id,summary,reporter,owner,description,type,status,priority,milestone,component,version,severity,resolution,keywords,cc
14017,"New template ""tag"": get_custom_field()",filosofo,filosofo,"It would be helpful to have a way to retrieve a custom field value that is somewhat agnostic of current context.

'''Current way to do this'''

In the header (i.e., before the Loop), one has to access the currently-queried object to get a custom value, with something like this:

`$value = get_post_meta($GLOBALS['wp_query']->get_queried_object_id(), 'field', true);`

In the Loop:
`$value = get_post_meta(get_the_ID(), 'field', true);`

And, lots of tutorials out there tell people to do things like the following, with varying degrees of success (depending on variable scope):

`$value = get_post_meta($id, 'field', true);`

or 

`$value = get_post_meta($post->ID, 'field', true);`

'''My proposed function (or ""template tag"")'''

mixed '''get_custom_field''' ( string ''$fieldname'' [, int ''$post_id'' ] )

`$value = get_custom_field('field');`

It picks the current object like so:

{{{
Passed post object ID?
    /       \
   yes      no 
    |        |
   use it    |
             |
          within Loop?
            /       \
          yes        no
           |          |
        use current   |
         Loop ID      |
                      |
                    currently queried
                    object is singular?
                    /           \
                   yes           no
                    |             | 
                use its ID      ID = 0
}}}",enhancement,new,normal,Future Release,Template,3.0,normal,,has-patch 2nd-opinion,mikeschinkel@… jared@…