Get the first image from post content (eg.: hotlinked images)

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I am using this code directly from the codex. 

function echo_first_image ($postID)
{                   
    $args = array(
    'numberposts' => 1,
    'order'=> 'ASC',
    'post_mime_type' => 'image',
    'post_parent' => $postID,
    'post_status' => null,
    'post_type' => 'attachment'
    );

    $attachments = get_children( $args );

    //print_r($attachments);

    if ($attachments) {
        foreach($attachments as $attachment) {
            $image_attributes = wp_get_attachment_image_src( $attachment->ID, 'thumbnail' )  ? wp_get_attachment_image_src( $attachment->ID, 'thumbnail' ) : wp_get_attachment_image_src( $attachment->ID, 'full' );

            echo '<img src="'.wp_get_attachment_thumb_url( $attachment->ID ).'" class="current">';

        }
    }
}

I call it within the loop like this echo_first_image ($post->ID);

The function does call but nothing gets output … as far as I can see there is nothing in $attachments

I do have an image in the post I am using. It’s not a featured image or in a gallery, just in the post.

Am I doing something wrong, or is there something wrong with the code in the first place?

5

If you want display an image that is inserted into your content (a hotlinked image, for example), you must use a function like this (source):

add in functions.php:

function catch_that_image() {
  global $post, $posts;
  $first_img = '';
  ob_start();
  ob_end_clean();
  $output = preg_match_all('/<img.+src=[\'"]([^\'"]+)[\'"].*>/i', $post->post_content, $matches);
  $first_img = $matches [1] [0];

  if(empty($first_img)){ //Defines a default image
    $first_img = "/images/default.jpg";
  }
  return $first_img;
}

Then place <?php echo catch_that_image() ?> where you want display the image.

Note: a hotlinked image just placed in your content can’t be set as Featured Image, a bultin WordPress’feature.

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