Add Permalink to Post Thumbnail, syntax code issues

Question

I´d like to link the_post_thumbnail by using the the_permalink.

I do this (It Works without link)

<?php $args = array( 'post_type' => 'xyz', 'posts_per_page' => -1, 'orderby' => 'rand' );
$loop = new WP_Query( $args );

while ( $loop->have_posts() ) : $loop->the_post();

   the_post_thumbnail('wine-flow', array('class' => 'item'));

endwhile; ?>

And I´d like to do further this: (Syntax Error)

<?php $args = array( 'post_type' => 'xyz', 'posts_per_page' => -1, 'orderby' => 'rand' );
$loop = new WP_Query( $args );

while ( $loop->have_posts() ) : $loop->the_post();

   <a href="<?php the_permalink(); ?>" title="<?php the_title_attribute(); ?>" >
   <?php the_post_thumbnail('wine-flow', array('class' => 'item')); ?>
   </a>

endwhile; ?>

Thanks
ogni

Answer 1

That is because you haven't close php before anchor tag

<?php $args = array( 'post_type' => 'xyz', 'posts_per_page' => -1, 'orderby' => 'rand' );
$loop = new WP_Query( $args );

while ( $loop->have_posts() ) : $loop->the_post(); ?>

   <a href="<?php the_permalink(); ?>" title="<?php the_title_attribute(); ?>" >
   <?php the_post_thumbnail('wine-flow', array('class' => 'item')); ?>
   </a>
<?php
endwhile; ?>

Answer 2

You need to jump out of PHP after calling $loop->the_post(), because you are writing HTML after that. You also need to jump back into PHP before endwhile; because that is PHP and not HTML.

<?php $args = array( 'post_type' => 'xyz', 'posts_per_page' => -1, 'orderby' => 'rand' );
$loop = new WP_Query( $args );

while ( $loop->have_posts() ) : $loop->the_post(); ?>

   <a href="<?php the_permalink(); ?>" title="<?php the_title_attribute(); ?>" >
   <?php the_post_thumbnail('wine-flow', array('class' => 'item')); ?>
   </a>

<?php endwhile; ?>