WP_query returns error when used for custom widget

Question

I was working on creating my first plugin/widget that should display a really simple loop containing only a custom field (image)

I've been testing the loop without any problems in my theme but when I place the loop in my plugin file it generates a fatal error preventing the plugin to b activated. I really don't understand why this happens as the loop works without any problems in the theme.

This is the loop that I'm using:

<?php $args = array(
    'posts_per_page' => 3,
    'post_type' => 'sponsors',
    'orderby' => 'rand',
);
$the_query = new WP_Query( $args ); ?>

<?php if ($the_query->have_posts()) : while ($the_query->have_posts()) : $the_query->the_post();  ?>
<li>
<?php 
$image = get_field('sponsor');
if( !empty($image) ): ?>
<img src="<?php echo $image['url']; ?>" alt="<?php echo $image['alt']; ?>" />
<?php endif; ?>
</li>
<?php endwhile; ?>
<?php else : ?>
<?php endif; ?>

And this is the fatal error displayed when activating the plugin:

Parse error: syntax error, unexpected T_ENCAPSED_AND_WHITESPACE, expecting T_STRING or T_VARIABLE or T_NUM_STRING

I've already solved it another way by using the PHP Code Widget plugin but would like to know why I get this error. If I need to place the full plugin code let me know.

Answer 1

UPDATE: Okay, Looking at the Error, it should be easy. Just remove any Whitespaces or Clear Lines at the end of your Plugin file after the last "?>".

http://php.net/manual/en/language.types.string.php#language.types.string.syntax.heredoc

Did you copy&paste the code here? Because it seems like you have some whitespaces that should not be there in the line

<?php if ($the_query->have_posts()) : while ($the_query->have_posts()) : $the_query-    >the_post();  ?>

If you remove the whitespaces (like this:

<?php if ($the_query->have_posts()) : while ($the_query->have_posts()) : $the_query->the_post();  ?>

), it should work.

P.S.: Don't forget to use

<?php wp_reset_postdata(); ?>

after the

<?php endwhile; ?>

Otherwise it could end up messing with the rest of your page ^^

Happy Coding, Kuchenundkakao