[wp-trac] [WordPress Trac] #40403: Media: Allow disabling of auto-save for attachment changes in Media Library

[WordPress Trac]

#40403: Media: Allow disabling of auto-save for attachment changes in Media Library
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 Reporter:  westonruter  |      Owner:
     Type:  enhancement  |     Status:  new
 Priority:  normal       |  Milestone:  Awaiting Review
Component:  Media        |    Version:
 Severity:  normal       |   Keywords:
  Focuses:               |
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 When in the select frame of the media library and the user has selected an
 attachment, the fields for that attachment including the title, caption,
 and description can all be modified. The user may very well be expecting
 that the changes they are making to be ''localized'' to the current
 context for which they are inserting the image. For example, a user may
 want to provide a unique caption for an image when selecting it into one
 post vs the caption for the image when it is inserted into another post.
 Nevertheless, when the user does make a change to the caption, it will get
 written into the underlying `attachment` post and will thus change the
 caption on the `attachment` single template and any galleries in which the
 image appears.

 All of this to say that the behavior to auto-save back changes to an
 attachment as changes are made in the media library should be able to be
 disabled, or should perhaps be disabled by default if not in a management
 context on the Media admin screen. Also, when the media library is opened
 in the customizer, a user should expect all changes to be previewable
 without impacting the site before hitting Save & Publish. The customizer
 is supposed to guard against the “save and surprise” experience. In the
 case of the Media Library, it can be even worse because it is “auto-save
 and surprise” and the auto-save behavior isn't even stated. So if auto-
 save isn't disabled by default in the media library across WordPress in a
 non-management context, then at least it seems it should be disabled in
 the context of the customizer.

 The conversation for this started in the context of the image widget, and
 unexpected behavior for when modifying fields in the select frame versus
 modifying fields in the edit frame (which, as in the edit post screen, do
 not auto-save but are local to the post being edited). See
 https://wordpress.slack.com/archives/C0381N237/p1491845195064777

 See also #37887, which would still allow for changes to be made in the
 media library, but for the changes to defer to being published until the
 user hits Save & Publish in the Customizer.

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Ticket URL: <https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/40403>
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