[wp-trac] [WordPress Trac] #24104: Remove duplicated separators in admin menu

[WordPress Trac]

#24104: Remove duplicated separators in admin menu
--------------------------+-----------------------------
 Reporter:  rilwis        |       Owner:  wonderboymusic
     Type:  defect (bug)  |      Status:  reopened
 Priority:  normal        |   Milestone:  4.4
Component:  Plugins       |     Version:  2.7
 Severity:  normal        |  Resolution:
 Keywords:  needs-patch   |     Focuses:  administration
--------------------------+-----------------------------

Comment (by johnjamesjacoby):

 [https://core.trac.wordpress.org/attachment/ticket/24104/24104.02.patch
 24104.02.patch] proposes the following changes:

 * Use `stristr()`. It performs a case-insensitive haystack/needle string
 search, which biases the code towards being greedy and deleting duplicate
 separators even if someone is being clever with uppercase letters.
 * Rename the `$separator_found` variable to `$prev_menu_was_separator` to
 more accurately describe it's intended use. This helped me during the fix,
 so my thinking here is that it might help the next tortured soul that
 looks at it next.
 * Add a bunch of inline documentation to try and make plain-english sense
 out of what this code is supposed to do. Again, this helped me maintain
 some sanity while unwinding this bit.
 * Do not `false`y the `$prev_menu_was_separator` variable prematurely.
 This retains the part of [34861] that is responsible for removing
 triplicates and higher. If there are 8 separators in a row, only use one
 of them.

 And finally...
 * Move this entire routine after the `custom_menu_order` and `menu_order`
 filters have fired, but before the `$last_menu_key` separator check
 removes a trailing separator. This is important because plugins might be
 adding (and also relocating) separators to the `$menu` global at any point
 in `menu.php`'s life-cycle, and WordPress cannot confidently guess at
 adjacent separators until plugins have had the opportunity to reorder
 their custom menu items.

 ----

 This patch restores the plugins-with-separators under my watch to
 WordPress 4.3-and-earlier visual-status, while also addressing the
 adjacent-and-triplicate separator issue raised by the original reporter.

 What should happen next, IMO:
 * Scour the plugins directory for other plugins using separators
 * Test with WordPress 4.3, trunk, with-and-without 02.patch applied to
 confirm results
 * Celebrate our collective triumph, or mourn my having mucked this all up
 even further & kill `menu.php` with extreme prejudice in a future release.

--
Ticket URL: <https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/24104#comment:9>
WordPress Trac <https://core.trac.wordpress.org/>
WordPress publishing platform