Show all the posts from a category on a single page in Wordpress -

i brand new php , wordpress.

i use post categories simple directory , users see every post category when click on one, opposed paginating results.

in archive.php comes theme had tried this:

    /* current category , increase number of posts shown */     <?php      $category = $wp_query->get_queried_object()->slug;     query_posts('category_name=$category&showposts=100');      ?>      <div id="content">         <?php if ( have_posts() ) : ?>         <?php /* loop */ ?>         <?php while ( have_posts() ) : the_post(); ?>             <?php get_template_part( 'content', get_post_format() ); ?>         <?php endwhile; ?>         <?php else : ?>             <?php get_template_part( 'content', 'none' ); ?>         <?php endif; ?>     </div><!-- /content --> 

however, doesn't work. clicking on category shows no posts found.

i'm sure there better , simpler way go doing this.

a secondary question be, way apply logic subset of categories have? suppose make array of categories , query that, seems clumsy.

many thanks.

not sure if it'll solve problem, got bug in code:

<?php query_posts('category_name=$category&showposts=100'); 

a variable name in single quotes doesn't anything. variable expansion happens in double quote strings (see here well):

<?php query_posts("category_name=$category&showposts=100"); 

better yet skip variable expansion , proper concatenation:

<?php query_posts('category_name=' . $category . '&showposts=100');