[wp-trac] Re: [WordPress Trac] #9849: Tweaks/Improvements for Manage Plugins page

[WordPress Trac]

#9849: Tweaks/Improvements for Manage Plugins page
-----------------------------------+----------------------------------------
 Reporter:  demetris               |        Owner:  janeforshort
     Type:  enhancement            |       Status:  reopened    
 Priority:  normal                 |    Milestone:  2.8         
Component:  UI                     |      Version:  2.8         
 Severity:  normal                 |   Resolution:              
 Keywords:  has-patch 2nd-opinion  |  
-----------------------------------+----------------------------------------

Comment(by demetris):

 I said in a recent thread in the wp.org forum
 (<http://wordpress.org/support/topic/269201>) that WP needs a clear sense
 of purpose and direction.  This issue here is a good instance of what I
 meant:

 Why does a publishing tool need a built-in code editor in the first place?

 Not only is the code editor unnecessary (at least for the self-hosted
 variety of WP); it also works against two great strengths of WordPress:

 1.  Easy, hassle-free extensibility and customization

 2.  Easy, hassle-free updating

 Between action hooks, filter hooks and child themes you can do whatever
 you wish with WordPress without touching a single line of
 core/plugin/theme code.  But use the code editor, which invites you to
 mess with updatable files, and then the automatic updater—another strong
 point of WordPress into which so much work has gone— will delete
 everything in the next update without a warning.

 Something is not right in this scheme!

 At this stage in WordPress’ evolution, the code editor seems like a left-
 over from antiquity.  If for some reason it’s not desirable to remove it
 entirely, then, at least, its presence should not be prominent.

 As for people revolting, if people think they need a built-in code editor
 to customize their WP site, then maybe we should try to do a better job at
 explaining what the strong points of WordPress are.

-- 
Ticket URL: <http://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/9849#comment:18>
WordPress Trac <http://core.trac.wordpress.org/>
WordPress blogging software