random post on frontpage

1)
try something like this:

<h3 class="someclass"><?php _e( 'A Random Selection of Post', 'twentyten' ); ?></h3>

             <?php
               $rand_posts = get_posts('numberposts=1&orderby=rand');
              foreach( $rand_posts as $post ) :
              ?>
            <a href="<?php the_permalink(); ?>"><?php the_title(); ?></a>
            <?php endforeach; ?>

2).

try searching plugins

it looks to me that you didnt close the h3 tag and the full post doesnt show, only the title which links to the post. Am i wrong?

When i get home in thirty minutes i will test ??

If problem with the above code, try this:

<h3 class="someclass"><?php _e( 'A Random Selection of Post', 'twentyten' ); ?></h3>
             <ul>
             <?php
               $rand_posts = get_posts('numberposts=1&orderby=rand');
              foreach( $rand_posts as $post ) :
              ?>
             <li><a href="<?php the_permalink(); ?>"><?php the_title(); ?></a></li>
            <?php endforeach; ?>
            </ul></li>

so i’ve tested it now.

the random part works but it still only shows a link to the post, not the post it self?

try this see if it helps;

<h3 class="someclass"><?php _e( 'A Random Selection of Post', 'twentyten' ); ?></h3>
             <ul>
             <?php
               $rand_posts = get_posts('numberposts=1&orderby=rand');
              foreach( $rand_posts as $post ) :
              ?>
             <li><a href="<?php the_permalink(); ?>"><?php the_title(); ?></a></li>
            <?php the_content(); ?>
            <?php endforeach; ?>
            </ul></li>

doesnt work

try this see if it works:

<?php

$rand_posts = $wpdb->get_results("SELECT * FROM $wpdb->posts WHERE post_status = 'publish' AND post_type='post' ORDER BY RAND() LIMIT 1");

foreach($rand_posts as $post){

setup_postdata($post);

the_excerpt("Read More...");

}

?>

hmm, nothing.

how about the loop? can you do something to that?

I use random post code in my sidebar where just title is displayed.

I am running out of ideas.

By the way – so that may someone else can help – where are you inserting the code (i.e., which template, which location…)?

<?php
			/* Run the loop to output the posts.
			 * If you want to overload this in a child theme then include a file
			 * called loop-index.php and that will be used instead.
			 */
			 get_template_part( 'loop', 'index' );
			?>

this is what i have in index.php that, i believe, shows the posts.

isnt there anything you can do with that?

i am replacing the above code and if that doesnt work i add above/beneath the code.

thanks for your effort mate, you tried, thanks.

—

i tried searching again and found this

<ul><li><h2>A random selection of my writing</h2>
    <ul>
 <?php
 $rand_posts = get_posts('numberposts=5&orderby=rand');
 foreach( $rand_posts as $post ) :
 ?>
    <li><a href="<?php the_permalink(); ?>"><?php the_title(); ?></a></li>
 <?php endforeach; ?>
    </ul>
 </li></ul>

looks pretty much like your earlier reply. don’t understand why it’s so hard to make it show the actual post :p

try this (it works):

replace this (in index.php),

<?php
			/* Run the loop to output the posts.
			 * If you want to overload this in a child theme then include a file
			 * called loop-index.php and that will be used instead.
			 */
			 get_template_part( 'loop', 'index' );
			?>

with this,

$rand_posts = $wpdb->get_results("SELECT * FROM $wpdb->posts WHERE post_status = 'publish' AND post_type='post' ORDER BY RAND() LIMIT 1");

foreach($rand_posts as $post){

setup_postdata($post);?>
<a href="<?php the_permalink(); ?>"><?php the_title(); ?></a>
<?php
the_excerpt("Read More...");

}

			/* Run the loop to output the posts.
			 * If you want to overload this in a child theme then include a file
			 * called loop-index.php and that will be used instead.
			 */

			?>

sorry, forgot to type <?php,

so replace with this:

<?php
$rand_posts = $wpdb->get_results("SELECT * FROM $wpdb->posts WHERE post_status = 'publish' AND post_type='post' ORDER BY RAND() LIMIT 1");

foreach($rand_posts as $post){

setup_postdata($post);?>
<a href="<?php the_permalink(); ?>"><?php the_title(); ?></a>
<?php
the_excerpt("Read More...");

}

			/* Run the loop to output the posts.
			 * If you want to overload this in a child theme then include a file
			 * called loop-index.php and that will be used instead.
			 */

			?>

This works – I tested it on my own blog site.

still no luck, sorry.

I used this and it worked:
`<?php

$rand_posts = $wpdb->get_results(“SELECT * FROM $wpdb->posts WHERE post_status = ‘publish’ AND post_type=’post’ ORDER BY RAND() LIMIT 1”);

foreach($rand_posts as $post){

setup_postdata($post);
}

?>
<h1><?php the_title(); ?></h1>
<?php the_content(“Read More…”); ?>