Using a Custom Field for Thumbnail in Wordpress - php

Question

I have a custom field named "Thumbnail" that I use currently to display thumbnails for my posts on my Wordpress site. I recently bought a new template and can't seem to get the code to display this to work. I think it's because the new template is using an array instead.
Currently, I just have to put:
<img src="<?php echo get_post_meta($post->ID, Thumbnail, true); ?>"/>
and it displays perfectly. So here is the code I believe I need to change in the new site:
<?php if($counter <= $big_count): ?>
<?php if($counter == $big_count) { $last = ‘block-item-big-last’; } else { $last = ”; }?>
<div class="block-item-big <?php echo $last; ?>">
<?php if($images && has_post_thumbnail()): ?>
<?php $image = wp_get_attachment_image_src(get_post_thumbnail_id($post->ID), ‘widget-image’); ?>
<div class="block-image"><a href=’<?php the_permalink(); ?>’ title=’<?php the_title(); ?>’><img src="<?php echo $image[0]; ?>" alt="<?php the_title(); ?>" width=’290′ height=’160′ />
Looks like it’s using an array? But I don’t know enough about code to get this to work. I tried to put my code in the img tag of the last line above but pretty sure I need to change something else.
Please help! Thanks.
**UPDATE**
Thanks for the info #Ehs4n and #Tim! Still no luck but I decided to try a simpler approach by removing that part of the code that checks for the array. I feel like I am close. Here is what I have now.
<?php if (in_category('movies') ): ?>
<div class="block-item-big-<?php echo $last; ?>">
<div class="block-image"><a href='<?php the_permalink(); ?>' title='<?php the_title(); ?>'><img src="<?php echo get_post_meta($post->ID, Thumbnail, true); ?>" alt="<?php the_title(); ?>"/></a><?php echo $icon; ?></div>
But the still no thumbnail shows up? Not sure what I am missing, I have a Custom Field called Thumbnail with the appropriate link to the picture on the server on that post. It even works correctly when I put in the actual URL in for the img src to that picture but when I put in the code...
<?php echo get_post_meta($post->ID, Thumbnail, true); ?>
it is like it does not understand that. Firebug tells me that the src is empty, it is like it is not returning Thumbnail Custom Field as it should be?
Below is the entire file which is an include via a Widget to display a category layout on the index of the site.
<?php
add_action('widgets_init', 'pyre_homepage_1col_load_widgets');
function pyre_homepage_1col_load_widgets()
{
register_widget('Pyre_Homepage_1col_Widget');
}
class Pyre_Homepage_1col_Widget extends WP_Widget {
function Pyre_Homepage_1col_Widget()
{
$widget_ops = array('classname' => 'pyre_homepage_1col', 'description' => 'Homepage 1-column recent posts widget.');
$control_ops = array('id_base' => 'pyre_homepage_1col-widget');
$this->WP_Widget('pyre_homepage_1col-widget', 'Avenue Theme: Home 1-column', $widget_ops, $control_ops);
}
function widget($args, $instance)
{
extract($args);
$title = $instance['title'];
$post_type = 'all';
$categories = $instance['categories'];
$posts = $instance['posts'];
$images = true;
$rating = true;
$show_excerpt = isset($instance['show_excerpt']) ? 'true' : 'false';
echo $before_widget;
?>
<?php
$post_types = get_post_types();
unset($post_types['page'], $post_types['attachment'], $post_types['revision'], $post_types['nav_menu_item']);
if($post_type == 'all') {
$post_type_array = $post_types;
} else {
$post_type_array = $post_type;
}
?>
<div class="block full">
<h3><?php echo $title; ?> <span class="arrows">»</span></h3>
<?php
$recent_posts = new WP_Query(array(
'showposts' => $posts,
'cat' => $categories,
));
?>
<?php
$big_count = round($posts / 4);
if(!$big_count) { $big_count = 1; }
?>
<?php $counter = 1; while($recent_posts->have_posts()): $recent_posts->the_post(); ?>
<?php
if(has_post_format('video') || has_post_format('audio') || has_post_format('gallery')) {
$icon = '<span class="' . get_post_format($post->ID) . '-icon"></span>';
} else {
$icon = '';
}
?>
<?php if($counter <= $big_count): ?>
<?php if($counter == $big_count) { $last = 'block-item-big-last'; } else { $last = ''; }?>
<!-- Movies Category -->
<?php if (in_category('movies') ): ?>
<div class="block-item-big-Movies <?php echo $last; ?>">
<div class="block-image"><a href='<?php the_permalink(); ?>' title='<?php the_title(); ?> movie review'><img src="<?php echo get_post_meta($post->ID, Thumbnail, true); ?>"/></a><?php echo $icon; ?></div>
<h2><a href='<?php the_permalink(); ?>' title='<?php the_title(); ?> movie review'><?php the_title(); ?></a></h2>
<span class="block-meta"><?php the_time('F j, Y'); ?>, <?php comments_popup_link(); ?></span>
<?php if($show_excerpt == 'true'): ?><p><?php echo string_limit_words(get_the_excerpt(), 15); ?> ...</p><?php endif; ?>
</div>
<!-- END Movies Category -->
<!-- Music Category -->
<?php elseif (in_category('music') ): ?>
<div class="block-item-big <?php echo $last; ?>">
<?php if($images && has_post_thumbnail()): ?>
<?php $image = wp_get_attachment_image_src(get_post_thumbnail_id($post->ID), 'widget-image'); ?>
<div class="block-image"><a href='<?php the_permalink(); ?>' title='<?php the_title(); ?>'><img src="<?php echo $image[0]; ?>" alt="<?php the_title(); ?>" width='290' height='160' /></a><?php echo $icon; ?></div>
<?php else: ?>
<div class="block-image"><a href='<?php the_permalink(); ?>' title='<?php the_title(); ?>'><img src="<?php bloginfo('template_directory'); ?>/timthumb.php?src=<?php bloginfo('template_directory'); ?>/images/thumbnail.png&w=290&h=160" alt="<?php the_title(); ?>" width='290' height='160' /></a><?php echo $icon; ?></div>
<?php endif; ?>
<h2><a href='<?php the_permalink(); ?>' title='<?php the_title(); ?>'><?php the_title(); ?></a></h2>
<span class="block-meta"><?php the_time('F j, Y'); ?>, <?php comments_popup_link(); ?></span>
<?php if($show_excerpt == 'true'): ?><p><?php echo string_limit_words(get_the_excerpt(), 15); ?> ...</p><?php endif; ?>
</div>
<!-- END Music Category -->
<!-- Else Default Display -->
<?php else: ?>
<div class="block-item-big <?php echo $last; ?>">
<?php if($images && has_post_thumbnail()): ?>
<?php $image = wp_get_attachment_image_src(get_post_thumbnail_id($post->ID), 'widget-image'); ?>
<div class="block-image"><a href='<?php the_permalink(); ?>' title='<?php the_title(); ?>'><img src="<?php echo $image[0]; ?>" alt="<?php the_title(); ?>" width='290' height='160' /></a><?php echo $icon; ?></div>
<?php else: ?>
<div class="block-image"><a href='<?php the_permalink(); ?>' title='<?php the_title(); ?>'><img src="<?php bloginfo('template_directory'); ?>/timthumb.php?src=<?php bloginfo('template_directory'); ?>/images/thumbnail.png&w=290&h=160" alt="<?php the_title(); ?>" width='290' height='160' /></a><?php echo $icon; ?></div>
<?php endif; ?>
<h2>MUSIC<a href='<?php the_permalink(); ?>' title='<?php the_title(); ?>'><?php the_title(); ?></a></h2>
<span class="block-meta"><?php the_time('F j, Y'); ?>, <?php comments_popup_link(); ?></span>
<?php if($show_excerpt == 'true'): ?><p><?php echo string_limit_words(get_the_excerpt(), 15); ?> ...</p><?php endif; ?>
</div>
<!-- END Normal Display -->
<?php endif; ?>
<?php else: ?>
<div class="block-item-small">
<?php if($images && has_post_thumbnail()): ?>
<?php $image = wp_get_attachment_image_src(get_post_thumbnail_id($post->ID), 'widget-image-thumb'); ?>
<div class="block-image"><a href='<?php the_permalink(); ?>' title='<?php the_title(); ?>'><img src="<?php echo $image[0]; ?>" alt="<?php the_title(); ?>" width='50' height='50' /></a><?php echo $icon; ?></div>
<?php else: ?>
<div class="block-image"><a href='<?php the_permalink(); ?>' title='<?php the_title(); ?>'><img src="<?php bloginfo('template_directory'); ?>/timthumb.php?src=<?php bloginfo('template_directory'); ?>/images/thumbnail.png&w=50&h=50" alt="<?php the_title(); ?>" width='50' height='50' /></a><?php echo $icon; ?></div>
<?php endif; ?>
<h2><a href='<?php the_permalink(); ?>' title='<?php the_title(); ?>'><?php the_title(); ?></a></h2>
<span class="block-meta"><?php the_time('F j, Y'); ?>, <?php comments_popup_link(); ?></span>
</div>
<?php endif; ?>
<?php $counter++; endwhile; ?>
</div>
<?php
echo $after_widget;
}
function update($new_instance, $old_instance)
{
$instance = $old_instance;
$instance['title'] = $new_instance['title'];
$instance['post_type'] = 'all';
$instance['categories'] = $new_instance['categories'];
$instance['posts'] = $new_instance['posts'];
$instance['show_images'] = true;
$instance['show_rating'] = true;
$instance['show_excerpt'] = $new_instance['show_excerpt'];
return $instance;
}
function form($instance)
{
$defaults = array('title' => 'Recent Posts', 'post_type' => 'all', 'categories' => 'all', 'posts' => 4, 'show_excerpt' => null);
$instance = wp_parse_args((array) $instance, $defaults); ?>
<p>
<label for="<?php echo $this->get_field_id('title'); ?>">Title:</label>
<input class="widefat" style="width: 216px;" id="<?php echo $this->get_field_id('title'); ?>" name="<?php echo $this->get_field_name('title'); ?>" value="<?php echo $instance['title']; ?>" />
</p>
<p>
<label for="<?php echo $this->get_field_id('categories'); ?>">Filter by Category:</label>
<select id="<?php echo $this->get_field_id('categories'); ?>" name="<?php echo $this->get_field_name('categories'); ?>" class="widefat categories" style="width:100%;">
<option value='all' <?php if ('all' == $instance['categories']) echo 'selected="selected"'; ?>>all categories</option>
<?php $categories = get_categories('hide_empty=0&depth=1&type=post'); ?>
<?php foreach($categories as $category) { ?>
<option value='<?php echo $category->term_id; ?>' <?php if ($category->term_id == $instance['categories']) echo 'selected="selected"'; ?>><?php echo $category->cat_name; ?></option>
<?php } ?>
</select>
</p>
<p>
<label for="<?php echo $this->get_field_id('posts'); ?>">Number of posts:</label>
<input class="widefat" style="width: 30px;" id="<?php echo $this->get_field_id('posts'); ?>" name="<?php echo $this->get_field_name('posts'); ?>" value="<?php echo $instance['posts']; ?>" />
</p>
<p>
<input class="checkbox" type="checkbox" <?php checked($instance['show_excerpt'], 'on'); ?> id="<?php echo $this->get_field_id('show_excerpt'); ?>" name="<?php echo $this->get_field_name('show_excerpt'); ?>" />
<label for="<?php echo $this->get_field_id('show_excerpt'); ?>">Show excerpt</label>
</p>
<?php }
}
?>

Answer 1

Throw in a print_r($image) to find out if Image is an array. What result is coming out of using image[0]?

Answer 2

If you are using custom fields to store thumbnail paths, why are you confused with the code used in your template.
You can still use your old code to get the image
<?php echo get_post_meta($post->ID, Thumbnail, true); ?>
Looking at your template's code, it uses Wordpress function wp_get_attachment_image_src() which takes three parameters, $attachement_id - to pass id of that media, $size - media size / image size to display & third optional $icon to display an icon to represent the attachment. Here you are passing $attachment_id of the image set as your post thumbnail in the post and the size. The function in turn returns an array containing url, width and height, url being the first one, so using $image[0] will return the url of the image, which is fine.
If the image is still not being displayed, you need to confirm whether you have attached image as post thumbnail in your post and that the $images variable returns true on if clause.