[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:  helen
     Type:  enhancement               |      Status:  reviewing
 Priority:  normal                    |   Milestone:  4.9
Component:  Themes                    |     Version:
 Severity:  normal                    |  Resolution:
 Keywords:  good-first-bug has-patch  |     Focuses:  ui, administration
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Comment (by melchoyce):

 Some copy suggestions from the magnificent @michelleweber:

 '''Heading for all'''
 > Caution: You can break stuff here. There’s a better way!

 '''Theme Template Files'''
 > You appear to be making direct edits to your theme in the WordPress
 Dashboard. We recommend that you don’t! Editing this code directly is
 dangerous, and can leave you unable to log back in to WordPress and undo
 changes. To edit your theme without breaking anything, use a child theme
 instead — [here’s how](link).
 >
 > If you decide to go ahead with direct edits anyway, make sure to back
 all your site’s files up before making changes so you can restore a
 functional version is something goes wrong.

 '''Theme CSS Files'''
 > You appear to be making direct edits to your theme in the WordPress
 Dashboard. We recommend that you don’t! Editing this code directly is
 dangerous, and can leave you unable to log back in to WordPress and undo
 changes. There’s no need to change your CSS here — [you can edit CSS in
 WordPress’s built in CSS editor](link).
 >
 > If you decide to go ahead with direct edits anyway, make sure to back
 all your site’s files up before making changes so you can restore a
 functional version is something goes wrong.

 The "and can leave you unable to log back in" isn't really true for purely
 CSS changes, so we might want to tweak that.

 '''Plugins'''
 > You appear to be making direct edits to your plugin in the WordPress
 Dashboard. We recommend that you don’t! Editing plugins directly introduce
 incompatibilities that break your theme or other plugins, and can leave
 you unable to log back in to WordPress and undo changes.
 >
 > If you absolutely have to edit this plugin, create copy with a new name
 and hang on to the original version, so you can re-enable a functional
 version if something goes wrong.

 Or, if we want to be cheeky about it...

 > You appear to be making direct edits to your plugin in the WordPress
 Dashboard. We recommend that you don’t! Editing plugins directly introduce
 incompatibilities that break your theme or other plugins, and can leave
 you unable to log back in to WordPress and undo changes.
 >
 > If you absolutely have to edit this plugin (please don’t), create a copy
 with a new name and hang on to the original version (but really, don’t do
 it), so you can re-enable a functional version if something goes wrong
 (seriously: don’t edit plugins).

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Ticket URL: <https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/31779#comment:48>
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