popular-posts-shortcode.php

<?php
function st_popular_posts_shortcode( $atts, $content ) {
		$pop_posts = get_transient( 'st_popular_posts' );
		if( false === $pop_posts ) {
			$args = apply_filters( 'showcase_filter_popular_posts', array(
				'orderby'					=> 'comment_count',
				'posts_per_page'	=> 4,
			) );
			$pop_posts = new WP_Query( $args );
			set_transient( 'st_popular_posts', $pop_posts, WEEK_IN_SECONDS );
		}
		$current_post_id = get_the_ID();
		ob_start(); ?>
		<div class="showcase-popular-posts">
			<div class="row">
				<?php if( $pop_posts->have_posts() ) {
					$count = 1;
					while ( $pop_posts->have_posts() ) : $pop_posts->the_post();
						global $post;
						if( $count <= 3 && get_the_ID() != $current_post_id ) {
							$class = array( 'blog-article', 'featured-article', 'col', 'col-xsmall-full', 'article-' . $count );
							$class[] = 'col-large-one-third';?>
							<article id="post-<?php the_ID(); ?>" <?php post_class( $class ); ?>>
								<div class="article-inner-wrapper">
									<div class="featured-image">
										<a href="<?php echo esc_url( get_permalink() ); ?>" rel="bookmark">
											<?php the_post_thumbnail(); ?>
										</a>
									</div>
									<div class="entry-wrapper">
										<header class="entry-header">
											<?php
											the_title( '<h4 class="entry-title"><a href="' . esc_url( get_permalink() ) . '" rel="bookmark">', '</a></h4>' ); ?>
										</header><!-- .entry-header -->
										<footer class="entry-footer">
											<a class="button secondary small" href="<?php echo esc_url( get_permalink() ); ?>" rel="bookmark"><?php _e( 'Read more', 'showcase' ); ?></a>
										</footer><!-- .entry-footer -->
									</div><!-- .entry-wrapper -->
								</div><!-- .article-inner-wrapper -->
							</article><!-- #post-## -->
							<?php $count++;
						}
					endwhile;
				} ?>
			</div><!-- .row -->
		</div><!-- .showcase-popular-posts -->
		<?php $return = ob_get_clean();
		wp_reset_query();
		return $return;
	}
add_shortcode( 'popular_posts', 'st_popular_posts_shortcode' );