[wp-trac] [WordPress Trac] #28694: Provide a clean way for Plugins to run update scripts for MultiSite

[WordPress Trac]

#28694: Provide a clean way for Plugins to run update scripts for MultiSite
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 Reporter:  MadtownLems         |      Owner:
     Type:  enhancement         |     Status:  new
 Priority:  normal              |  Milestone:  Awaiting Review
Component:  Networks and Sites  |    Version:  3.9.1
 Severity:  normal              |   Keywords:
  Focuses:  multisite           |
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 It's commonly accepted that, if a plugin needs to run a script after
 updating (such as to modify the database or its settings stored within),
 that it should do so hooking into admin_init, checking its version number
 against a database-stored version number, and making adjustments if
 needed.  This works relatively well for single site, only temporarily
 failing when the plugin is updated through SVN /ftp, and immediately being
 addressed as soon as any dashboard page is visited.

 However, this can often be a much larger issue in MultiSite.

 In many MultiSite instances, there will be sites who won't have their
 dashboards logged into for extended periods of time (sometimes even
 years), meaning that using admin_init to check for running such an update
 is impractical.

 While hooking onto admin_init AND init would likely solve the issue, it
 feels like an excessive amount of additional processing (by EVERY plugin
 on EVERY page load).

 I believe that this is an issue that MultiSite needs to address, as
 currently, plugin authors who use the suggested admin_init method to
 maybe_update are at risk of major failings in sites using their plugins as
 part of a network.

 (The closest related ticket I found was
 https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/14912, and it's 4 years old and has
 no mention of the more serious MultiSite implications.)

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Ticket URL: <https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/28694>
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