[wp-hackers] Less than Core, More than Plugins/Themes: Proposing Optional Modules.

[Mike Schinkel]

"Eric Marden" <wp at xentek.net> wrote:
> You can do this with plugins, today. Take a look at 
> the Simple Pie (rss parsing library) plugins: 
> http://simplepie.org/wiki/plugins/start#wordpress
> They published a 'core' plugin which provides the 
> SimplePie API, and other plugins depend on it to do 
> their work.

SimplePie API plugin is a *perfect* example of what is wrong. I know, I have a plugin that depends on it. SimpleAPI is a standalone project with it's own community support that developed around it; not all things we need in WordPress can be handled the same way, especially not those things that require database support.

Also managing those dependencies is a nightmare and releasing a plugin that requires it is begging for lots of time spent on free tech support for newbies who can't figure it out.

Auto-install of dependencies would go a long way to solving this one issue, though.

> If you have some API needs in mind, why not start 
> it as a plugin and if it becomes popular and used 
> by many, moving it core would make a logical first 
> step.

What's needed is community support to develop a good API together, not one guy (like me) developing a crappy one alone.  

-Mike Schinkel
http://mikeschinkel.com/