=== Plugin Name ===
Contributors: trick77
Tags: posts, widgets, plugin, sidebar, links, page
Requires at least: 2.5
Tested up to: 2.7
Stable tag: 1.0.6

Retrieves posts and pages with a certain custom field (e.g. to permanently show your most recommended posts in a widget) and displays them in a list.

== Description ==

Retrieves posts (or pages) with a certain custom field (e.g. to permanently show your **most recommended posts** in a widget) and displays them in a list. The plugin uses a custom field named *must-read* if it exists in a post or a page. If the field exists in a page or post **and** has the value *true*, the post automatically will be shown in the widget.

= What's new =

This is a bugfix release, no new features added. Fixed: Custom field name changes in the widget get properly saved now.

= Use it as a Widget =

If your theme supports widgets, simply drag it to your sidebar. You can specify the maximum number of posts to be shown in the widget. You can also change the widget's title to something like "Most recommended posts", "FAQ", "Read first" or whatever you like.

= Use it in a .php page =

Just put `<?php get_mustread(); ?>` in your template. You could even use it within your posts or pages using the [Exec-PHP plugin](http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/exec-php/) that allows you to put php code fragments directly into the text. This allows you to create a static page or a post showing your most recommended posts. The get_mustread function takes 3 **optional** arguments: title, maximum number of posts to be shown, name of the custom tag. Optional means you don't have to specify any parameters if you don't need to.

= Marking a post or page =

If you're using the plugin for the first time, click "Add new custom field" to add the field name *must-read* and insert *true* in the value field of the page or post you want to be shown in the new widget. Once you want to display an additional post in the widget, just select it from the custom field drop-down box and insert "true" in the value field.

If you don't want the custom field to be named *must-read* you can also change it to something else. The custom field value always has to be named *true*.

== Installation ==

1. Upload must-read-posts.php to the /wp-content/plugins/ directory.
2. Activate "Must Read Posts" through the 'Plugins' menu in WordPress.
3. What to do now depends on how up to date your theme is (see below)
4. Mark all the posts/pages you want to show in the widget with the custom field *must-read* and the value *true* (see screenshots).

**Modern theme with widget support**

The plugin is a widget. If your theme supports widgets, and you have installed the widget plugin, adding the plugin to the sidebar is easy: Go to the appearance menu and drag and drop the widget into the sidebar. Don't forget to save your new widget structure using the save button below.

**Old school theme without widget support**

This will require some programming in the sidebar.php file. There are many resources on the web about how to do this.

== Frequently Asked Questions ==

= I want to change the look of the list. How can I do that? =

The look of the list of posts and pages in the widget can be customized using the style.css cascading style sheet. Just add your own or the following style to your current theme's style.css file:

<code>
#must-read-posts li {
   list-style-type:square;
   margin-bottom:0.4em;
}
</code>

== Screenshots ==
1. Must Read Posts in action in widget in the right sidebar
2. Widget configuration
3. How to add the *must-read* custom field to a post or page, don't forget to add the value *true*