Tag Archives: core-auto-updates

Jb Audras 1:13 pm on August 19, 2020
Tags: , core-auto-updates,   

Core auto-updates meeting summary – August 18, 2020

These are the weekly notes for the WP Auto-updates team meeting that happened on Tuesday August 18, 2020. You can read the full transcript on the coreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress.-auto-updates SlackSlack Slack is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform https://slack.com/. The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at https://make.wordpress.org/chat/. channel.

Reminder: WP Auto-updates Feature has been merged into WordPress Core so bugs reports and enhancements requests should now happen on Core Trac.

During this meeting, the core-auto-updates team looked at the tickets currently milestoned to the next minor (5.5.1) and major (5.6) versions of WordPress.

#50280: Enable auto-updates shows for plugins with no support (Multisitemultisite Used to describe a WordPress installation with a network of multiple blogs, grouped by sites. This installation type has shared users tables, and creates separate database tables for each blog (wp_posts becomes wp_0_posts). See also network, blog, site Themes screen)

@pbiron is working on this ticketticket Created for both bug reports and feature development on the bug tracker..

#50988: Provide option to disable emails about auto-updates

As commented by @johnbillion, “We don’t want to discourage users from using the auto-updates feature for plugins and themes just because the emails are annoying”. The team discussed several options to fix the issue:

  • Leave it as it is currently.
  • Add a new interface item to disable emails: not realistic for 5.5.1 and maybe not suitable even for the next major, as per the “Decision not option” WordPress rule.
  • Send only weekly digests emails: not the best option as a digest potentially a week later a failed update is not useful. If users want to receive email notifications, they want to receive it right after the update occured.
  • Email only when an update failed: a successful update doesn’t ensure users that nothing was broken by the pluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory https://wordpress.org/plugins/ or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party/theme.
  • Reduce the auto update frequency to once a week: it will need to be able to distinguish major and minor updates, and also security updates. Not realistic for 5.5.1.
  • A core plugin maintained by the WP team for tweaking these emails specifically: the team agreed this is something to consider, eventually before 5.5.1. @pbiron, @audrasjb and @ronalfy expressed interest to work on this solution.
  • Don’t send emails for patchpatch A special text file that describes changes to code, by identifying the files and lines which are added, removed, and altered. It may also be referred to as a diff. A patch can be applied to a codebase for testing. releases (x.x.1 bumps): the problem is that plugin authors don’t massively use proper versioning.
  • Add more complete filters so plugin authors can manage email notification better if they know what plugin/theme failed to update: this is the chosen option for 5.5.1. @audrasjb added a patch for this in ticket #50988.

#50875: Introduce a wrapper for the ‘auto_update_{$type}’ filterFilter Filters are one of the two types of Hooks https://codex.wordpress.org/Plugin_API/Hooks. They provide a way for functions to modify data of other functions. They are the counterpart to Actions. Unlike Actions, filters are meant to work in an isolated manner, and should never have side effects such as affecting global variables and output. checks

This small enhancementenhancement Enhancements are simple improvements to WordPress, such as the addition of a hook, a new feature, or an improvement to an existing feature. is milestoned for WP 5.6. Needs patch.

#50848: Clarify the usage of null for “auto_update_{$type}” filter

Milestoned to WP 5.5.1. @audrasjb added a patch in the ticket.

#50907: Add a method to opt-in to core auto-updates

This ticket was opened to handle Core auto-updates which is one of the key projects for WordPress 5.6.

#auto-updates, #core-auto-updates, #feature-autoupdates

Jb Audras 7:54 am on July 28, 2020
Tags: , , core-auto-updates, , ,   

Auto-updates feature weekly meeting agenda – July 28th, 2020

Next meeting is scheduled on Tuesday July 28, 2020 at 17:00 UTC and will take place on #core-auto-updates SlackSlack Slack is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform https://slack.com/. The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at https://make.wordpress.org/chat/. channel with the following agenda:

  • Progress report on Docs
    • HelpHub end-user documentation
    • Dev notesdev note Each important change in WordPress Core is documented in a developers note, (usually called dev note). Good dev notes generally include: a description of the change; the decision that led to this change a description of how developers are supposed to work with that change. Dev notes are published on Make/Core blog during the beta phase of WordPress release cycle. Publishing dev notes is particularly important when plugin/theme authors and WordPress developers need to be aware of those changes.In general, all dev notes are compiled into a Field Guide at the beginning of the release candidate phase.
    • About page/communication
  • Remaining tickets:

Got something to propose for the agenda? Please leave a comment below.

#auto-update, #auto-updates, #core-auto-updates, #feature-plugins, #feature-projects, #feature-autoupdates

Hauwa 6:32 pm on July 16, 2020
Tags: , core-auto-updates,   

Dev Chat Summary, July 15th, 2020

@whyisjake hosted this agenda and @audrasjb edited.

Highlighted Blogblog (versus network, site) Posts

  • The wp-notify Next Steps project is looking for feedback on initial requirements and wanting to kick-off the project
  • GutenbergGutenberg The Gutenberg project is the new Editor Interface for WordPress. The editor improves the process and experience of creating new content, making writing rich content much simpler. It uses ‘blocks’ to add richness rather than shortcodes, custom HTML etc. https://wordpress.org/gutenberg/ team published “What’s new in Gutenberg” last week

Dev Notesdev note Each important change in WordPress Core is documented in a developers note, (usually called dev note). Good dev notes generally include: a description of the change; the decision that led to this change a description of how developers are supposed to work with that change. Dev notes are published on Make/Core blog during the beta phase of WordPress release cycle. Publishing dev notes is particularly important when plugin/theme authors and WordPress developers need to be aware of those changes.In general, all dev notes are compiled into a Field Guide at the beginning of the release candidate phase.

These were not discussed but referenced for people to review at their own time:

Upcoming Releases

  • WordPress 5.5 is slated for release August 11th, 2020
    • @marybaum added that the “About” page has a draft layout on Figma two weeks before RC1. Might change but it is now there. The best way to provide feedback on the “About” page copy is to enter it in the comments section on the ticketticket Created for both bug reports and feature development on the bug tracker. #50416
    • @abhanonstopnewsuk said they are also working on FAQs and would appreciate input on these (they have been messaging them).
  • BetaBeta A pre-release of software that is given out to a large group of users to trial under real conditions. Beta versions have gone through alpha testing in-house and are generally fairly close in look, feel and function to the final product; however, design changes often occur as part of the process. 2 was released yesterday
    • Since Beta 1, over 40 tickets plus Gutenberg have been closed, however there are still a bunch to go through.
  • Gutenberg bugbug A bug is an error or unexpected result. Performance improvements, code optimization, and are considered enhancements, not defects. After feature freeze, only bugs are dealt with, with regressions (adverse changes from the previous version) being the highest priority. fixes for Beta releases
    • @nrqsnchz said #core-accessibility would like some clarification around how Gutenberg bug fixes that need to make it through to betas should be handled and the process around it.
    • @whyisjake said when changes are needed in Gutenberg there is a “Back to WordPress coreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress.” tagtag A directory in Subversion. WordPress uses tags to store a single snapshot of a version (3.6, 3.6.1, etc.), the common convention of tags in version control systems. (Not to be confused with post tags.) that is applied. These are bundled into a release like this: #23905 Backportbackport A port is when code from one branch (or trunk) is merged into another branch or trunk. Some changes in WordPress point releases are the result of backporting code from trunk to the release branch. more fixes to WordPress 5.5 beta2. Additional docs are also available: docs/contributor/release docs
    • @youknowriad confirmed that when an issue is created, they triagetriage The act of evaluating and sorting bug reports, in order to decide priority, severity, and other factors. issues and if it’s considered as an issue that needs to be fixed in the next Beta/RC, it gets added to the “WordPress 5.5 Must Have” project. “They” being anyone with triage permissions on the repository.
    • @afercia is not sure opening issues on GitHubGitHub GitHub is a website that offers online implementation of git repositories that can can easily be shared, copied and modified by other developers. Public repositories are free to host, private repositories require a paid subscription. GitHub introduced the concept of the ‘pull request’ where code changes done in branches by contributors can be reviewed and discussed before being merged be the repository owner. https://github.com/ has the same effect of ensuring the highest visibility. He is uncomfortable with the process and doesn’t think it is equivalent to the way it works on TracTrac An open source project by Edgewall Software that serves as a bug tracker and project management tool for WordPress..
    • @desrosj challenged this:
      • In Trac, anyone with bug gardener capabilities is trusted to appropriately milestone issues using good judgement.
      • On GitHub, anyone with triage permissions is trusted to milestone and tag issues appropriately using good judgement.
      • The only difference is that GitHub issues and PRs are not filtered through SlackSlack Slack is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform https://slack.com/. The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at https://make.wordpress.org/chat/., and there is an additional step of importing changes made on GitHub into trunktrunk A directory in Subversion containing the latest development code in preparation for the next major release cycle. If you are running "trunk", then you are on the latest revision.. Release and project leads always have the final say if there are unreasonable disagreements about what should/should not be fixed (or should/should not make it into beta)
    • @afercia highlighted that its the composition of the triage teams with deep disagreements between the AccessibilityAccessibility Accessibility (commonly shortened to a11y) refers to the design of products, devices, services, or environments for people with disabilities. The concept of accessible design ensures both “direct access” (i.e. unassisted) and “indirect access” meaning compatibility with a person’s assistive technology (for example, computer screen readers). (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accessibility) team and the Editor team.
    • @desrosj asked if deeper discussions were needed about specific issues as nothing has been escalated and it is each team’s responsibility to communicate with each other.
    • in the interest of moving the agenda forward, it was agreed that this discussion would continue after the dev-chat.
  • Beta 3 is coming next Tuesday July 21st, 2020. Bug Scrub #6 is tomorrow July 16th, 2020.

Component check-in and status updates

  • @azaozz mentioned Updating jQuery version shipped with WordPress. There is a Trac ticket #50668: jquery-migrate.js in latest beta version 5.5 gone? asking the same questions.
  • @marybaum gave a shoutout to @estelaris @abhanonstopnewsuk @yvettesonneveld and @ryelle for the work they’ve done with great guidance from @melchoyce
  • @audrasjb #core-auto-updates team is going to publish the first dev notedev note Each important change in WordPress Core is documented in a developers note, (usually called dev note). Good dev notes generally include: a description of the change; the decision that led to this change a description of how developers are supposed to work with that change. Dev notes are published on Make/Core blog during the beta phase of WordPress release cycle. Publishing dev notes is particularly important when plugin/theme authors and WordPress developers need to be aware of those changes.In general, all dev notes are compiled into a Field Guide at the beginning of the release candidate phase. for this feature.
    • It introduces the new functions and hooksHooks In WordPress theme and development, hooks are functions that can be applied to an action or a Filter in WordPress. Actions are functions performed when a certain event occurs in WordPress. Filters allow you to modify certain functions. Arguments used to hook both filters and actions look the same. and can be used to control auto-updates-UIUI User interface.
    • There will be another one to handle Site Health and email notifications.
    • They are also going to start work on the HelpHub Docs page (end user documentation)

Open Floor

  • @pbiron has a potential proposal related to dev-notes. Dev notes are rightly targeted at developers however there are often changes in the WP adminadmin (and super admin) that users need to be made aware of. Would it be more appropriate to have a new user-note where a “heads-up” about these changes can be made?
    • @joyously thought it should go in the Field GuideField guide The field guide is a type of blogpost published on Make/Core during the release candidate phase of the WordPress release cycle. The field guide generally lists all the dev notes published during the beta cycle. This guide is linked in the about page of the corresponding version of WordPress, in the release post and in the HelpHub version page.. @azaozz said seconded it. Make WordPress Core it seems to slowly shift towards a wider audience now, not just developers
    • @desrosj said the Field Guide is a collection of dev notes. It is still developer focused and he think it should be in HelpHub. @audrasjb seconded the use of HelpHub for end user documentation but suggested that maybe we publish a recap of all new HelpHub pages on w.org/news. @desrosj said the HelpHub could also be. more work needed
    • @sergeybiryukov mentioned that there is also a pointers APIAPI An API or Application Programming Interface is a software intermediary that allows programs to interact with each other and share data in limited, clearly defined ways. in the admin for new features but he doesn’t think its been used in recent releases.
    • @audrasjb seconded the use of HelpHub for end user documentation but has no blog to follow the news. He suggested that maybe we publish a recap of all new HelpHub pages on w.org/news. @desrosj said the HelpHub could also be linked to in the release post (provided it is published and ready on release day). @pbiron questioned whether it was appropriate to publish things in HelpHub before a release (like dev notes are).
    • @azaozz suggested maybe having a new/separate place for user targeted “what’s up and coming”
    • @pbiron will source some examples where user-focused things were coered in dev notes and present a proposal at the next weeklly dev-chat
    • @marybaum @yvettesonneveld @abhanonstopnewsuk think using wp.org/news is a good way to drum up excitement about new releases and aligns with the goal to use /news to connect with a wider audience and meetups.
  • @collinsmbaka is working on the embed blockBlock Block is the abstract term used to describe units of markup that, composed together, form the content or layout of a webpage using the WordPress editor. The idea combines concepts of what in the past may have achieved with shortcodes, custom HTML, and embed discovery into a single consistent API and user experience. documentation and would like someone to look at the following issues:
  • @whyisjake asked him to share it in #core-editor and cc @youknowriad and @ella

Jb Audras 7:41 pm on July 15, 2020
Tags: , , core-auto-updates, , ,   

Auto-updates feature meeting summary – July 14, 2020

These are the weekly notes for the WP Auto-updates team meeting that happened on Tuesday July 14, 2020. You can read the full transcript on the coreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress.-auto-updates SlackSlack Slack is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform https://slack.com/. The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at https://make.wordpress.org/chat/. channel.

Reminder: WP Auto-updates Feature has been merged into WordPress Core so bugs reports and enhancements requests should now happen on Core Trac.

Dev notedev note Each important change in WordPress Core is documented in a developers note, (usually called dev note). Good dev notes generally include: a description of the change; the decision that led to this change a description of how developers are supposed to work with that change. Dev notes are published on Make/Core blog during the beta phase of WordPress release cycle. Publishing dev notes is particularly important when plugin/theme authors and WordPress developers need to be aware of those changes.In general, all dev notes are compiled into a Field Guide at the beginning of the release candidate phase. for WordPress 5.5

@audrasjb drafted a dev note focused on hooking the plugins and themes auto-updates UIUI User interface controls. @pbiron, @desrosj and @azaozz started to review this proposal.

It was previously decided to split the auto-updates dev note into several Posts. @audrasjb also drafted a dev note for email notifications. @pbiron pointed out that a dev note will be necessary for Site health screen hooksHooks In WordPress theme and development, hooks are functions that can be applied to an action or a Filter in WordPress. Actions are functions performed when a certain event occurs in WordPress. Filters allow you to modify certain functions. Arguments used to hook both filters and actions look the same. and functions. It will probably be added to the second dev note about email notifications. The first dev note will be published on Wednesday or Thursday.

Update on TracTrac An open source project by Edgewall Software that serves as a bug tracker and project management tool for WordPress. tickets

  • #50350: A couple weeks ago, the team agreed to add the version updated TO to the emails for 5.5 and possibly add the version updated FROM in 5.6. @audrasjb is working on a patchpatch A special text file that describes changes to code, by identifying the files and lines which are added, removed, and altered. It may also be referred to as a diff. A patch can be applied to a codebase for testing. for this.
  • #50437 still needs a patch.
  • Concerning #50512, items 1, 2 and 4 of the ticketticket Created for both bug reports and feature development on the bug tracker. are already fixed. Item 3 will be discussed on Friday by the accessibilityAccessibility Accessibility (commonly shortened to a11y) refers to the design of products, devices, services, or environments for people with disabilities. The concept of accessible design ensures both “direct access” (i.e. unassisted) and “indirect access” meaning compatibility with a person’s assistive technology (for example, computer screen readers). (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accessibility) team.
  • @desrosj is working on #50662.
  • @pbiron is working on #50663.
  • @johnbillion pointed out that #50437 needs some more discussion. This ticket will probably be moved to milestone 5.6.
  • Concerning #50623, It’s probably too late to address this ticket before 5.5 is released, but @audrasjb proposed to comment with few links to previous decisions (especially design decisions, as the design team already reviewed the interface) made by the team.
  • @apedog asked for review on ticket #32101, but given it’s not directly related to plugins and themes auto-updates, it’s probably better to raise this ticket during core team dev chat meeting.

#5-5, #auto-update, #core-auto-updates, #feature-plugins, #feature-projects, #feature-autoupdates

Jb Audras 9:36 pm on June 16, 2020
Tags: , , core-auto-updates, , ,   

Auto-updates feature meeting summary – June 16, 2020

These are the weekly notes for the WP Auto-updates team meeting that happened on Tuesday June 16, 2020. You can read the full transcript on the coreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress.-auto-updates SlackSlack Slack is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform https://slack.com/. The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at https://make.wordpress.org/chat/. channel.

Reminder: WP Auto-updates Feature has been merged into WordPress Core so bugs reports and enhancements requests should now happen on Core Trac.

Update on TracTrac An open source project by Edgewall Software that serves as a bug tracker and project management tool for WordPress. tickets

#50215 – Help Tabs implementation.
This ticketticket Created for both bug reports and feature development on the bug tracker. was discussed by the team and the patchpatch A special text file that describes changes to code, by identifying the files and lines which are added, removed, and altered. It may also be referred to as a diff. A patch can be applied to a codebase for testing. was merged by @whyisjake during the meeting.

#50268 – Auto-update email notifications.
@desrosj is working on a new patch.

#50350 – Provide pluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory https://wordpress.org/plugins/ or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party and theme versions informations in auto-updates email notifications.
This ticket still needs a patch. @audrasjb is working on it.

#49771 – Double “Updated!” text blocks when updating theme.
This one still needs a patch.

#50280 – Enable auto-updates shows for plugins with no support.
This ticket is now very close to be ready for commit. @azaozz and @pbiron are on it.

#41910 – Scheduled maintenance message.
This ticket was raised by @paaljoachim. As it is outside the auto-updates feature scope, the best way to move forward on this proposal is to point it out in core devchat.

HelpHub documentation

@audrasjb touched bases with the Docs team last meeting on Monday. @milana_cap is available to review it.

It should be done ahead of the release date so localized versions of HepHub have time to translate it before WordPress 5.5 release. @audrasjb is going to open a MetaMeta Meta is a term that refers to the inside workings of a group. For us, this is the team that works on internal WordPress sites like WordCamp Central and Make WordPress. Trac ticket to follow this task.

Dev notedev note Each important change in WordPress Core is documented in a developers note, (usually called dev note). Good dev notes generally include: a description of the change; the decision that led to this change a description of how developers are supposed to work with that change. Dev notes are published on Make/Core blog during the beta phase of WordPress release cycle. Publishing dev notes is particularly important when plugin/theme authors and WordPress developers need to be aware of those changes.In general, all dev notes are compiled into a Field Guide at the beginning of the release candidate phase. for WordPress 5.5

@audrasjb proposed the following structure for the dev note:

  • Introduction
  • How to hook into the general auto-updates interface
    • Disable the whole auto-updates UIUI User interface
    • Plugins screen (single and multisites)
    • Themes screen (multisites)
    • Themes screen (single sites)
    • Update screen
  • How to hook into auto-updates email notifications
    • Success notifications
    • Failure notifications
    • Mixed notifications
  • WP-Cron & plugins/themes auto-updates
  • Auto-updates Help Tabs

Feel free to comment below or to get in touch in core-auto-updates Slack Channel if you have any suggestion for this dev note.

#5-5, #auto-update, #core-auto-updates, #feature-plugins, #feature-projects, #feature-autoupdates

Jb Audras 10:42 pm on June 9, 2020
Tags: , , core-auto-updates, , ,   

Auto-updates feature meeting summary: June 9, 2020

These are the weekly notes for the WP Auto-updates team meeting that happened on Tuesday June 9, 2020. You can read the full transcript on the coreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress.-auto-updates SlackSlack Slack is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform https://slack.com/. The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at https://make.wordpress.org/chat/. channel.

Reminder: WP Auto-updates Feature has been merged into WordPress Core so any bugbug A bug is an error or unexpected result. Performance improvements, code optimization, and are considered enhancements, not defects. After feature freeze, only bugs are dealt with, with regressions (adverse changes from the previous version) being the highest priority. report or enhancementenhancement Enhancements are simple improvements to WordPress, such as the addition of a hook, a new feature, or an improvement to an existing feature. request should happen on Core Trac.

Update on TracTrac An open source project by Edgewall Software that serves as a bug tracker and project management tool for WordPress. tickets

Some tickets were recently fixed:

There are still few remaining tickets to address:

  • #50215 – Help Tabs implementation. @audrasjb is going to put together the feedback the team received into a new patchpatch A special text file that describes changes to code, by identifying the files and lines which are added, removed, and altered. It may also be referred to as a diff. A patch can be applied to a codebase for testing..
  • #50268 – Auto-update email notifications. @desrosj is the owner of the ticketticket Created for both bug reports and feature development on the bug tracker., but any help is welcome to refresh the current patch.
    Worth noting this ticket was splitted in two. This part will focus only on text changes.
  • #50350 – Provide pluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory https://wordpress.org/plugins/ or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party and theme versions informations in auto-updates email notifications. This one was opened during the meeting and it is the other part of #50268.
  • #49771 – Double Updated! text blocks when updating theme. This one is not 100% related to auto-updates but @paaljoachim wanted to mention it during the meeting.
  • #50280 – Enable auto-updates shows for plugins with no support. This one is actively reviewed.

Next steps

HelpHub documentation

@desrosj mentioned that we’ll need a documentation page on HelpHub. @audrasjb will get in touch with the Docs team on next Monday to make sure plugin and theme auto-updates feature is properly documented on the end users documentation.

@desrosj added that it should be done ahead of the release date so localized versions of HepHub have time to translate it before WordPress 5.5 release. @audrasjb added that it could be nice to open a MetaMeta Meta is a term that refers to the inside workings of a group. For us, this is the team that works on internal WordPress sites like WordCamp Central and Make WordPress. Trac ticket to follow this task.

Dev notedev note Each important change in WordPress Core is documented in a developers note, (usually called dev note). Good dev notes generally include: a description of the change; the decision that led to this change a description of how developers are supposed to work with that change. Dev notes are published on Make/Core blog during the beta phase of WordPress release cycle. Publishing dev notes is particularly important when plugin/theme authors and WordPress developers need to be aware of those changes.In general, all dev notes are compiled into a Field Guide at the beginning of the release candidate phase. for WordPress 5.5

@audrasjb to draft a basis for the feature’s dev note so it can be discussed and iterated during next week’s meeting.

#5-5, #auto-update, #core-auto-updates, #feature-plugins, #feature-projects, #feature-autoupdates

Jb Audras 10:52 pm on May 12, 2020
Tags: , core-auto-updates, , ,   

Auto-updates feature meeting summary: May 12, 2020

These are the weekly notes for the WP Auto-updates team meeting that happened on Tuesday May 12, 2020. You can read the full transcript on the coreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress.-auto-updates SlackSlack Slack is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform https://slack.com/. The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at https://make.wordpress.org/chat/. channel.

Reminder, WP Auto-updates Feature PluginFeature Plugin A plugin that was created with the intention of eventually being proposed for inclusion in WordPress Core. See Features as Plugins. is developed on GitHub and is available for testing on WordPress.org plugins repository.

Update on core patchpatch A special text file that describes changes to code, by identifying the files and lines which are added, removed, and altered. It may also be referred to as a diff. A patch can be applied to a codebase for testing.

@pbiron is in charge of the core patch. It should be ready around the middle of this week. Paul asked whether it’s better to do a pull request against wordpress-develop GitHubGitHub GitHub is a website that offers online implementation of git repositories that can can easily be shared, copied and modified by other developers. Public repositories are free to host, private repositories require a paid subscription. GitHub introduced the concept of the ‘pull request’ where code changes done in branches by contributors can be reviewed and discussed before being merged be the repository owner. https://github.com/ repository or a diff file on TracTrac An open source project by Edgewall Software that serves as a bug tracker and project management tool for WordPress..

@azaozz answered both would work, and have different pluses and minuses:

  • Pull requests can be reviewed in inline comments, but are harder to modify by different people.
  • A diff file would need to be applied to a svn checkout before testing, but easier to iterate (to make new diffs)

Paul will send a diff file.

WP auto-updates version 0.8.0

Here are the expected steps for the core merge:

  1. Publish the diff file on the related Trac ticketticket Created for both bug reports and feature development on the bug tracker. (#50052)
  2. After merge details are known, update Pull request #123 – Self-deactivate the plugin after the functionality has been merged to core
  3. Release WP Auto-updates version 0.8
  4. Commit the Trac diff file to WordPress Core

@azaozz noted that releasing version 0.8 after the diff is available on Trac is needed to make sure the pluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory https://wordpress.org/plugins/ or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party can self deactivate once the diff file is merged into WordPress core. The check in version 0.7 doesn’t actually work with the patch, because the name of the function it is checking changed in the patch

The plugin’s options should also be deleted from WordPress installs once the plugin is uninstalled by sites owners. @audrasjb opened pull request #125 to handle that.

The team noted the feature plugin reached 900+ active installs. 77% are running version 0.7, 12% are running version 0.6 and 11% are running versions 0.6.0 or less.

@whyisjake also implemented prettier on the plugin. It allows to run CSSCSS Cascading Style Sheets./JSJS JavaScript, a web scripting language typically executed in the browser. Often used for advanced user interfaces and behaviors. lint check, using npm test , and to fix linting issues using ESLint --fix option.

Open floor

@azaozz shared some thoughts about keeping some stats on successful/failed autoupdates, on the WordPress.orgWordPress.org The community site where WordPress code is created and shared by the users. This is where you can download the source code for WordPress core, plugins and themes as well as the central location for community conversations and organization. https://wordpress.org/ APIAPI An API or Application Programming Interface is a software intermediary that allows programs to interact with each other and share data in limited, clearly defined ways. side. It’s not a blockerblocker A bug which is so severe that it blocks a release. for merging and can be added later. The idea is to potentially have anonymous/aggregated stats per plugin/theme. This is also related to the Tide project, which can use those stats to determine how “safe” an update may be.

@audrasjb asked if it’s directly related to this feature or if it should be handled in a separate ticket/project. For @azaozz, it is part of plugins and themes auto-updates, but it can be a separate Trac ticket.

@pbiron asked if we were talking about stats on the results of auto-updates, or about user preferences for what should be auto-updated (since whether an auto-update is attempted can be controlled by other plugins, such as Easy Updates Manager, etc). Andrew answered that it may be both.

@audrasjb asked what would be the main benefit for the end user? Having prompts to alert on “not recommended” updates? @azaozz doesn’t think it would be a direct communication but an auto-update may be eventually stopped/postponed if there are many failures.

@apedog wanted to mention a version-rollback feature for plugins. For them, it would become relevant as more installations start using WP Auto-updates feature plugin. @audrasjb answered it should eventually be introduced independently of auto-updates feature as it’s not only related to this type of updates mechanism. @apedog pointed out that breakage occurring from a manual update gives the user immediate feedback. An over-night auto-update (especially if multiple plugins/themes were updated) could make debugging much harder. @audrasjb added that the best way to move this independent project forward is to open a ticket on Trac if it doesn’t exists yet. @sergeybiryukov added that WP Core do perform a rollback if a background core update fails (enabled for minor versions by default), that might be helpful when looking into implementing this for plugins and themes too.

@apedog also asked whether WP Auto-updates log the previous version vs new version? For example, for a user encountering breakage from an auto-update. Site breakage can occur even on successful updates – simply due to conflictconflict A conflict occurs when a patch changes code that was modified after the patch was created. These patches are considered stale, and will require a refresh of the changes before it can be applied, or the conflicts will need to be resolved.. @audrasjb answered there is no such log mechanism in core, even for manual updates.

@pbiron asked @audrasjb if Pull request 121 – Add help tabs on update-core, plugins, and themes admin screens is going to be ready on time for version 0.8.0. @audrasjb is on it, but it will probably needs copy review.

The team agreed Help Tabs will be handled separately from the initial core patch, to give it time for copy review.

#auto-update, #core-auto-updates, #feature-plugins, #feature-projects, #feature-autoupdates

Jb Audras 4:25 pm on May 12, 2020
Tags: , , core-auto-updates, ,   

Auto-updates feature weekly meeting agenda – May 12th, 2020

Next meeting is scheduled on Tuesday May 12, 2020 at 17:00 UTC and will take place on #core-auto-updates SlackSlack Slack is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform https://slack.com/. The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at https://make.wordpress.org/chat/. channel with the following agenda:

  • Update on coreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. patchpatch A special text file that describes changes to code, by identifying the files and lines which are added, removed, and altered. It may also be referred to as a diff. A patch can be applied to a codebase for testing.
  • Feature pluginFeature Plugin A plugin that was created with the intention of eventually being proposed for inclusion in WordPress Core. See Features as Plugins.’s scope for version 0.8
  • Prettier implementation
  • Open floor: issues & PR / other topics

Got something to propose for the agenda? Please leave a comment below.

#agenda, #auto-update, #core-auto-updates, #feature-plugins, #feature-autoupdates

Jb Audras 11:59 am on May 6, 2020
Tags: , , core-auto-updates, ,   

Auto-updates feature meeting summary: May 4, 2020

These are the weekly notes for the WP Auto-updates team meeting that happened on Tuesday May 4, 2020. You can read the full transcript on the coreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress.-auto-updates SlackSlack Slack is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform https://slack.com/. The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at https://make.wordpress.org/chat/. channel.

As a reminder, WP Auto-updates Feature PluginFeature Plugin A plugin that was created with the intention of eventually being proposed for inclusion in WordPress Core. See Features as Plugins. is developed on GitHub and is available for testing on WordPress.org plugins repository.

Core merge announcement

Last week, we announced the incoming core merge of the Feature Plugin 💥

Merge Announcement: Plugins & Themes Auto-Updates

@whyisjake already opened the Trac ticket. It will be used to merge the feature into WordPress core.

However, @azaozz and other people raised some issues, especially with JSJS JavaScript, a web scripting language typically executed in the browser. Often used for advanced user interfaces and behaviors./AJAX implementation. Our top priority is to fix them before sending a full patchpatch A special text file that describes changes to code, by identifying the files and lines which are added, removed, and altered. It may also be referred to as a diff. A patch can be applied to a codebase for testing. on TracTrac An open source project by Edgewall Software that serves as a bug tracker and project management tool for WordPress..

Version 0.7 scope: core merge prerequisites

Version 0.7.0 will be focused on core merge prerequisites.

@pbiron is currently working on cleaning the AJAX part of the pluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory https://wordpress.org/plugins/ or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party. For reference, see PR #103 on GitHub. This is one of the major blockers before core merge and that’s why we absolutely need a new release before the core merge. @azaozz added that this pull request is almost ready to be merged.

While @pbiron is working on cleaning the existing AJAX code, @audrasjb will focus on other minor issues, like internationalization issues raised by @PascalC.

Once PR #103 is merged, the team will release version 0.7.0 and give it around one week to be tested before sending the patch proposal on Trac.

@azaozz pointed out issue #95 which raises some user interface issues. The setting that the users can change (enable|disable auto-updates) is actually the default setting. It can be changed at the moment of updating by plugins and by core. He thinks it should be reflected in the UIUI User interface to avoid giving wrong expectations to users. It can be addressed by changing the wording and/or the name of the functions, for example by replacing the existing functions with something like maybe_auto_update_plugins or default_auto_update_plugins. Concerning the interface wording, @audrasjb noted it could be addressed by changing the column heading: Enable/disable auto-updates or Toggle auto-updates so users could understand we’ll be able to disable it later. By the way, the team agreed this concern is not a blockerblocker A bug which is so severe that it blocks a release. for the merge.

After few discussions, it was also decided to remove the feature’s constants. Indeed, constants are used in WordPress core for specific cases:

  • Very early use, before WP is loaded
  • For use mostly by hosting companies/low level settings
  • Mostly for things that are really “constant” (never change)

@audrasjb will remove the existing constants once PR #103 is merged.

@azaozz also noted few small bugs on the AJAX action links. It kind of “jumps” when you click on the link, then “flashes” different text (when the networknetwork (versus site, blog) is fast) and the user cannot see/read the changed text, then it changes it again. These bugs are not a blocker for core merge and can be fixed in WordPress core after the merge. @pbiron noted that some of these bugs will be fixed in PR #103. @azaozz added that adding some delay (so text changes are readable) would be nice, or alternatively not changing the text while AJAX is running is another thing. (so there is only one text change instead of two).

The team also discussed the idea to add some filters for plugin authors to override what is outputted in the UI, for example to show something like “Updates enabled by [plugin/theme name]”.

Next meeting is scheduled on Tuesday May 12, 2020 at 17:00 UTC.

#5-5, #auto-update, #core-auto-updates, #feature-projects, #feature-autoupdates

Jb Audras 12:03 am on May 2, 2020
Tags: , , core-auto-updates, , ,   

Merge Announcement: Plugins & Themes Auto-Updates

After making the auto-updates project a feature plugin, the #core-auto-updates team is excited to announce that the plugins and themes auto-updates feature is ready for a coreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. merge.

Here are the main features that have been developed:

  • The ability for website administrators to opt-in to automatic updates for plugins and themes.
  • Ability to enable/disable auto-updates on a pluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory https://wordpress.org/plugins/ or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party-by-plugin and theme-by-theme basis.
  • Multisitemultisite Used to describe a WordPress installation with a network of multiple blogs, grouped by sites. This installation type has shared users tables, and creates separate database tables for each blog (wp_posts becomes wp_0_posts). See also network, blog, site support for both themes and plugins auto-updates.
  • Email notifications to send auto-update summaries to website administrators.
  • HooksHooks In WordPress theme and development, hooks are functions that can be applied to an action or a Filter in WordPress. Actions are functions performed when a certain event occurs in WordPress. Filters allow you to modify certain functions. Arguments used to hook both filters and actions look the same. and constants to help developers programmatically define auto-updates settings.

To be clear, plugin and theme auto-updates already exist in WordPress core, but these new features add a fully-featured user interface to allow administrators to opt-in to these features.The feature was developed on WordPress GitHub repository and tested for a few months as a feature plugin available on WordPress repository.

@audrasjb and @pbiron hosted weekly meetings on #core-auto-updates SlackSlack Slack is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform https://slack.com/. The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at https://make.wordpress.org/chat/. channel, and those meetings allowed the feature to be developed at a good pace. While there are still some details currently discussed on GitHub, the feature pluginFeature Plugin A plugin that was created with the intention of eventually being proposed for inclusion in WordPress Core. See Features as Plugins. has been a great success, with more than 700 active installations. The plugins and themes auto-updates team is now excited to bring this feature to WordPress users and ship this feature in WordPress 5.5.

Site security is integral for modern website hosting, and bringing auto-updates to plugins and themes is a much-awaited feature in WordPress. This will allow website owners to more easily keep their site up-to-date and more secure. The core plugin team has also added a number of hooks that can be used by plugin authors and WordPress developers to customize the feature, including email notifications.

@whyisjake has opened a core ticket for the core merge. Any help is welcome to test the incoming patches.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to the feature plugin on GitHubGitHub GitHub is a website that offers online implementation of git repositories that can can easily be shared, copied and modified by other developers. Public repositories are free to host, private repositories require a paid subscription. GitHub introduced the concept of the ‘pull request’ where code changes done in branches by contributors can be reviewed and discussed before being merged be the repository owner. https://github.com/: @audrasjb, @whodunitagency, @xkon, @desrosj, @pedromendonca, @javiercasares, @karmatosed, @mapk, @afercia, @gmays, @knutsp, @pbiron, @passionate, @nicolaskulka, @bookdude13, @jeffpaul, @mukesh27, @whyisjake, @paaljoachim, @ronalfy, @timothybjacobs, @wpamitkumar and @azaozz.

#5-5, #auto-update, #feature-plugins, #feature-projects, #feature-autoupdates