Ok to Cross the Streams When Code Fixing

“Who ya gonna call?” “CODEBUSTERS”

No.

But the metaphor of Ghostbusters crossing the streams was inversely appropriate to a little bit of code action over the holidays (of which the actual action was nil).

But this was fun.

This nice tweet from John Johnston (who spawned the idea) reminded me of a WordPress plugin I had made

Thanks to my On This Day page (thanks to @cogdog for that), I found my review of 2006: https://t.co/bsjJWahYlG (https://t.co/GQky8Cpz10)
— john johnston (@johnjohnston) December 29, 2019

The WP Posted Today plugin is meant to offer a short code you can put on a site and it will list all previous posts on the current calendar day (this of course is useful if you actually still blog regularly) (cough) (cough).

Just for grins I checked the page where I use my own plugin. Yikes. Red Alert. It displayed all the ones for December 29 in years past, but the part where it should list how many there were was blank.

Red arrow points to missing number where the page output reads "There are posts previously published on December 29th"

I dug into my own code… and found myself a bit lost. Crossed. I was not even sure where I got the sprintf functions (John’s original code?) that were aimed to be compatible if anyone every wanted a language translation (maybe, or it’s just that thing when people code things differently).

Taking the path of least resistance, I took out the code where I think the problem was occurring and did it a more simple, but brute force way.

And it worked.

So I updated the version on GitHub and felt at peace with the world. In the off chance someone stumbled into my little corner of code, they would find something that works (or should work).

And then (here comes a stream crossing) Michael Hanscom @djwudi — someone I don’t think I’ve ever communicated with — tweets that he had seen pretty much the same bug and offered a fix.

https://twitter.com/djwudi/status/1212871226953101313

In looking at his post I saw the fix he made, and said– that’s better than mine! So I decided today to roll back my changes in place of Michael’s solution (but also keeping a modification I had made to remove extraneous calls when not needed for singular versus multiple results).

I noted the extra change he made in hos own version

Plus, I’ve made one other tweak to the plugin, so that it adds a link to the end of the excerpt to better handle “microblog” style entries that don’t have titles, so I still get to feel good about that part, as well. 🙂 My coding skills may be underdeveloped and rusty from lack of regular use, but they’re not entirely atrophied!

In this case, these microblog type entries (see Michael’s demo page) lack titles, so yes, a link is needed at the end of the post excerpt.

Yet I could see that regular posts (like on my site) did not need the extra link, and also, not everyone might want the arrow Michael likes.

I solved this cleverly by creating an additional shortcode parameter more which defaults to a blank string. In the shortcode function, we convert any attributes passed to variables with

extract(shortcode_atts( array( "month" => '', "day" => '', 'excerpt' => 1, 'more' => '' ), $atts ));

So on my site, where I just used the shortcode

There are 19 posts previously published on May 27th

2025You Never Visit My Blog Home Anymore, You Just Hang Out at the Social Media Mall It’s Old Man Blog time again, just sitting here quietly on the front porch of the blog. Not only has the neighborhood gone downhill, the whole dang city has left for the bright lights of the social media mall. Does anyone remember the so insightful writing of Mike Caulfield, written on his blog, you can […]
2022Feeding the MyFest22 Blog Network Ahhh the glory days of blog syndication, it seemed about all I wrote about at one time. It’s been eons since I set up a Feed WordPress enabled site. maybe NetNarr was the last. But the stuff still works- the main DS106 site, where it all started for me, pretty much untended, keeps flowing along […] There’s No Place Like Blog Hello WordPress editor, has it really been 24 days since cracking you open here at el cogdogblog dot com? Indeed yes. With the world ongoing plodding into now a regular incertitude I have found myself stuck on several fronts, the daily photo habot has sputtered into a bi-weekly catch-up. So what else is there to […]
2019Two Great WordPress Taxonomies That Link Great Together Leave it to diabetic to use a sugary metaphor to a candy slogan. Okay, WordPress, you have these two ways to organize posts, Tags and Categories (yes, there are more than “uncategorized”). I’m working on a new project where I am going to not have my usual freedom for custom theme coding, so I am […] Space for More Spaces It’s rather telling that my search for “information abundance” is dominated by results with “Information Overload” in the title. This was my effort to find an opening to write about a friend/colleague’s desire to create a new online space. This first hint of this came upon email notifications of what I missed in Mastodon. I […]
2018My #Netnarr Reflection It’s been longer than it should have been since my Networked Narratives class at Kean University wrapped up, but as I did ask my students for a final final reflection, I turn the assignment about on me. For anyone not following along (I’d round that up to everyone); this is the second year I taught […]
2015Webmaker Origin Stories; Do Things Not Happen For a Reason, Too? Somewhere in the fuzzy pile of recent link clicks in twitter, I came across The Web, A Giant Machine to Think With where Robert Friedman (aka omnigorant) describes how “goofing around on an AOL chatroom” as a kid (“being naughty”) was actually a trigger in his life to becoming someone creating and teaching with the […] Little Stickers on My Fruit I did not ask for little stickers on my fruit. I do not want to eat little stickers on my fruit. I spend time peeling off little stickers on my fruit. I toss in my trash those little stickers on my fruit. Those little stickers on my fruit do not grow there. Someone working minimum […]
2014New in the Assignment Bank Theme I’m not quite sure anyone will ever end up using the DS106 Assignment Bank WordPress theme, but that won’t stop me from working on it. My big takeaway from the experience that its one thing to build a site or tool for yourself or someone for a single purpose, but creating something that other people […]
2011My iPhone Obscures YouTube I remain stumped by thus niggling issue on my iPhone. I ask now, Bug or Feature? So I come across a YouTube video embedded in a blog: When I click to view, I am moved to a video player, but there is nothing that let’s me see or share the video URL It is completely […] May Story a Day #27: ds106 Mystery As someone dear to us has yelled before, “I WANT TO KNOW! I WANT TO KNOW!!!!!” The mystery is un-shrouded, whether it is Peter Rowan or Rowan Peter. Or is it that simple? I hear crickets from down under. Share this barking on social media
2010Prop Up the Revolution What was I thinking? Back in January, when asked for a description for a keynote I am giving in a few weeks, I had this crystal clear idea of what I was going to do. The crystal has fuzzed. I need help. Well, I am stretching the truth. I have some focus, but want to […]
2008Kokopelli Calling Brian Lamb Follow Kokopelli to Starbucks! by cogdogblog posted 27 May ’08, 4.58pm MDT PST on flickr Mesmerized by the sounds of his flute, you order a triple latte venti… again. The World’s Largest Kokopelli pipes his way in Camp Verde, Arizona www.worldslargestthings.com/arizona/kokopelli.htm This one’s for you, my coffee monopoly hating friend. FYI, I marched over to […] You Are Mere Plankton for a Whale of a Twitter You Are Mere Plankton for a Whale of a Twitter by cogdogblog posted 27 May ’08, 4.05pm MDT PST on flickr So twitter is still borked, but they have spent time changing the graphics that lets you know they are borked. And worse, my fellow plankton — it is now our fault: "Too many tweets!" […] Cosmic! Explore Flickr Photos via Tag Galaxy It registers a Spock-like eyebrow raise when the folks at Mashable.com are wowed by a new tool, so check out Tag Galaxy. This is a visually engaging tool to explore flickr photos by tags. That alone does not say much, but what this site does is create a planetary like display for showing how tags […] Quick Quiz: What New Web Tool Can You Use and Get an ASUS? A few weeks ago I came across a nifty new web embedded quiz tool on Steve Dembo’s site – his edublogger quiz was rather thorough, and is worth seeing how well you know your fellow bloggers. Steve made this quiz with MyStudiyo which who knows, may become the YouTube for multiple choice quizzes? It offers […]
2005When Was Your Blog-Ha Moment? I’ve not had any luck starting any memes. And I expect my streak will continue. But I am curious if perhaps others would share via comments or in their own sites, What was your “Blog-Ha” Moment? (Blog Aha!) What was it the triggered the 10,000 watt light bulb going off in your head that screamed, […] Blogs That Don’t Look Like Blogs I’m asking for some help to anyone out there. Next month, I have a presentation at the NMC 2005 Summer Conference where I want to show how blog software can be used for web publishing beyond the public conception of “online diaries”… I am looking for web sites, or pieces of them that are published […] How Transformative? A recent headline in the business section our local paper was headlined “Technology Transforms Classrooms”. It was about the use of personal response systems those devices where students use small wireless “clickers” to send a response to a central sensor that can do things like display summative statistics or store them for analysis. Now I […]

and the default value, the link at the end is invisible.

On Michael’s site he might use

There are 19 posts previously published on May 27th

2025You Never Visit My Blog Home Anymore, You Just Hang Out at the Social Media Mall It’s Old Man Blog time again, just sitting here quietly on the front porch of the blog. Not only has the neighborhood gone downhill, the whole dang city has left for the bright lights of the social media mall. Does anyone remember the so insightful writing of Mike Caulfield, written on his blog, you can […] &amp#x27A1;
2022Feeding the MyFest22 Blog Network Ahhh the glory days of blog syndication, it seemed about all I wrote about at one time. It’s been eons since I set up a Feed WordPress enabled site. maybe NetNarr was the last. But the stuff still works- the main DS106 site, where it all started for me, pretty much untended, keeps flowing along […] &amp#x27A1; There’s No Place Like Blog Hello WordPress editor, has it really been 24 days since cracking you open here at el cogdogblog dot com? Indeed yes. With the world ongoing plodding into now a regular incertitude I have found myself stuck on several fronts, the daily photo habot has sputtered into a bi-weekly catch-up. So what else is there to […] &amp#x27A1;
2019Two Great WordPress Taxonomies That Link Great Together Leave it to diabetic to use a sugary metaphor to a candy slogan. Okay, WordPress, you have these two ways to organize posts, Tags and Categories (yes, there are more than “uncategorized”). I’m working on a new project where I am going to not have my usual freedom for custom theme coding, so I am […] &amp#x27A1; Space for More Spaces It’s rather telling that my search for “information abundance” is dominated by results with “Information Overload” in the title. This was my effort to find an opening to write about a friend/colleague’s desire to create a new online space. This first hint of this came upon email notifications of what I missed in Mastodon. I […] &amp#x27A1;
2018My #Netnarr Reflection It’s been longer than it should have been since my Networked Narratives class at Kean University wrapped up, but as I did ask my students for a final final reflection, I turn the assignment about on me. For anyone not following along (I’d round that up to everyone); this is the second year I taught […] &amp#x27A1;
2015Webmaker Origin Stories; Do Things Not Happen For a Reason, Too? Somewhere in the fuzzy pile of recent link clicks in twitter, I came across The Web, A Giant Machine to Think With where Robert Friedman (aka omnigorant) describes how “goofing around on an AOL chatroom” as a kid (“being naughty”) was actually a trigger in his life to becoming someone creating and teaching with the […] &amp#x27A1; Little Stickers on My Fruit I did not ask for little stickers on my fruit. I do not want to eat little stickers on my fruit. I spend time peeling off little stickers on my fruit. I toss in my trash those little stickers on my fruit. Those little stickers on my fruit do not grow there. Someone working minimum […] &amp#x27A1;
2014New in the Assignment Bank Theme I’m not quite sure anyone will ever end up using the DS106 Assignment Bank WordPress theme, but that won’t stop me from working on it. My big takeaway from the experience that its one thing to build a site or tool for yourself or someone for a single purpose, but creating something that other people […] &amp#x27A1;
2011My iPhone Obscures YouTube I remain stumped by thus niggling issue on my iPhone. I ask now, Bug or Feature? So I come across a YouTube video embedded in a blog: When I click to view, I am moved to a video player, but there is nothing that let’s me see or share the video URL It is completely […] &amp#x27A1; May Story a Day #27: ds106 Mystery As someone dear to us has yelled before, “I WANT TO KNOW! I WANT TO KNOW!!!!!” The mystery is un-shrouded, whether it is Peter Rowan or Rowan Peter. Or is it that simple? I hear crickets from down under. Share this barking on social media &amp#x27A1;
2010Prop Up the Revolution What was I thinking? Back in January, when asked for a description for a keynote I am giving in a few weeks, I had this crystal clear idea of what I was going to do. The crystal has fuzzed. I need help. Well, I am stretching the truth. I have some focus, but want to […] &amp#x27A1;
2008Kokopelli Calling Brian Lamb Follow Kokopelli to Starbucks! by cogdogblog posted 27 May ’08, 4.58pm MDT PST on flickr Mesmerized by the sounds of his flute, you order a triple latte venti… again. The World’s Largest Kokopelli pipes his way in Camp Verde, Arizona www.worldslargestthings.com/arizona/kokopelli.htm This one’s for you, my coffee monopoly hating friend. FYI, I marched over to […] &amp#x27A1; You Are Mere Plankton for a Whale of a Twitter You Are Mere Plankton for a Whale of a Twitter by cogdogblog posted 27 May ’08, 4.05pm MDT PST on flickr So twitter is still borked, but they have spent time changing the graphics that lets you know they are borked. And worse, my fellow plankton — it is now our fault: "Too many tweets!" […] &amp#x27A1; Cosmic! Explore Flickr Photos via Tag Galaxy It registers a Spock-like eyebrow raise when the folks at Mashable.com are wowed by a new tool, so check out Tag Galaxy. This is a visually engaging tool to explore flickr photos by tags. That alone does not say much, but what this site does is create a planetary like display for showing how tags […] &amp#x27A1; Quick Quiz: What New Web Tool Can You Use and Get an ASUS? A few weeks ago I came across a nifty new web embedded quiz tool on Steve Dembo’s site – his edublogger quiz was rather thorough, and is worth seeing how well you know your fellow bloggers. Steve made this quiz with MyStudiyo which who knows, may become the YouTube for multiple choice quizzes? It offers […] &amp#x27A1;
2005When Was Your Blog-Ha Moment? I’ve not had any luck starting any memes. And I expect my streak will continue. But I am curious if perhaps others would share via comments or in their own sites, What was your “Blog-Ha” Moment? (Blog Aha!) What was it the triggered the 10,000 watt light bulb going off in your head that screamed, […] &amp#x27A1; Blogs That Don’t Look Like Blogs I’m asking for some help to anyone out there. Next month, I have a presentation at the NMC 2005 Summer Conference where I want to show how blog software can be used for web publishing beyond the public conception of “online diaries”… I am looking for web sites, or pieces of them that are published […] &amp#x27A1; How Transformative? A recent headline in the business section our local paper was headlined “Technology Transforms Classrooms”. It was about the use of personal response systems those devices where students use small wireless “clickers” to send a response to a central sensor that can do things like display summative statistics or store them for analysis. Now I […] &amp#x27A1;

to get the arrow codes he likes. This works because output for each found post looks like

// output post and link
			
$output .= '' . get_the_title() . '';

// display excerpt if we want it
if ( $excerpt ) $output .= ' ' . get_the_excerpt();

// for microblog output where there might not be titles so add a link at end
// h/t https://www.michaelhanscom.com/eclecticism/2020/01/02/rss-feed-weirdness-and-php-debugging/

$output .= ' ' .  $more . '';

So how is that for the odds of streams crossing on the same obscure bit of code? That’s the old fashioned kind of net serendipity that still happens.

Thanks Michael! Check out his 20 year old blog, he’s an “Enthusiastically Ambiverted Hopepunk” quite the tag line.

Featured Image: Edit of the Ghostbusters Cross Streams scene found in the Ghostbusters Fandom Wiki site which states “Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.” I replaced part of the background with a screenshot of the WP Posted Today PHP code.