External Link Featured Images

[lukefinsaas]

Hey folks,

I’m looking to externally link the Featured Images of posts that have a custom field (‘external_url’). I’ve created a function (external_link) that captures just this URL and it’s working great with the Post Titles… but I can’t figure out where the Featured Image URL is coming from.

My best guess-timation is that it’s in Framework - Functions - Frontend - Featured.php? I’ve got the Child Theme, etc., running. Here’s my code:

  switch ( is_singular() ) {
    case true:
      printf( '<div class="entry-thumb">%s</div>', $thumb );
      break;
    case false:
      printf( '<?php external_link(); ?>%3$s</a>', // this is where I think I need it?
        esc_url( get_permalink() ),
        esc_attr( sprintf( __( 'Permalink to: "%s"', '__x__' ), the_title_attribute( 'echo=0' ) ) ),
        $thumb
      );
      break;
  }

[rad]

Hi Luke,

Thanks for reaching out.

Yes, it’s in that file but you don’t need to copy it as a file. Instead, please just copy the code from that file to child theme’s functions.php along with your customization, example

 function x_featured_image( $cropped = '' ) {

    $stack     = x_get_stack();
    $fullwidth = ( in_array( 'x-full-width-active', get_body_class() ) ) ? true : false;

    if ( has_post_thumbnail() ) {

      if ( $cropped == 'cropped' ) {
        if ( $fullwidth ) {
          $thumb = get_the_post_thumbnail( NULL, 'entry-cropped-fullwidth', NULL );
        } else {
          $thumb = get_the_post_thumbnail( NULL, 'entry-cropped', NULL );
        }
      } else {
        if ( $fullwidth ) {
          $thumb = get_the_post_thumbnail( NULL, 'entry-fullwidth', NULL );
        } else {
          $thumb = get_the_post_thumbnail( NULL, 'entry', NULL );
        }
      }

      switch ( is_singular() ) {
        case true:
          printf( '<div class="entry-thumb">%s</div>', $thumb );
          break;
        case false:
          printf( '<a href="%1$s" class="entry-thumb" title="%2$s">%3$s</a>',
            esc_url( your_external_link() ),
            esc_attr( sprintf( __( 'Permalink to: "%s"', '__x__' ), the_title_attribute( 'echo=0' ) ) ),
            $thumb
          );
          break;
      }

    }

  }

I use the function name your_external_link() as a sample since this line is wrong

printf( '<?php external_link(); ?>%3$s</a>', // this is where I think I need it?

Hope this helps.

[lukefinsaas]

Thanks Rad.

I think we might need to tweak my function to make this work. Here’s how the external_url function looks right now:

function external_link() {
	global $post;
	$thePostID = $post->ID;
	$post_id = get_post($thePostID);
	$title = $post_id->post_title;
	$perm = get_permalink($post_id);
	$post_keys = array(); $post_val = array();
	$post_keys = get_post_custom_keys($thePostID);
 
if (!empty($post_keys)) {
	foreach ($post_keys as $pkey) {
		if ($pkey=='external_url') {
		$post_val = get_post_custom_values($pkey);
		}
	}
	if (empty($post_val)) {
		$link = $perm;
	} else {
		$link = $post_val[0];
	}
	} else {
		$link = $perm;
	}
	echo '<a href="'.$link.'" rel="bookmark" title="'.$title.'">';
}

You can see that the featured image is just linking to its own page: https://recyclingdev.wpengine.com/news/

I suspect we’re going to need to get the PHP to print that .$link by its lonesome, yeah? I haven’t been able to figure it out as of yet… Any ideas?

Thanks! - Luke

[rad]

Hi Luke,

Yes, you need to change this line from your code

echo '<a href="'.$link.'" rel="bookmark" title="'.$title.'">';

to just this line

return $link;

Then this code block

    case false:
      printf( '<?php external_link(); ?>%3$s</a>', // this is where I think I need it?
        esc_url( get_permalink() ),
        esc_attr( sprintf( __( 'Permalink to: "%s"', '__x__' ), the_title_attribute( 'echo=0' ) ) ),
        $thumb
      );
      break;

should be changed to this

case false:
          printf( '<a href="%1$s" class="entry-thumb" title="%2$s">%3$s</a>',
            esc_url( external_link() ),
            esc_attr( sprintf( __( 'Permalink to: "%s"', '__x__' ), the_title_attribute( 'echo=0' ) ) ),
            $thumb
          );
          break;

The problem there is the use of ECHO while calling it where ECHO will not work (eg. printf).

Thanks!

[lukefinsaas]

OK, that fixed up the Featured Image—but now the Title doesn’t work (with changing that child template).

Any advice on what I’m doing wrong here?

<h2 class="entry-title">
        <a href="<?php external_link(); ?>" title="<?php echo esc_attr( sprintf( __( 'Permalink to: "%s"', '__x__' ), the_title_attribute( 'echo=0' ) ) ); ?>"><?php the_title(); ?></a>
</h2>

Thank you!

[paul.r]

Hi Luke,

The code looks correct. May I know which file and in what directory did you add the file in your child theme.

Kindly review the link below.

Best Practices | Themeco Docs

Thanks

[lukefinsaas]

Hi Paul,

It was working before we made the switch to $link! The path to the file is:

x-child / framework / views / renew / _content-post-header.php

Do I need to run that in the functions.php file? It seems that it’s not even registering the custom function.

Thanks!

[rad]

Hi Luke,

Now that external_link uses return instead of echo, you should now use echo on the template. Example,

<h2 class="entry-title">
        <a href="<?php echo external_link(); ?>" title="<?php echo esc_attr( sprintf( __( 'Permalink to: "%s"', '__x__' ), the_title_attribute( 'echo=0' ) ) ); ?>"><?php the_title(); ?></a>
</h2>

The good side of using return, you can use your function anywhere, and just add echo just when needed.

Thanks!