Custom Recent Posts Widget

<?php
/**
 * Custom Recent Posts Widget
 */
class My_Recent_Posts_Widget extends WP_Widget {
    
    // Widget setup
    public function __construct() {
        parent::__construct(
            'my_recent_posts', // Widget ID
            __( 'My Recent Posts', 'mytheme' ), // Widget name
            array( 'description' => __( 'Display recent posts with thumbnails', 'mytheme' ) )
        );
    }
    
    // Frontend display
    public function widget( $args, $instance ) {
        echo $args['before_widget'];
        
        if ( ! empty( $instance['title'] ) ) {
            echo $args['before_title'] . apply_filters( 'widget_title', $instance['title'] ) . $args['after_title'];
        }
        
        // Widget content
        $number = ( ! empty( $instance['number'] ) ) ? absint( $instance['number'] ) : 5;
        $show_date = isset( $instance['show_date'] ) ? $instance['show_date'] : false;
        
        $recent_posts = wp_get_recent_posts( array(
            'numberposts' => $number,
            'post_status' => 'publish'
        ) );
        
        echo '<ul class="my-recent-posts">';
        foreach( $recent_posts as $post ) {
            echo '<li>';
            if ( has_post_thumbnail( $post['ID'] ) ) {
                echo '<div class="post-thumbnail">';
                echo get_the_post_thumbnail( $post['ID'], 'thumbnail' );
                echo '</div>';
            }
            echo '<a href="' . get_permalink( $post['ID'] ) . '">' . $post['post_title'] . '</a>';
            if ( $show_date ) {
                echo '<span class="post-date">' . date( 'M j, Y', strtotime( $post['post_date'] ) ) . '</span>';
            }
            echo '</li>';
        }
        echo '</ul>';
        
        echo $args['after_widget'];
    }
    
    // Backend form
    public function form( $instance ) {
        $title = ! empty( $instance['title'] ) ? $instance['title'] : __( 'Recent Posts', 'mytheme' );
        $number = ! empty( $instance['number'] ) ? $instance['number'] : 5;
        $show_date = isset( $instance['show_date'] ) ? (bool) $instance['show_date'] : false;
        ?>
        <p>
            <label for="<?php echo esc_attr( $this->get_field_id( 'title' ) ); ?>">
                <?php esc_attr_e( 'Title:', 'mytheme' ); ?>
            </label>
            <input class="widefat" id="<?php echo esc_attr( $this->get_field_id( 'title' ) ); ?>" 
                   name="<?php echo esc_attr( $this->get_field_name( 'title' ) ); ?>" 
                   type="text" 
                   value="<?php echo esc_attr( $title ); ?>">
        </p>
        <p>
            <label for="<?php echo esc_attr( $this->get_field_id( 'number' ) ); ?>">
                <?php esc_attr_e( 'Number of posts to show:', 'mytheme' ); ?>
            </label>
            <input class="tiny-text" id="<?php echo esc_attr( $this->get_field_id( 'number' ) ); ?>" 
                   name="<?php echo esc_attr( $this->get_field_name( 'number' ) ); ?>" 
                   type="number" 
                   step="1" 
                   min="1" 
                   value="<?php echo esc_attr( $number ); ?>" 
                   size="3">
        </p>
        <p>
            <input class="checkbox" type="checkbox" <?php checked( $show_date ); ?> 
                   id="<?php echo esc_attr( $this->get_field_id( 'show_date' ) ); ?>" 
                   name="<?php echo esc_attr( $this->get_field_name( 'show_date' ) ); ?>">
            <label for="<?php echo esc_attr( $this->get_field_id( 'show_date' ) ); ?>">
                <?php esc_attr_e( 'Display post date?', 'mytheme' ); ?>
            </label>
        </p>
        <?php
    }
    
    // Save widget settings
    public function update( $new_instance, $old_instance ) {
        $instance = array();
        $instance['title'] = ( ! empty( $new_instance['title'] ) ) ? sanitize_text_field( $new_instance['title'] ) : '';
        $instance['number'] = ( ! empty( $new_instance['number'] ) ) ? absint( $new_instance['number'] ) : 5;
        $instance['show_date'] = isset( $new_instance['show_date'] ) ? (bool) $new_instance['show_date'] : false;
        return $instance;
    }
}

// Register the widget
function register_my_widgets() {
    register_widget( 'My_Recent_Posts_Widget' );
}
add_action( 'widgets_init', 'register_my_widgets' );