[wp-hackers] Plugins -- new header fields: max-compatible and min-compatible

[Stephen Rider]

Hi All --

As I'm going through the process of upgrading to 2.5, I'm looking at a  
loooong list of plugins.  I'd updated some of them, but after a while  
I get confused as to which I've already done and which don't have new  
versions.

Here's a thought.  It might be useful to allow for new plugin header  
fields: "max-compatible" and "min-compatible".  It would allow plugin  
developers to specify WP versions that the plugin is known to work with.

For example: Ozh's Admin Drop Down Menu v1.3 works with WordPress  
2.3.3 and lower only.  For WP 2.5 you need the new plugin v 2.0.1.  If  
Ozh had the maxes and mins specified, WordPress could actually  
_prevent_ me from activating the lower version in WP 2.5, and prevent  
me from activating the higher version in WP 2.3.3.

The specifics need a bit more fleshing out, as we should have a  
distinction between a "hard limit" such as the example above, and a  
"soft limit" of "I just haven't tested it with any version newer".

Perhaps with a "soft limit" WordPress could simply give a caution to  
the admin upon activation: "This hasn't been tested with this version  
of WordPress.  Do you want to activate it anyway?"

We could also add some sort of iconic statement (green/yellow/red  
dot?) in the Plugins list in WP Admin, so that just looking at the  
list you could quickly know the status of any given plugin.

Of course, for plugins lacking the headers, they would act as they  
always have.

So, what do y'all think?

Stephen

-- 
Stephen Rider
<http://striderweb.com/>