Get an array of child posts IDs, wordpress 3.0, php - php

Question

Ok here's one for ya...
On a custom template I'm using this code to retrieve & display a list of child pages/posts
$args = array(
'depth' => 1,
'show_date' => '',
'date_format' => get_option('date_format'),
'child_of' => $post->ID,
'exclude' => '',
'include' => '',
'title_li' => '',
'echo' => 1,
'authors' => '',
'sort_column' => 'menu_order, post_title',
'link_before' => '',
'link_after' => '',
'walker' => '' );
wp_list_pages( $args );
This works great, I'm also wondering how I can access/create an array of child post ID's. My goal is to access some custom fields meta data through the get_post_meta() function of each child post using it's ID.
Thanks guys.

Answer 1

I guess I wasn't very clear with this one as it's the first time I've never recieved an answer from SO.
I managed to find the information I needed and will place it here for anyone else browsing with the same request.
ok - To get all child IDs..
$pages = get_pages('child_of=X');
foreach($pages as $child) {
// Now you have an object full of Children ID's that you can use for whatever
// E.G
echo $child->ID . "<br />";
}

Answer 2

If you want to build an array of post ids for later use you can do this:
$pageids = array();
$pages = get_pages('child_of=X');
foreach($pages as $page){
$pageids[] = $page->ID;
}
And you have a clean array of just page ids.

Answer 3

$children = get_posts('post_parent=SLUG_OF_PARENT_POST&post_status=publish');
foreach($children as $child)
{
echo '<br/>ID:'.$child->ID;
}
you can use other attributes (i.e. $child->post_content)...
if you need to define post_type, then add this argument too : &post_type=POST_TYPE_NAME

Answer 4

Another way to do this:
$my_page_id = 12345;
$child_query_args = array(
'post_parent' => $my_page_id,
'post_type' => 'page',
'posts_per_page' => -1,
'fields' => 'ids',
);
$child_query = new WP_Query($child_query_args);
if ( $child_query && $child_query->have_posts() && $child_query->posts ) {
// (Since fields=ids, $child_query->posts is just an array of IDs)
$child_ids = $child_query->posts;
foreach ( $child_ids as $child_id ) {
$whatever = get_post_meta( $child_id, 'whatever', true );
echo esc_html($whatever);
}
}