[wp-trac] [WordPress Trac] #31779: Warn users before using a built-in file editor for the first time

[WordPress Trac]

#31779: Warn users before using a built-in file editor for the first time
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 Reporter:  helen                       |       Owner:
     Type:  enhancement                 |      Status:  new
 Priority:  normal                      |   Milestone:  Awaiting Review
Component:  Themes                      |     Version:
 Severity:  normal                      |  Resolution:
 Keywords:  needs-patch good-first-bug  |     Focuses:  ui, administration
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Changes (by helen):

 * keywords:   => needs-patch good-first-bug


Comment:

 I would still like to see an interstitial prompt, so if somebody would
 like to make a patch, we can start looking at getting it in. I think we
 would also need to review or possibly write a good reference page in the
 Codex. Do note that this is a single targeted enhancement to an existing
 feature. There are a lot of other great ideas wrapped up in comments above
 that can (and should!) be their own distinct tickets if they are not
 already, like sandboxing/error checking and such.

 I agree that there are better learning materials out there - what I see is
 that the person needs to know to be looking for those in the first place.
 We can wish all we want that people come into WordPress with some amount
 of web development knowledge, but that's just not the case, especially
 with one-click installers (me, even now!). Sure, there are file managers
 somewhere in cPanel if you can find them, but that still assumes you know
 where to browse to find the file you're looking for, and if you're not
 familiar with WP, do you know where to look? Do you know to go into
 `public_html` and then `wp_content` and then `themes` and then
 `twentyfifteen` and then maybe which file you want? I know I wouldn't
 have.

 I say this frequently in talks: when you're running at the scale WordPress
 is running on the internet, you have this incredible opportunity to show
 people that web development is a thing that exists. Not teaching how to do
 it, not showing off with our code (ha, ha) - just that it exists at all,
 and maybe how to learn about it. Intrepid learners can take it from there.
 It sounds so basic in our world, seeing as we're here on Trac, but you
 can't have options if you don't know what they are. I would like to see
 users helped along better and saved from hurting themselves as much as
 possible, so let's make this experience good enough to be safe but not so
 good it prevents users from ever using something else. :)

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Ticket URL: <https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/31779#comment:13>
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