[wp-hackers] GSoC Proposal: Integrate WP-cache / WP Super Cache into WordPress

[Ronald Heft]

Hello everyone. This is the first of at least few project proposals from
myself for the upcoming Google Summer of Code 2008. I will be bouncing ideas
off the WP-hackers list, so I'm looking for people's opinions of the
project. Also, if any particular project excites you, feel free to volunteer
as a mentor for the project.

* Abstract *

As WordPress accelerates in usage, more and more people are become exposed
to WordPress-generated database error messages on popular social websites
such as Digg.com. These error messages are by no means the fault of
WordPress, just crappy shared hosting services. However, people are seeing
WordPress as the perpetrator of these database crashes.

Many of these crashes can be avoided by using a caching plugin such as
WP-cache or WP Super Cache. Unfortunately, not everyone is aware of caching
solutions, or only find about about them when it's too late. My proposal is
to integrate a caching solution directly into WordPress, making regular
WordPress users more aware of caching, while making it more convenient to
use.

* Solution *

- Talk to existing developers of WP-cache and WP Super Cache about there
willingness to have their plugins included directly in core.

- Investigate disadvantages to caching. Does caching require increased
server requirements compared to a base WordPress install? Does caching pose
any security threats?

- Look over existing caching plugin code and improve upon where needed.
Ensure adding caching requires no extra steps other than a CHMOD of
wp-content.

- Improve existing caching plugin interface, making it easy to understand,
and as user friendly as possible.

- Look over feature requests for caching plugins. Evaluate what features
would be beneficial to include. See:
http://wordpress.org/tags/wp-super-cache

- Provide standardized plugin API, so plugins can disable sections of
caching, eliminating plugin-related caching issues.

- Investigate other areas of performance increases, optimizing WordPress
queries and load times where applicable.

-- 
Ronald Heft, Jr.
Information Sciences and Technology
Pennsylvania State University

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