WordPress custom fields - Function

Question

I'd love any ideas.

This is what i have inside the loop

    <?php
    $mediapost = get_post_meta($post->ID, 'mediapost', true);

    if ($mediapost == 'gallery') {
        $posticon = '<i class="fa fa-camera-retro"></i>&nbsp;';
    } elseif ($mediapost == 'video') {
        $posticon = '<i class="fa fa-video-camera"></i>&nbsp;';
    } else {
        $posticon = '';
    }
    ?>

    <?php echo $posticon; ?> <a href="<?php the_permalink() ?>" rel="bookmark" title="<?php printf( esc_attr__( 'Permalink to %s', 'citydesk' ), the_title_attribute( 'echo=0' ) ); ?>" ><?php the_title(); ?></a>

I have around 5 loops and same code keeps repeating one after another.

Is there a way to shorten this (maybe to wrap it in a function) and use it that way?

Answer 1

You could use a switch though with only the three options it doesn't save you any code:

switch(type){
    case 'gallery':
        $posticon = '<i class="fa fa-camera-retro"></i>&nbsp;';
        break;
    case 'video':
        $posticon = '<i class="fa fa-video-camera"></i>&nbsp;';
        break;
    default:
        $posticon = '';
        break;  
}

Answer 2

You should consider using wordpress post formats:

It implements this interface in posts admin area:

Also a few functions to know what kind of post is it: has_post_format( '[type]' )

So you can create a function in you function.php file:

function the_post_icon(){
    $format = get_post_format();
    switch($format){
        case 'gallery':
            $posticon = 'gallery';
            break;
        case 'video':
            $posticon = 'video';
            break;      
        default:
            $posticon = '';
            break;
     }
     echo '<i class="fa fa-'.$posticon.'"></i>&nbsp;';
}

or even

function the_post_icon(){
         echo '<i class="fa fa-'.get_post_format().'"></i>&nbsp;';
    }