Display Categories and Descriptions

You can make a function and add it to your themes functions.php file like so:

/* descriptive cat list by tugbucket.net :D */
function desc_cats(){
foreach (get_categories(array('hide_empty'=>true)) as $category)
{
$catid = $category->cat_ID;
echo '<li><a href="' . get_bloginfo('wpurl') . '/category/' .  $category->category_nicename . '/">' .
	$category->cat_name . ' (' . $category->count.$numposts.')</a>' . category_description($catid) . '</li>';
}
};
/* descriptive cat list  */

1. So we get all the categories that are not empty.
2. We make a variable that is each categories ID.
3. Then echo out a list item for each one inside a link.
4. Lastly, add the description using our variable for the ID.

Then add this to the template file to call the function:

<ul>
<?php desc_cats(); ?>
</ul>

By default the “category_description()” wraps the description in side a P tag. If there is no description, it inserts a break tag instead.

Thanks man, that was perfect.

How do I have it not display the break tag if there isn’t a description?

Does it matter where in the function file I place that code?

Not really, but I like putting them at the top.