Is the syntax problematic with this PHP code for Wordpress?

Question

Seems like the problem with this is the PHP syntax, but no luck in Wordpress forums. This first code block generates a link to the newest post in category "posts."

<?php $my_query = new WP_Query('category_name=posts&showposts=1'); ?>
<?php while ($my_query->have_posts()) : $my_query->the_post(); ?>
  <a href="<?php the_permalink() ?>" rel="bookmark"><?php the_title(); ?></a>
<?php endwhile; ?>

This next code block should display the custom field data for the latest post in "posts," with the key of the custom field being "qanda." But it doesn't and it displays nothing.

<?php $my_query = new WP_Query('category_name=posts&showposts=1'); ?>
<?php while ($my_query->have_posts()) : $my_query->the_post(); ?>
  <?php echo get_post_meta($post->ID, "qanda", $single = true); ?>
<?php endwhile; ?>

Thanks, Mark

Answer 1

Apart fromthat $single = true should just be true it looks OK... try var_dump instead of echo and see what you get.

Answer 2

You might need to name it something different. Wordpress might think that you have already done that set of posts, so it is starting at the end, which means it doesn't have anymore posts to process.

Answer 3

try renaming your second query, otherwise Wordpress will think it is already done

<?php 

$my_other_query = new WP_Query('category_name=posts&showposts=1');

while ($my_other_query->have_posts()) : $my_other_query->the_post();
 echo get_post_meta($post->ID, "qanda", true); 
 endwhile; 
?>