[wp-trac] [WordPress Trac] #60992: Plugin management: AJAX plugin activation consequences

[WordPress Trac]

#60992: Plugin management: AJAX plugin activation consequences
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 Reporter:  jeherve                              |       Owner:  (none)
     Type:  defect (bug)                         |      Status:  new
 Priority:  normal                               |   Milestone:  6.5.3
Component:  Plugins                              |     Version:  6.5
 Severity:  normal                               |  Resolution:
 Keywords:  has-patch needs-testing has-         |     Focuses:
  testing-info needs-design-feedback             |
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Comment (by kevinwhoffman):

 My understanding of the pull request is that the "Refresh Now" button will
 simply reload the current page, allowing any plugin menus and notices to
 appear. This does not feel like an adequate replacement for those plugins
 that were relying on redirects to initiate onboarding. We can debate
 whether redirects were ever an appropriate solution, but the reality is
 that users installing a new plugin are most likely going to configure it
 as a next step. The redirect solution—with all of its flaws—provided that
 logical next step.

 The proposed "Configure" link also provides a direct path to configuration
 without the drawbacks of redirects, allowing the user to decide what
 happens after activation with a clear path to initiate configuration.

 The "Refresh Now" button in the PR does not provide a similar direct path
 to configuration, instead leaving it up to the user to refresh the page
 and hunt down the appropriate admin menu to initiate configuration.
 Plugins that register menu items under Tools or Settings will have no
 noticeable presence on the page even after refreshing.

 As a result, I worry that plugins will add more glaring admin notices at
 the top of the screen as a way to catch the user's attention and lead them
 into an onboarding experience where they would have previously relied on
 the redirect.

 In summary, the admin notice with a "Refresh Now" button is an improvement
 over doing nothing after clicking "Activate," however the net result is
 still a regression in terms of plugin configuration.

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Ticket URL: <https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/60992#comment:71>
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