Show default content if custom WP_Query has no posts

Question

I have a custom loop to show posts that meet a certain set of $args like this:

<?php $recent = new WP_Query( $orderargs );     
        while($recent->have_posts()) : $recent->the_post();?>

This works great when the $orderargs bring up posts, but in some situations, there will be no posts, and I want to show some default content then.

So what do I add to this / how do I restructure this so that if the query has no posts, display default content instead.

Thank you, Ian

Answer 1

You do that the same way like with regular posts:

if ( $recent->have_posts() )
{
    while($recent->have_posts())
    {
        $recent->the_post();
        // print posts
    }
}
else
{
    print 'no posts found';
}

Answer 2

Just you use the regular loop.

<?php $recent = new WP_Query( $orderargs ); while($recent->have_posts()) : $recent->the_post();?>

type your code here.

<?php endwhile; else: ?>

Put your default content here.

<?php endif; ?>