[wp-hackers] Removing edit theme files features

[Chip Bennett]

Count me in the camp that believes the admin file editor is Plugin
Territory, but I accept that the decision has been made.

IMHO, if it is to be retained, and intended to be used by people
uncomfortable with using an FTP client, then it darn well had better be
made a lot more fail-safe (and useful, for that matter). Otherwise, we're
giving people a firehose without ever teaching them how to use a household
fire extinguisher.

Preventing 500 errors should be the #1 priority. Whether that means
sandboxing, saving file revisions, or whatever; the biggest risk is that
someone will copy/paste or fat-finger a syntax error, and hose their site
completely.

After that, the rest of the features are nice-to-have. The top of my list
would be line numbers and tab-spacing, followed by syntax highlighting.


On Fri, Jan 18, 2013 at 8:53 AM, Adam Silverstein <hosting at earthbound.com>wrote:

> i like the idea of a preview of changes that doesn't take effect without
> user confirmation. keep that on the list!
>
>
> On Fri, Jan 18, 2013 at 5:00 AM, <wp-hackers-request at lists.automattic.com
> >wrote:
>
> > Send wp-hackers mailing list submissions to
> >         wp-hackers at lists.automattic.com
> >
> > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit
> >         http://lists.automattic.com/mailman/listinfo/wp-hackers
> > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to
> >         wp-hackers-request at lists.automattic.com
> >
> > You can reach the person managing the list at
> >         wp-hackers-owner at lists.automattic.com
> >
> > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific
> > than "Re: Contents of wp-hackers digest..."
> >
> >
> > Today's Topics:
> >
> >    1. Re: Removing edit theme files features (Simon Weil)
> >
> >
> > ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > Message: 1
> > Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2013 09:48:33 +0200
> > From: Simon Weil <simon.weil at naturalint.com>
> > Subject: Re: [wp-hackers] Removing edit theme files features
> > To: wp-hackers at lists.automattic.com
> > Message-ID:
> >         <
> > CADxdhefv7hrr05vHvsarxuMFdCb57c_WzP4PrsyrzV-KmfEfug at mail.gmail.com>
> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
> >
> > I enjoying the conversation, many good points have come up.
> >
> > The editing on the back end is both useful and dangerus therefore I must
> > agree with Otto about enhancing the editor rather than disabling it.
> >
> > For locking the edit option I personally use for all my sites Better WP
> > Security that adds/removes the constant from the config.php.
> >
> > I think the following summarizes the discussed enhancments:
> > 1. Code high lighting
> > 2. Syntax checker
> > 3. Sandbox of some kind
> > 4. Basic revision control
> >
> > Manybe Wpide and 'advanced code editor' by bainternet can be some
> starting
> > point for a better built-in editor.
> >
> > Simon
> > On Thu, Jan 17, 2013 at 4:49 PM, Bryan Petty <bryan at ibaku.net> wrote:
> > > On Thu, Jan 17, 2013 at 1:04 PM, Otto <otto at ottodestruct.com> wrote:
> > >> Good point. Maybe it should save revisions of the files when you use
> > >> the editor too.
> > >
> > > I'll remember you said that the next time you say programmers don't
> > > need version control.
> >
> > I've never said programmers don't need version control, but thanks for
> > playing regardless.
> >
> > -Otto
> > _______________________________________________
> > wp-hackers mailing list
> > wp-hackers at lists.automattic.com
> > http://lists.automattic.com/mailman/listinfo/wp-hackers
> >
> >
> > ------------------------------
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > wp-hackers mailing list
> > wp-hackers at lists.automattic.com
> > http://lists.automattic.com/mailman/listinfo/wp-hackers
> >
> >
> > End of wp-hackers Digest, Vol 96, Issue 23
> > ******************************************
> >
>
>
>
> --
> Adam Silverstein
> Website Development & Hosting
> Earthbound.com * 970.872.4421 * 800.399.4085
> _______________________________________________
> wp-hackers mailing list
> wp-hackers at lists.automattic.com
> http://lists.automattic.com/mailman/listinfo/wp-hackers
>