I'm currently using the following code to sort and order my super awesome column that I created:

        if ( 'My column' !== $query->get( 'orderby' ) ) {
            return;
        }

        // Order by the _my_column using a numeric interpretation of the value.
        $query->set( 'meta_key', '_my_column' );
        $query->set( 'orderby', 'meta_value_num' );

This code gets the job done, but when I click on the column header in order to sort the column, any posts that don't contain that meta field are not included in the listing of posts. I would like to have it such that any posts that don't contain the meta field evaluate as and are sorted as zeroes. How can I accomplish this? Thanks.

I'm currently using the following code to sort and order my super awesome column that I created:

        if ( 'My column' !== $query->get( 'orderby' ) ) {
            return;
        }

        // Order by the _my_column using a numeric interpretation of the value.
        $query->set( 'meta_key', '_my_column' );
        $query->set( 'orderby', 'meta_value_num' );

This code gets the job done, but when I click on the column header in order to sort the column, any posts that don't contain that meta field are not included in the listing of posts. I would like to have it such that any posts that don't contain the meta field evaluate as and are sorted as zeroes. How can I accomplish this? Thanks.

• wp-query

1 Answer 1

You can do it like so:

1. Use the meta_query parameter to query both posts that have the metadata _my_column (or whatever is the meta key) and posts that do not have it (i.e. does not exist in the database).

2. Use a custom name (i.e. array key) with the above meta query clauses and then use the name in the orderby parameter.

See Query improvements in WP 4.2: ‘orderby’ and ‘meta_query’ for further details.

So instead of using the meta_key parameter:

Note: I see you used meta_value_num, so I used the 'type' => 'NUMERIC' to make sure the meta value is treated as a (signed) integer.

• If you don't want/need to keep existing meta queries (in the $query object):

  $query->set( 'meta_query', array(
      'relation'             => 'OR',
  
      // Clause 1, named my_column_exists:
      // Query posts that do have the metadata _my_column.
      'my_column_exists'     => array(
          'key'     => '_my_column', // meta key
          'compare' => 'EXISTS',
          'type'    => 'NUMERIC',
      ),
  
      // Clause 2, named my_column_not_exists:
      // OR that do NOT have the metadata.
      'my_column_not_exists' => array(
          'key'     => '_my_column', // meta key
          'compare' => 'NOT EXISTS',
          'type'    => 'NUMERIC',
      ),
  ) );
  
  $query->set( 'orderby', array(
      // Sort by the _my_column metadata first.
      'my_column_not_exists' => 'DESC',
  
      // Then if you want, by the post date, title, etc.
      'date'                 => 'ASC',
  ) );
  

• Otherwise (to keep existing meta queries), you can do something like:

  $query->set( 'meta_query', array(
      // Note: Here the 'relation' defaults to AND.
  
      // Clause 1, unnamed.
      array(
          'relation'             => 'OR',
  
          // Sub-clause 1, named my_column_exists:
          // Query posts that do have the metadata _my_column.
          'my_column_exists'     => array(
              'key'     => '_my_column', // meta key
              'compare' => 'EXISTS',
              'type'    => 'NUMERIC',
          ),
  
          // Sub-clause 2, named my_column_not_exists:
          // OR that do NOT have the metadata.
          'my_column_not_exists' => array(
              'key'     => '_my_column', // meta key
              'compare' => 'NOT EXISTS',
              'type'    => 'NUMERIC',
          ),
      ),
  
      // Clause 2, unnamed.
      // Include the existing meta queries.
      (array) $query->get( 'meta_query' ),
  ) );
  
  $query->set( 'orderby', array(
      // Sort by the _my_column metadata first.
      'my_column_not_exists' => 'DESC',
  
      // Then if you want, by the post date, title, etc.
      'date'                 => 'ASC',
  ) );