shortcode using multiple WP_Query's with multiple category names not fully functional

Question

we're working on a bilingual site,

Larry A. Downs

all the posts are categorized into two categories, english or spanish, along with other categories. so every post has multiple categories,

i've coded out a shortcode that sets up a tabbed widget in the sidebar, based on the language category, using multiple WP_Query's and looping thru them,

but if you look on the english category page: /category/english

some the queries are returning posts from the spanish category, i've checked the posts and they're in the right categories, i think i'm not setting up my query $args properly, and could use the wisdom of higher lever wordpressers than i.

thanks again stack.

here's the sidebartabs shortcode: SidebarTabs Shortcode

Answer 1

As of WordPress 3.6 you can put comma-delimited entries in the category_name property of the arguments array like this:

$args = array(
  'category_name' => 'news2014,news2015',
);

query_posts($args);

This works if the categories are both at the root level (no parent)

Answer 2

You want to use category__and and pass an array of category ids for language and favorites or language and lifestyle.

See Category Paremeters for WP_Query in Codex.

Answer 3

Explicitly defining your category names as an array works, at least as of this date and WP 3.5.1-

<?php $query = new WP_Query(' category_name=array(staff,news) '); ?>