[wp-trac] [WordPress Trac] #24205: is_plugin_active() should return true for must-use/dropin plugins

[WordPress Trac]

#24205: is_plugin_active() should return true for must-use/dropin plugins
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 Reporter:  jrf                                  |       Owner:
     Type:  enhancement                          |      Status:  reopened
 Priority:  normal                               |   Milestone:  Future
Component:  Plugins                              |  Release
 Severity:  normal                               |     Version:  3.5.1
 Keywords:  has-patch has-unit-tests 2nd-        |  Resolution:
  opinion                                        |     Focuses:
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Comment (by swissspidy):

 Replying to [comment:16 ericlewis]:
 > How would you know whether the Gravity Forms plugin bootstrap file is
 included? You would need to know it's being included by `mu-
 plugins/index.php`.

 You wouldn't know it, but that's not what my patch or the original
 suggestion is about. Simply put, if you have a drop-in called `db.php` or
 a mu-plugin called `whatever.php`, `is_plugin_active()` should return true
 for those as well. If you care about GF, then of course check for a
 function's existence.

 I'm not 100% for this or against it as I can understand both sides.

 Valid arguments against this:

 > must-use plugins and drop-ins don't have a concept of "activation".

 > Of course plugin-name.php is also a valid plugin in both mu-plugins and
 plugins though.

 > I feel as if, is_plugin_active() is designed more to be a site option,
 where as a mu-plugin is designed to be more of a server/system-level
 configuration, as such, I wouldn't expect is_plugin_active() to be true
 for those cases.

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Ticket URL: <https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/24205#comment:17>
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