[wp-trac] [WordPress Trac] #34664: Plugin updates know to break website should display update warning

[WordPress Trac]

#34664: Plugin updates know to break website should display update warning
-----------------------------+-----------------------------
 Reporter:  steevithak       |      Owner:
     Type:  feature request  |     Status:  new
 Priority:  normal           |  Milestone:  Awaiting Review
Component:  Plugins          |    Version:  4.3.1
 Severity:  normal           |   Keywords:
  Focuses:  administration   |
-----------------------------+-----------------------------
 The Wordpress plugin update system needs a method of indicating that a
 given update may cause site breakage if installed.

 Sometimes a plugin maker will push an update that is known to cause
 catastrophic breakage to a previously working site due to intentional
 changes in the architecture of the plugin. From the WP admin's point of
 view though, the WP update dialog provides no warning and often results in
 unexpected downtime emergencies when an apparently routine upgrade brings
 down a working site. It usually goes like this:

 1. Check for a plugin updates and find a few
 2. Run the updates
 3. Discover your site is now broken/down
 4. Check the plugin webpage
 5. Find warning that says plugin has major changes that will break site
 without advance work to prepare for the update
 6. Scramble to restore site from backups, down grade plugin, or other
 triage to get site up

 Here's what should happen:

 1. Check for plugin updates and find a few
 2. One plugin has noticeable warning of danger, refers user to website
 3. Update safe plugins, then read up on the unsafe plugin update
 4. Prepare site for the dangerous update
 5. Update the unsafe plugin, now that site is ready for the changes
 6. Live happily ever after

 We got caught by this one again today. A plugin called Google Calendar
 which has always updated with no problem, showed a pending update. But the
 author had pushed out a major architectural change today which broke
 everything, resulting a lot of broken calendar pages. Sure, enough, once
 we visited the plugin author's site, there's a warning there that says
 "hey this will break you site if you install it" but the Wordpress update
 system did not provide any indication of potential problems.

 So clearly, the author knew installing the update would break sites, but
 there is no way in the existing WP update system to indicate safe vs
 unsafe updates. One could argue that this is a bug or a feature request.
 I've chosen to call it a feature request but feel free to set it which
 ever way make sense.

--
Ticket URL: <https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/34664>
WordPress Trac <https://core.trac.wordpress.org/>
WordPress publishing platform