[wp-trac] [WordPress Trac] #47651: Provide required PHP version for plugins with minimum PHP requirement

[WordPress Trac]

#47651: Provide required PHP version for plugins with minimum PHP requirement
-------------------------------------------------+-------------------------
 Reporter:  garrett-eclipse                      |       Owner:  (none)
     Type:  enhancement                          |      Status:  new
 Priority:  normal                               |   Milestone:  Awaiting
                                                 |  Review
Component:  Site Health                          |     Version:  5.2
 Severity:  normal                               |  Resolution:
 Keywords:  has-patch needs-design-feedback      |     Focuses:  ui,
  dev-feedback 2nd-opinion needs-refresh         |  administration
-------------------------------------------------+-------------------------

Comment (by SergeyBiryukov):

 Replying to [comment:7 garrett-eclipse]:
 > I've uploaded
 [https://core.trac.wordpress.org/attachment/ticket/47651/47651.diff
 47651.diff] to update the verbiage and provide the required PHP version,
 see screenshot.

 I like the simplicity of [attachment:"47651.diff"] and [attachment:"Screen
 Shot 2019-07-05 at 1.49.59 PM.png"].

 Then again, if we have this notice, we could as well make the styling
 consistent with the Plugins screen. In that regard [attachment:"Screen
 Shot 2019-07-05 at 3.08.37 PM.png"] makes sense to me.

 Replying to [comment:24 afragen]:
 > Additionally, this patch is incomplete as the same issue occurs on
 `plugins.php`.

 I'd prefer to do this only for the Updates screen as a first step. The
 notices on the Plugins screen are already quite long, as seen in
 [attachment:"Screen Shot 2019-07-05 at 3.07.02 PM.png"], adding more text
 to them seems less than ideal.

 Replying to [comment:17 afragen]:
 > I believe more information, as in more minimum PHP version requirements,
 may be confusing to the user for 2 reasons.
 >
 > 1. There will be multiple plugins ready to update and and having
 multiple listed PHP requirements specific to version number spelled out
 will be confusing to the user.
 >
 > 2. It discourages the user from updating to the latest PHP version and
 not simply the minimum requirement.
 > ...
 > It is my opinion that having a page full of updates that all seem to
 require different PHP versions will be more confusing to the user. Isn’t
 our goal to really have the user update to the current recommended PHP
 version and not simply the version that is required for a particular
 plugin?
 > ...
 > I appreciate that we all wish to improve WP but my opinion here is that
 displaying multiple different pieces of the same information (minimum PHP
 version) will be more confusing to the user than their ability to use the
 //View Details// link.

 I think I agree here, I see how multiple error notices mentioning
 different PHP versions could become confusing and encourage updating to a
 specific plugin's minimum required version rather than the currently
 recommended latest stable version. If our goal is latter, then I don't see
 how changing the existing notice helps with that.

 How about not changing the current notice text ("This update doesn't work
 with your version of PHP. Learn more about updating PHP.") at this time,
 but making it more visible instead, like on [attachment:"Screen Shot
 2019-07-05 at 3.08.37 PM.png"]? That should address the issue of easily
 overlooking the notice.

 It's worth noting that https://wordpress.org/support/update-php/
 recommends the latest supported PHP version, which should answer the
 question of which version to update to:
 > Your website will be faster as the latest version of PHP is more
 efficient. Updating to the latest supported version (currently 7.3) can
 deliver a huge performance increase; up to 3 or 4x faster for older
 versions.

-- 
Ticket URL: <https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/47651#comment:25>
WordPress Trac <https://core.trac.wordpress.org/>
WordPress publishing platform