Query Metaboxes with WPAlchemy (without extract mode)

/* DEFINING THE METABOX
 * note I have used FUNCTIONS_PATH- this is a constant i've set in my theme, so you'd need to adjust accordingly
*/


$query_metabox = new WPAlchemy_MetaBox(array
(
    'id' => '_query_meta', // underscore prefix hides fields from the custom fields area
    'title' => _('Custom Query Arguments'),
    'template' => FUNCTIONS_PATH .'WPAlchemy/query_meta.php',
    'prefix' => '_query_meta_',
    'include_template' => array('template-page-blog.php','template-page-home.php'),
    'priority' => 'high',


));

/* QUERY_META.PHP
 * contents of my metaboxes- multi group that asks for query parameters and their respective value
* I use a little jquery to hide the normal post box if I don't want any content shown
*/

<script type='text/javascript'>
/* <![CDATA[ */

//avoid jquery flicker
    document.write('<style type="text/css">body{display:none}</style>');

    jQuery(document).ready(function($) {

    //hide normal text editor when editing page running blog template
    var template = $('select#page_template').val();

    if( template == "template-page-blog.php"  ) {
        $('#postdivrich').hide();
    }

    //show page after loading
    $('body').css('display','block');

});
/* ]]> */
</script>

<div class="my_meta_control">

    <p><?php _e('This page is running a blog-style template and will display all your posts unless you modify the query posts arguments below.  ');?></p>

    <p><?php _e('See the ');?><a href="http://codex.wordpress.org/Function_Reference/query_posts"><?php _e('Wordpress Codex Function Reference');?></a> <?php _e('for more details on helpful parameters.')?><?php _e('Please be careful and leave this blank if you are not comfortable with query parameters.')?></p>


    <h4><?php _e('Query Arguments');?></h4>

    <a style="float:right; margin:0 10px;" href="#" class="dodelete-args button"><?php _e('Remove All Arguments');?></a>

    <p><?php _e('Add arguments to the custom query by entering in the parameter name and the corresponsding parameter value.  Add new arguments by using the "Add Argument" button.');?></p>


    <?php while($mb->have_fields_and_multi('args')): ?>
    <?php $mb->the_group_open(); ?>

    <table>
        <tr>
            <td><p style="margin-bottom:0"><span><?php _e('Parameter');?></span></p></td>
            <td><p style="margin-bottom:0"><span><?php _e('Value');?></span></p></td>
        </tr>

    <tr>
    <td>
        <?php $mb->the_field('param_key'); ?>
        <p><input type="text" name="<?php $mb->the_name(); ?>" value="<?php $mb->the_value(); ?>"/></p>
    </td>
    <td>
        <?php $mb->the_field('param_value'); ?>
        <p><input type="text" name="<?php $mb->the_name(); ?>" value="<?php $mb->the_value(); ?>"/></p>
    </td>

    <td>
        <p><a href="#" class="dodelete button">Remove</a></p>

    </td>
    </tr>
    </table>


    <?php $mb->the_group_close(); ?>
    <?php endwhile; ?>

    <p style="margin-bottom:15px; padding-top:5px;"><a href="#" class="docopy-args button">Add Argument</a></p>


</div>



/* MODIFYING THE QUERY BASED ON THE RESULTS
* essentially I loop the values I got from the metaboxes to create an array
* then i merge this array with some default to create a new array that will serve
* as the query parameters */


$user_args = array();

// loop a set of field groups to create user query

while($query_metabox->have_fields('args')) {
    $user_args[$query_metabox->get_the_value('param_key')] = $query_metabox->get_the_value('param_value') ;
}

/*solves the problem with pagination on a static page*/
    if ( get_query_var('paged') ) {
        $paged = get_query_var('paged');
    } elseif ( get_query_var('page') ) {
        $paged = get_query_var('page');
    } else {
        $paged = 1;
    }

$default_args = array('posts_per_page' => 5, 'paged' => $paged );
$query_args = array_merge($default_args, $user_args);

$wp_query = new WP_Query();
$wp_query->query( $query_args );
$more = 0;

/* just a note that you can retrieve the current, default WP query by accessing the global object variable $wp_query

$default_args = $wp_query->query_vars;
$my_args = array('posts_per_page'=>6);
$new_args = array_merge($default_args, $my_args);

*/