Display custom field only if it has a value

Question

this is the correct solution

<?php $meta_cat_name = get_post_meta( $post->ID, 'related blog articles', true ); if( !empty( $meta_cat_name ) ): $my_query = new WP_Query( array( 'category_name' => $meta_cat_name, 'posts_per_page' => 5, ) ); if ( $my_query->have_posts() ): while ( $my_query->have_posts() ) : $my_query->the_post(); ?> <a href="<?php the_permalink() ?>" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to <?php the_title(); ?>"><?php the_title(); ?></a> <?php endwhile; endif; endif; wp_reset_query(); ?>

----- original request and old code below -----

As I have yet to find a tutorial that does what I need I am using the More Fields plugin so that I can add partially filled custom fields/meta boxes on the edit posts page.

These have the key already set so that the user only needs to enter a value - in this case a category name which will then display 5 posts from that cat.

This works fine unless the post is published without a value being entered. This causes the published post to also list the 5 most recent posts. I assume its because it has been instructed that something is going there but only has half the info.

So how do I make the chunk of code below only appear if a value has been entered?

thanks

James

<?php $my_query = new WP_Query(array(
'category_name'  => get_post_meta($post->ID, 'related blog articles', true),
'posts_per_page' => 5,
)); if ($my_query->have_posts()):  ?>

<?php while ($my_query->have_posts()) : $my_query->the_post(); ?>   
<a href="<?php the_permalink() ?>" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to <?php the_title(); ?>"><?php the_title(); ?></a>

<?php endwhile; ?>
<?php endif; ?>
<?php wp_reset_query(); ?> 

Answer 1

            <?php
            $metacatname = get_post_meta( $post->ID, 'related blog articles', true );

            if(!(empty( $metacatname ))):

                $my_query = new WP_Query( array(
                    'category_name'  => $meta_cat_name,
                    'posts_per_page' => 5,
                ) );

                if ( $my_query->have_posts() ):

                    while ( $my_query->have_posts() ) : $my_query->the_post(); ?>   
                        <a href="<?php the_permalink() ?>" rel="bookmark" title="<?php the_title(); ?>"><?php the_title(); ?></a>
            <?php
                    endwhile;

                endif;

            endif;

            wp_reset_query();
            ?>

Answer 2

move your get_post_meta call outside the query and check if it's not empty first:

<?php
$meta_cat_name = get_post_meta( $post->ID, 'related blog articles', true );

if( !empty( $meta_cat_name ) ):

    $my_query = new WP_Query( array(
        'category_name'  => $meta_cat_name,
        'posts_per_page' => 5,
    ) );

    if ( $my_query->have_posts() ):

        while ( $my_query->have_posts() ) : $my_query->the_post(); ?>   
            <a href="<?php the_permalink() ?>" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to <?php the_title(); ?>"><?php the_title(); ?></a>
        <?php endwhile;

    endif;

endif;

wp_reset_query();
?>