Discussion:
Plugin Compatibility Stats
Eric Mann
2013-11-14 15:07:45 UTC
Permalink
Considering the majority of hosts I work with on projects are on PHP 5.3 or
above, I have been consistently (accidentally) committing 5.3 and 5.4 code
to plugins and themes that I release on WordPress.org. Unfortunately,
listing a higher version of PHP as a requirement isn't an option since most
of my systems' end users aren't tech savvy enough to know what they're on.

But some, when I ask, *do* know their version and I can track things down
quickly.

What I'd like to see is some sort of statistics tracking regarding plugin,
MySQL, and PHP versions for my plugins - similar to the
http://wordpress.org/about/stats/ page for WordPress itself.

I'd also like to see PHP version added to the self-selected compatibility
report on plugin pages. Having people mark a plugin as "broken" while only
giving plugin and WordPress versions is a bit misleading. It takes
considerable back-and-forth with a client before I can discover that yes, I
accidentally used ?: or $this::something() in my code and they're on 5.2.

Is this at all possible for WordPress.org?
Otto
2013-11-14 16:59:47 UTC
Permalink
Post by Eric Mann
What I'd like to see is some sort of statistics tracking regarding plugin,
MySQL, and PHP versions for my plugins - similar to the
http://wordpress.org/about/stats/ page for WordPress itself.
The plugin update check doesn't send that information to the API system.

-Otto
Eric Mann
2013-11-14 17:01:23 UTC
Permalink
Perhaps we should update the update check? This would be valuable
information.
Post by Eric Mann
Post by Eric Mann
What I'd like to see is some sort of statistics tracking regarding
plugin,
Post by Eric Mann
MySQL, and PHP versions for my plugins - similar to the
http://wordpress.org/about/stats/ page for WordPress itself.
The plugin update check doesn't send that information to the API system.
-Otto
_______________________________________________
wp-hackers mailing list
http://lists.automattic.com/mailman/listinfo/wp-hackers
Michael Clark
2013-11-14 18:39:26 UTC
Permalink
What I did to help troubleshoot was add a small snippet of code to the
bottom of my plugin's code that reports out the php version, mysql
version, WordPress version, theme name and version, plugin version
number, and number of categories. The plugin is
http://wordpress.org/plugins/ultimate-category-excluder/ . While I
still get a lot of bug reports without their system details, it is much
more easy for me to give help when I ask for that info and explain
where it is. And then I can a bit more easily figure out problems. Mike
Post by Eric Mann
Considering the majority of hosts I work with on projects are on PHP 5.3 or
above, I have been consistently (accidentally) committing 5.3 and 5.4 code
to plugins and themes that I release on WordPress.org. Unfortunately,
listing a higher version of PHP as a requirement isn't an option since most
of my systems' end users aren't tech savvy enough to know what they're on.
But some, when I ask, *do* know their version and I can track things down
quickly.
--
Michael Clark
http://www.PlanetMike.com

Christmas Music 24 Hours a Day, 7 Days a week
http://www.ChristmasMusic247.com

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
- Martin Luther King Jr.
Doug Stewart
2013-11-14 21:07:33 UTC
Permalink
Did you include a warning about the plugin calling home?


On Thu, Nov 14, 2013 at 1:39 PM, Michael Clark <
Post by Michael Clark
What I did to help troubleshoot was add a small snippet of code to the
bottom of my plugin's code that reports out the php version, mysql
version, WordPress version, theme name and version, plugin version
number, and number of categories. The plugin is
http://wordpress.org/plugins/ultimate-category-excluder/ . While I
still get a lot of bug reports without their system details, it is much
more easy for me to give help when I ask for that info and explain
where it is. And then I can a bit more easily figure out problems. Mike
Post by Eric Mann
Considering the majority of hosts I work with on projects are on PHP 5.3
or
Post by Eric Mann
above, I have been consistently (accidentally) committing 5.3 and 5.4
code
Post by Eric Mann
to plugins and themes that I release on WordPress.org. Unfortunately,
listing a higher version of PHP as a requirement isn't an option since
most
Post by Eric Mann
of my systems' end users aren't tech savvy enough to know what they're
on.
Post by Eric Mann
But some, when I ask, *do* know their version and I can track things down
quickly.
--
Michael Clark
http://www.PlanetMike.com
Christmas Music 24 Hours a Day, 7 Days a week
http://www.ChristmasMusic247.com
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
- Martin Luther King Jr.
_______________________________________________
wp-hackers mailing list
http://lists.automattic.com/mailman/listinfo/wp-hackers
--
-Doug
Abdussamad Abdurrazzaq
2013-11-14 21:19:57 UTC
Permalink
I think he means it's displayed on an admin page perhaps the plugin's
options page.

"I ask for that info and explain *where it is*"

You can see it in ksuce_options_page()
http://plugins.svn.wordpress.org/ultimate-category-excluder/trunk/ultimate-category-excluder.php
Post by Doug Stewart
Did you include a warning about the plugin calling home?
On Thu, Nov 14, 2013 at 1:39 PM, Michael Clark <
Post by Michael Clark
What I did to help troubleshoot was add a small snippet of code to the
bottom of my plugin's code that reports out the php version, mysql
version, WordPress version, theme name and version, plugin version
number, and number of categories. The plugin is
http://wordpress.org/plugins/ultimate-category-excluder/ . While I
still get a lot of bug reports without their system details, it is much
more easy for me to give help when I ask for that info and explain
where it is. And then I can a bit more easily figure out problems. Mike
Post by Eric Mann
Considering the majority of hosts I work with on projects are on PHP 5.3
or
Post by Eric Mann
above, I have been consistently (accidentally) committing 5.3 and 5.4
code
Post by Eric Mann
to plugins and themes that I release on WordPress.org. Unfortunately,
listing a higher version of PHP as a requirement isn't an option since
most
Post by Eric Mann
of my systems' end users aren't tech savvy enough to know what they're
on.
Post by Eric Mann
But some, when I ask, *do* know their version and I can track things down
quickly.
--
Michael Clark
http://www.PlanetMike.com
Christmas Music 24 Hours a Day, 7 Days a week
http://www.ChristmasMusic247.com
"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
- Martin Luther King Jr.
_______________________________________________
wp-hackers mailing list
http://lists.automattic.com/mailman/listinfo/wp-hackers
Michael Clark
2013-11-14 22:30:46 UTC
Permalink
Correct, it does not phone home, it just lists the details on the
bottom of the plugin's settings page. Many many people would email me
with plugin problems, and trying to figure out what they were running
was impossible. Telling them to ask their host rarely got a response.
But now when I can tell them that their version of MySQL has a bug and
they need to ask their host to upgrade, I'm perceived as helpful. Plus
I'm not frustrated by them running an old version of WP and trying to
use my plugin, or some other really odd problem. Mike
Post by Abdussamad Abdurrazzaq
I think he means it's displayed on an admin page perhaps the plugin's
options page.
"I ask for that info and explain *where it is*"
You can see it in ksuce_options_page()
http://plugins.svn.wordpress.org/ultimate-category-excluder/trunk/ultimate-category-excluder.php
Post by Abdussamad Abdurrazzaq
Post by Doug Stewart
Did you include a warning about the plugin calling home?
On Thu, Nov 14, 2013 at 1:39 PM, Michael Clark <
Post by Michael Clark
What I did to help troubleshoot was add a small snippet of code to the
bottom of my plugin's code that reports out the php version, mysql
version, WordPress version, theme name and version, plugin version
number, and number of categories. The plugin is
http://wordpress.org/plugins/ultimate-category-excluder/ . While I
still get a lot of bug reports without their system details, it is much
more easy for me to give help when I ask for that info and explain
where it is. And then I can a bit more easily figure out problems. Mike
Post by Eric Mann
Considering the majority of hosts I work with on projects are on PHP 5.3
or
Post by Eric Mann
above, I have been consistently (accidentally) committing 5.3 and 5.4
code
Post by Eric Mann
to plugins and themes that I release on WordPress.org. Unfortunately,
listing a higher version of PHP as a requirement isn't an option since
most
Post by Eric Mann
of my systems' end users aren't tech savvy enough to know what they're
on.
Post by Eric Mann
But some, when I ask, *do* know their version and I can track things down
quickly.
Daniel
2013-11-14 23:12:05 UTC
Permalink
How can one go about putting that in a theme option page that is using
the api provided by wordpress?
Regards,
Daniel Fenn






On Fri, Nov 15, 2013 at 9:30 AM, Michael Clark
Post by Michael Clark
Correct, it does not phone home, it just lists the details on the
bottom of the plugin's settings page. Many many people would email me
with plugin problems, and trying to figure out what they were running
was impossible. Telling them to ask their host rarely got a response.
But now when I can tell them that their version of MySQL has a bug and
they need to ask their host to upgrade, I'm perceived as helpful. Plus
I'm not frustrated by them running an old version of WP and trying to
use my plugin, or some other really odd problem. Mike
Post by Abdussamad Abdurrazzaq
I think he means it's displayed on an admin page perhaps the plugin's
options page.
"I ask for that info and explain *where it is*"
You can see it in ksuce_options_page()
http://plugins.svn.wordpress.org/ultimate-category-excluder/trunk/ultimate-category-excluder.php
Post by Abdussamad Abdurrazzaq
Post by Doug Stewart
Did you include a warning about the plugin calling home?
On Thu, Nov 14, 2013 at 1:39 PM, Michael Clark <
Post by Michael Clark
What I did to help troubleshoot was add a small snippet of code to the
bottom of my plugin's code that reports out the php version, mysql
version, WordPress version, theme name and version, plugin version
number, and number of categories. The plugin is
http://wordpress.org/plugins/ultimate-category-excluder/ . While I
still get a lot of bug reports without their system details, it is much
more easy for me to give help when I ask for that info and explain
where it is. And then I can a bit more easily figure out problems. Mike
Post by Eric Mann
Considering the majority of hosts I work with on projects are on PHP 5.3
or
Post by Eric Mann
above, I have been consistently (accidentally) committing 5.3 and 5.4
code
Post by Eric Mann
to plugins and themes that I release on WordPress.org. Unfortunately,
listing a higher version of PHP as a requirement isn't an option since
most
Post by Eric Mann
of my systems' end users aren't tech savvy enough to know what they're
on.
Post by Eric Mann
But some, when I ask, *do* know their version and I can track things down
quickly.
_______________________________________________
wp-hackers mailing list
http://lists.automattic.com/mailman/listinfo/wp-hackers
Chip Bennett
2013-11-14 23:53:41 UTC
Permalink
If you're using do_settings_sections(), the easiest approach would be just
to add an additional settings section, and use the setting description to
output whatever content you want.
Post by Daniel
How can one go about putting that in a theme option page that is using
the api provided by wordpress?
Regards,
Daniel Fenn
On Fri, Nov 15, 2013 at 9:30 AM, Michael Clark
Post by Michael Clark
Correct, it does not phone home, it just lists the details on the
bottom of the plugin's settings page. Many many people would email me
with plugin problems, and trying to figure out what they were running
was impossible. Telling them to ask their host rarely got a response.
But now when I can tell them that their version of MySQL has a bug and
they need to ask their host to upgrade, I'm perceived as helpful. Plus
I'm not frustrated by them running an old version of WP and trying to
use my plugin, or some other really odd problem. Mike
Post by Abdussamad Abdurrazzaq
I think he means it's displayed on an admin page perhaps the plugin's
options page.
"I ask for that info and explain *where it is*"
You can see it in ksuce_options_page()
http://plugins.svn.wordpress.org/ultimate-category-excluder/trunk/ultimate-category-excluder.php
Post by Michael Clark
Post by Abdussamad Abdurrazzaq
Post by Doug Stewart
Did you include a warning about the plugin calling home?
On Thu, Nov 14, 2013 at 1:39 PM, Michael Clark <
Post by Michael Clark
What I did to help troubleshoot was add a small snippet of code to the
bottom of my plugin's code that reports out the php version, mysql
version, WordPress version, theme name and version, plugin version
number, and number of categories. The plugin is
http://wordpress.org/plugins/ultimate-category-excluder/ . While I
still get a lot of bug reports without their system details, it is
much
Post by Michael Clark
Post by Abdussamad Abdurrazzaq
Post by Doug Stewart
Post by Michael Clark
more easy for me to give help when I ask for that info and explain
where it is. And then I can a bit more easily figure out problems.
Mike
Post by Michael Clark
Post by Abdussamad Abdurrazzaq
Post by Doug Stewart
Post by Michael Clark
Post by Eric Mann
Considering the majority of hosts I work with on projects are on PHP
5.3
Post by Michael Clark
Post by Abdussamad Abdurrazzaq
Post by Doug Stewart
Post by Michael Clark
or
Post by Eric Mann
above, I have been consistently (accidentally) committing 5.3 and 5.4
code
Post by Eric Mann
to plugins and themes that I release on WordPress.org.
Unfortunately,
Post by Michael Clark
Post by Abdussamad Abdurrazzaq
Post by Doug Stewart
Post by Michael Clark
Post by Eric Mann
listing a higher version of PHP as a requirement isn't an option
since
Post by Michael Clark
Post by Abdussamad Abdurrazzaq
Post by Doug Stewart
Post by Michael Clark
most
Post by Eric Mann
of my systems' end users aren't tech savvy enough to know what
they're
Post by Michael Clark
Post by Abdussamad Abdurrazzaq
Post by Doug Stewart
Post by Michael Clark
on.
Post by Eric Mann
But some, when I ask, *do* know their version and I can track things
down
Post by Michael Clark
Post by Abdussamad Abdurrazzaq
Post by Doug Stewart
Post by Michael Clark
Post by Eric Mann
quickly.
_______________________________________________
wp-hackers mailing list
http://lists.automattic.com/mailman/listinfo/wp-hackers
_______________________________________________
wp-hackers mailing list
http://lists.automattic.com/mailman/listinfo/wp-hackers
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