Using post title as term in query, only working with single word titles

Question

I am using get_the_title to set up the taxonomy term for my query, which has worked fine in testing up until I had a title with more than one word, title of "catalogs" works, title of "new catalogs" does not work. When I say doesn't work I mean that, the_post_thumbnail and get_post_meta don't return anything.

<?php
    $supplier = get_the_title();

    global $post;
    $args = array(
        'numberposts' => 1,
        'post_type' => 'suppliers',
        'taxonomy' => 'suppliersTax',
        'term' => $supplier,
        'post_status' => 'publish'
    );
    wp_list_categories( $args );
    $homeSOTMHeader = get_posts( $args );
    foreach( $homeSOTMHeader as $post ) :   setup_postdata($post);
?>

    <div id="supplierHeader">
        <div id="supplierLogo" class="alignLeft">
            <?php if ( has_post_thumbnail() ) {the_post_thumbnail();} ?>
        </div>

        <ul id="companyHeaderInfoHorizontal">
            <?php
                $meta = get_post_meta(get_the_ID(), 'sp_homeHeaderCompanyLink', true); 
                '' != $meta and print "<li><a href='$meta' target='_blank'>Company Site</a></li>";

                $meta = get_post_meta(get_the_ID(), 'sp_homeHeaderProductsLink', true); 
                '' != $meta and print "<li><a href='$meta' target='_blank'>Browse Products</a></li>";

                $meta = get_post_meta(get_the_ID(), 'sp_homeHeaderContactsBox', true);
                '0' != $meta and print "<li><a class='inline' href='#contactsModal'>Contacts</a></li>";
            ?>
        </ul>

        <?php endforeach; ?>
        <?php // Reset Post Data
        wp_reset_postdata(); ?>

    </div> <!-- supplierHeader -->

Answer 1

The term needs the slug of the term, not the human read description so "hello-world" not "Hello World"

Try using the sanitize_title function: http://codex.wordpress.org/Function_Reference/sanitize_title

Also, add an else case for your loop to catch the 'no posts found' case, etc, when you have an issue it's a good idea to have as much information as possible.

Additionally:

    'taxonomy' => 'suppliersTax',
    'term' => $supplier,

can also be written as:

    'suppliersTax' => $supplier,

edit: the most verbose definitive precise flexible method of writing it is this:

'tax_query' => array(
    array(
        'taxonomy' => 'supplier',
        'field' => 'slug',
        'terms' => sanitize_title($supplier)
    )
)

as seen here: http://codex.wordpress.org/Class_Reference/WP_Query#Taxonomy_Parameters

Also looking at your code in your comment you use:

$homeSOTMHeader = get_posts( $args );

foreach( $homeSOTMHeader as $post ) :   setup_postdata($post);
?>
    // stuff
<?php endforeach;?>
<?php wp_reset_postdata(); ?>

It would be clearer to use this instead:

$q = new WP_Query($args);
if($q->have_posts()){
    while($q->have_posts()){
        $q->the_post();
        // stuff
    }
} else {
    ?><p>No Posts were found</p><?php // important information to have for debugging purposes
}
wp_reset_postdata();