<p>Returns an array of the most recent posts. Simple and powerfull.</p>
<h3>Usage</h3>
<p>Function <code>ns_recent_posts(10, 0, 200, false, ", ")</code> returns an array of objects of recent posts.</p>
<p>Params for function:</p>
<ul>
<li><em>$no_posts</em> – number of posts to display. Default <strong>10</strong>.</li>
<li><em>$first</em> – Number of the first post. Used when is needed to display, for example, posts from 10 to 20, but not from the first post. Default <strong>0</strong>.</li>
<li><em>$excerpt_len</em> – Number of symbols in excerpt. Default <strong>200</strong>.</li>
<li><em>$db_unicode</em> – boolean value variable. Determines if your wordpress database is in unicode format (UTF-8). Default FALSE. <strong>FALSE</strong> – non-Unicode, uses standart string functions. <strong>TRUE</strong> – Unicode(UTF-8), uses mbstring functions.</li>
<li><em>$tags_divider</em> – string value of categories list divider. Default <strong>“, “</strong>.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Use function <code>ns_recent_posts()</code> in a loop.</strong></p>
<p>Objects returned by array has properties, that is used in construction: <strong>$object->property</strong>, where <strong>“$object”</strong> – your variable used in a loop, but <strong>“property”</strong> can be:</p>
<ul>
<li><em>post_title</em> – Title of a post</li>
<li><em>permalink</em> – Link to post</li>
<li><em>bookmark</em> – Title of a post of “title” attribute</li>
<li><em>day</em> – day</li>
<li><em>month</em> – month</li>
<li><em>year</em> – year</li>
<li><em>post_content</em> – post preview (excerpt)</li>
<li><em>post_tags</em> – list of categories (tags)</li>
<li><em>comment_count</em> – number of categories</li>
</ul>
<h4>Example</h4>
<pre><code><?php
foreach (ns_recent_posts(10, 0, 200, false, ", ")  as $re_post){
echo <<<HTML
<div class="recent-post">
      <h3><a href="{$re_post->permalink}" rel="bookmark" title="{$re_post->bookmark}>
            {$re_post->post_title}
      </a></h3>
      <span class="post-date">{$re_post->day}.{$re_post->month}.{$re_post->year}</span>
      <div class="entry">
            <p>{$re_post->post_content}</p>
            <span class="tags"><strong>Tags: </strong>{$re_post->post_tags}</span>
            <span class="read-comments">
                  <a href="{$re_post->permalink}#respond">Comments ({$re_post->comment_count}) &raquo;</a>
            </span>
      </div>
</div>
HTML;
}
?>
</code></pre>
<h4>Note</h4>
<ul>
<li>Place this code to any place in any file of your template.</li>
<li>To show value of property of object in <strong>“echo”</strong>, add braces in construction: <strong>{$object->property}</strong></li>
<li>Plugin also erases all tags, and leaves simple text in excerpt.</li>
</ul>


NS Recent Posts

Returns an array of the most recent posts. Simple and powerfull.

David Gewirtz

<p><strong>IMPORTANT: Support has moved to the ZATZLabs site and is no longer provided on the WordPress.org forums. If you need a timely reply from the developer, please <a href="http://zatzlabs.com/submit-ticket/" rel="nofollow ugc">open a ticket</a>.</strong></p>
<p>If you’ve ever wanted to display recent posts, but go far beyond the Recent Posts widget that comes with WordPress, you’re in the right place.</p>
<p>One of the very best ways to increase time-on-site (and therefore the engagement of your audience) is helping visitors discover new and wonderful pages and posts on your site. Better Recent Posts Widget can do that by displaying your beautiful featured images right in the widget. You can control the number of posts to display, specify if you want to skip some posts, and display custom post types.</p>
<h4>Features</h4>
<p>The WordPress.org version has the following features:</p>
<ul>
<li>All new, better Recent Posts widget</li>
<li>Specify widget title</li>
<li>Control number of posts displayed</li>
<li>Control number of posts to skip (offset)</li>
<li>Optionally display post thumbnails</li>
<li>Customize thumbnail size</li>
<li>Choose post type to display</li>
</ul>
<p>Additional features in the <a href="http://zatzlabs.com/better-recent-posts-widget/" rel="nofollow ugc">pro version</a>:</p>
<ul>
<li>Optionally display post author</li>
<li>Optionally display post count</li>
<li>Optionally display post comment count</li>
<li>Optionally display post excerpt/length</li>
<li>Customize post display order</li>
<li>Customize post sorting method</li>
<li>Better taxonomy selection control</li>
<li>Multiple widget instance support</li>
<li>Multisite capable</li>
</ul>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>Adoption Notice</strong><br />
  This plugin was recently adopted by David Gewirtz and ongoing support and updates will continue. Feel free to visit <a href="http://zatzlabs.com/when-it-rains-it-pours-another-plugin-adoption/" rel="nofollow ugc">David’s Lab Notes</a> for a development roadmap and additional details.</p>
</blockquote>
<h4>Pro Version Availability</h4>
<p>The pro version of this plugin is available for sale (and, indeed, will likely have an exciting future). To purchase the pro version, please visit <a href="http://zatzlabs.com/better-recent-posts-widget/" rel="nofollow ugc">the plugin’s new home page</a>.</p>
<h4>Support Note</h4>
<p>Sales of the pro version on CodeCanyon have been halted and the pro plugin is now being sold <a href="http://zatzlabs.com/better-recent-posts-widget/" rel="nofollow ugc">directly</a>. CodeCanyon Better Recent Posts Widget Pro users (and, of course, users of the free version) are invited to post questions. Support has moved to the ZATZLabs site and is no longer provided on the WordPress.org forums. If you need a timely reply from the developer, please <a href="http://zatzlabs.com/submit-ticket/" rel="nofollow ugc">open a ticket</a>.</p>
<h4>Mailing List</h4>
<p>If you’d like to keep up with the latest updates to this plugin, please visit <a href="http://zatzlabs.com/lab-notes/" rel="nofollow ugc">David’s Lab Notes</a> and add yourself to the mailing list.</p>
<p>Adopted from Pippin Williamson.</p>


Better Recent Posts Widget (with thumbnails)

If you’ve ever wanted more control (a lot more control) over displaying your recent posts, this is the widget for you. Plus thumbnails.

NS Recent Posts vs Better Recent Posts Widget (with thumbnails)