[wp-trac] [WordPress Trac] #18158: Meta Query for posts with a meta key not set (IS NULL).

[WordPress Trac]

#18158: Meta Query for posts with a meta key not set (IS NULL).
-------------------------------------------------+-------------------------
 Reporter:  johnnyb                              |       Owner:
     Type:  enhancement                          |  georgestephanis
 Priority:  normal                               |      Status:  accepted
Component:  Query                                |   Milestone:  Future
 Severity:  normal                               |  Release
 Keywords:  dev-feedback needs-testing has-      |     Version:  3.2.1
  patch                                          |  Resolution:
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Comment (by georgestephanis):

 Usage would basically be ...

 ----

 $my_query = new WP_Query(
         array(
                 'meta_query' => array(
                         array(
                                 'key' => 'foo',
                                 'compare' => 'not exists',
                                 'value' => null,
                         ),
                 )
         )
 );

 ----

 'value' has to be included, or the meta_query gets skipped.  However, it
 is entirely ignored for EXISTS and NOT EXISTS meta_queries.

 ----

 I would also recommend upgrading the db version and adding an index to the
 `meta_key` column in `wp_postmeta` -- the idea had some support in IRC,
 and it would make the join much more manageable in large sites.

-- 
Ticket URL: <http://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/18158#comment:16>
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