Allow random post ordering

[Otto42]

This change is to allow orderby=rand for all the post query functions.

Changes needed:
In wp-includes, query.php, add "rand" to the list of $allowed_keys.

Modify this code

if ( 'menu_order' != $orderby )
$orderby = 'post_' . $orderby;

into this:

if ( 'menu_order' != $orderby && 'rand' != $orderby)
$orderby = 'post_' . $orderby;
if ('rand' == $orderby)
$orderby = 'RAND()';`

This will allow the mysql "ORDER BY RAND()" to be used in querying posts. There are lots of potential uses for pulling random posts, and current plugins to do it always have to directly query the database for them, meaning that they break whenever the database structure changes. Providing this sort of functionality directly makes more sense.

Since this is a simple change that doesn't break anything and only adds minor functionality, I suggest getting it in quickly. Preferably trunk. I would submit a patch, but I can't right now and anyway it's a simple change.

[Nazgul]

Added a patch based on the given code snippet.

[Otto42]

Patch has an extra ` mark after this line:
$orderby = 'RAND()';`

My mistake, typo in the original post.

[Nazgul]

Path updated to remove the bogus ` mark.

[Otto42]

Anybody like this? Dislike it? It would be nice to get into the core code..

[weefz]

Replying to Otto42:

Anybody like this? Dislike it? It would be nice to get into the core code..

I'm new to this Trac system so not sure how it all works but I'd be very happy if this functionality were made available.

[xurizaemon]

++

i'd love to have this in core

[ryan]

I'm cool with rand, but let's wait until 2.4.

[Nazgul]

Refreshed patch

[Otto42]

Patch using switch/case for higher speed

[Otto42]

Any traction on this? Can we get this into the core? I see people on the support forums having to do rather convoluted and easily broken SQL to accomplish this goal currently, and this simple patch would eliminate that need entirely.

Attached patch for trunk using a switch/case instead of multiple comparisons, for speed reasons.

[ryan]

(In [6760]) Allow rand post ordering. Props Otto42 and Nazgul. fixes #4617