[wp-trac] [WordPress Trac] #34544: Attaching metadata to shared terms can result in data corruption

[WordPress Trac]

#34544: Attaching metadata to shared terms can result in data corruption
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 Reporter:  boonebgorges           |       Owner:  boonebgorges
     Type:  defect (bug)           |      Status:  reopened
 Priority:  high                   |   Milestone:  4.4
Component:  Taxonomy               |     Version:
 Severity:  normal                 |  Resolution:
 Keywords:  has-patch 2nd-opinion  |     Focuses:
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Comment (by aaroncampbell):

 I was putting together a longer response with examples, but @boonebgorges
 got his in first and really hit the same notes I wanted to hit, so I'm
 really kind of chiming in with a simple "yeah, that".

 I think making a simple way for a developer to see the issue and fix it
 (returning a WP_Error) is a great way forward. Especially since this is
 new functionality.

 The thing I think Boone skipped is that not only can you end up with meta
 on a term you didn't expect it on if terms are shared, but you can easily
 stomp on your own meta by accident. In [comment:6 his example] of
 attaching 'photo' meta to Chicago expecting it to be the city not the
 band, imagine if someone were to see the issue and upload a photo of the
 band. Meta needs to be attached to a single term, not a (likely
 unexpected) cluster of them.

 I think the fix in [35515] is a good solution to a rather complex problem.
 It allows data integrity while also eliminating most of the (potential)
 confusion.

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Ticket URL: <https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/34544#comment:14>
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