Added a shortcode to show popular blog posts based on cat #hacktoberfest22

README.md

@@ -18,3 +18,4 @@ Below is the list of useful WordPress Snippets that you can use when developing
 + [Get random post suggestion by tags](https://github.com/dalenguyen/wordpress-snippets/blob/master/src/get_random_post_suggestion_by_tags.php)
 + [Remove inline styling from tag cloud](https://github.com/dalenguyen/wordpress-snippets/blob/master/src/remove_inline_styling_from_tag_cloud.php)
 + [Show related posts on single](https://github.com/wajidalitabassum143/wordpress-snippets/blob/master/src/show_related_posts_on_single.php)
++ [Shortcode: show popular blog posts based on cat](https://github.com/wajidalitabassum143/wordpress-snippets/blob/master/src/show_popular_blog_posts_based_on_cat_shortcode.php)

src/show_popular_blog_posts_based_on_cat_shortcode.php

@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+<?php
+
+// Popular posts - counting hits
+function wp_popular_posts( $post_id ) {
+
+	$count_key = 'popular_posts';
+
+	$count = get_post_meta( $post_id, $count_key, true );
+
+	if ( $count == '' ) {
+
+		$count = 0;
+
+		delete_post_meta( $post_id, $count_key );
+
+		add_post_meta( $post_id, $count_key, '0' );
+
+	}
+	else {
+
+		$count++;
+
+		update_post_meta( $post_id, $count_key, $count );
+
+	}
+}
+
+function wp_track_posts( $post_id ) {
+
+	if ( ! is_single() ) return;
+
+	if ( empty( $post_id ) ) {
+
+		global $post;
+
+		$post_id = $post->ID;
+
+	}
+
+	wp_popular_posts( $post_id );
+
+}
+add_action( 'wp_head', 'wp_track_posts' );
+
+
+// Shortcode: display popular posts based on cat
+add_shortcode( 'popular-posts', 'wp_display_popular_posts' );
+function wp_display_popular_posts( $atts, $content = null ) {
+
+	ob_start();
+
+		extract( shortcode_atts( array(
+			'num' => 5,
+			'cat' => '',
+		), $atts ) ); 
+
+		$temps = explode( ',', $cat );
+
+		$array = array();
+
+		foreach ( $temps as $temp ) $array[] = trim( $temp );
+
+		$cats = ! empty( $cat ) ? $array : '';
+
+		echo'<ul class="rp-posts">';
+
+				$popular = new WP_Query( array(
+					'posts_per_page'	=> $num,
+					'meta_key'		=> 'popular_posts',
+					'orderby'		=> 'meta_value_num',
+					'order'			=> 'DESC',
+					'category__in'		=> $cats
+				) );
+
+				while ( $popular->have_posts() ) : $popular->the_post();
+
+					echo'<li><a href="'. get_the_permalink() .'">'. get_the_title() .'</a></li>';
+
+				endwhile;
+
+				wp_reset_postdata();
+
+		echo'</ul>';
+
+	return ob_get_clean();
+
+}