download-all-developments'); ?>" target="_blank">
<span class="link">Download Brochure</span>
<span class="launch-icon"></span>
</a>
</span>
</div> <!-- Close div here !-->
<?php } ?>
<?php if ( is_page() ) { ?>
<div> <!-- Open div here !-->
<h3><?php the_title(); ?></h3>
<?php the_content(); ?>
<span class="launch">
<a href="<?php the_permalink(); ?>" title="<?php printf( esc_attr__( 'Permalink to %s', 'boilerplate' ), the_title_attribute( 'echo=0' ) ); ?>" rel="bookmark">
<span class="link">click to launch</span>
<span class="launch-icon"></span>
</a>
</span>
</div> <!-- Close div here !-->
<?php } ?>
<?php endwhile; ?>