<?php
  // Include WordPress
  define('WP_USE_THEMES', false);
  require('/server/path/to/your/wordpress/site/htdocs/blog/wp-blog-header.php');
  query_posts('showposts=1');
?>

<?php while (have_posts()): the_post(); ?>
   <h2><?php the_title(); ?></h2>
   <?php the_excerpt(); ?>
   <p><a href="<?php the_permalink(); ?>" class="red">Read more...</a></p>
<?php endwhile; ?>




To truncate excerpt, put this inside functions.php, inside WP theme:

<?php

function limit_words($string, $word_limit) {
 
	// creates an array of words from $string (this will be our excerpt)
	// explode divides the excerpt up by using a space character
 
	$words = explode(' ', $string);
 
	// this next bit chops the $words array and sticks it back together
	// starting at the first word '0' and ending at the $word_limit
	// the $word_limit which is passed in the function will be the number
	// of words we want to use
	// implode glues the chopped up array back together using a space character
 
	return implode(' ', array_slice($words, 0, $word_limit));
 
}

?>

Then, replace <?php the_excerpt(); ?> with:

<?php echo limit_words(get_the_excerpt(), '10'); ?>







Alternatively: http://www.webdesigncreare.co.uk/blog/videos/recent-posts-outside-wordpress.html

<ul>
  <?php require($_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT'] . '/wordpress/wp-load.php'); query_posts('showposts=3');  if (have_posts()) : while (have_posts()) : the_post(); ?>
  <li>
    <h2><a href="<?php the_permalink(); ?>" title="<?php the_title(); ?>"><?php the_title(); ?></a></h2>
    <span>Posted on <?php the_time('l jS F, Y') ?></span><br />
    <?php the_excerpt(); ?>
  </li>
  <?php endwhile; else: echo "no posts"; endif; ?>
  <?php wp_reset_query(); ?>
</ul>

<?php
  // Include WordPress
  define('WP_USE_THEMES', false);
  require('/server/path/to/your/wordpress/site/htdocs/blog/wp-blog-header.php');
  query_posts('showposts=1');
?>

<?php while (have_posts()): the_post(); ?>
   <h2><?php the_title(); ?></h2>
   <?php the_excerpt(); ?>
   <p><a href="<?php the_permalink(); ?>" class="red">Read more...</a></p>
<?php endwhile; ?>




To truncate excerpt, put this inside functions.php, inside WP theme:

<?php

function limit_words($string, $word_limit) {
 
	// creates an array of words from $string (this will be our excerpt)
	// explode divides the excerpt up by using a space character
 
	$words = explode(' ', $string);
 
	// this next bit chops the $words array and sticks it back together
	// starting at the first word '0' and ending at the $word_limit
	// the $word_limit which is passed in the function will be the number
	// of words we want to use
	// implode glues the chopped up array back together using a space character
 
	return implode(' ', array_slice($words, 0, $word_limit));
 
}

?>

Then, replace <?php the_excerpt(); ?> with:

<?php echo limit_words(get_the_excerpt(), '10'); ?>

http://css-tricks.com/snippets/wordpress/run-a-loop-outside-of-wordpress/

Put the following outside WP

Run a loop outside WordPress installation

wordpress

PHP