[wp-trac] [WordPress Trac] #60992: Plugin management: AJAX plugin activation consequences

[WordPress Trac]

#60992: Plugin management: AJAX plugin activation consequences
--------------------------+---------------------
 Reporter:  jeherve       |       Owner:  (none)
     Type:  defect (bug)  |      Status:  new
 Priority:  normal        |   Milestone:  6.5.3
Component:  Plugins       |     Version:  6.5
 Severity:  normal        |  Resolution:
 Keywords:                |     Focuses:
--------------------------+---------------------

Comment (by DrewAPicture):

 As is common with changes to WordPress, there seem to be several competing
 interests in play here, all ignoring some aspect what was actually fixed
 and/or broken in the first place.

 **Background**

 As I recall (other core developers can feel free to correct me), the
 ability to install and activate multiple plugins (or just one plugin) from
 this screen was originally introduced somewhere around the 4.2 release as
 part of the "shiny updates" project.

 At the time, we had initially allowed activations from this screen, but
 the presence of activation redirects caused the activation part to be
 reverted pending a decision about what to do about the ability for the
 redirects to interrupt the flow.

 Later, plugin activation support was added to this screen, though still
 with no handling for potential interruptions. Now as of the 6.5 release,
 the activation redirects have been prevented and this UI for the very
 first time since its introduction does exactly what it was built to do.

 **Discussion points**

 With this background in mind, what I have to say next may appear
 controversial: it seems obvious to me that allowing the multi-installation
 flow to be broken with activation redirects never should have been
 possible in the first place. Preventing redirects today is a feature, not
 a bug.

 That said, it also seems obvious that preventing the redirects has raised
 some new key questions worth of full-throated discussion eleswhere:
 1. Can or should WordPress facilitate a more seamless entry into an
 onboarding flow? If so, how?
 2. Should/can WordPress be doing more to reflect successful activation,
 such as by refreshing menus, etc.?

 **Ideas**

 I was talking about this with a colleague today, @ohryan, and something he
 said stuck with me:

 "... from a UX perspective, that "install" and "activate" would be two
 separate actions is pretty unexpected. Most software we're familiar with
 doesn't operate that way."

 I agree with this. Actually, now I wonder why we can't just change the
 "Activate" button for plugins that register an activation redirect that
 gives an AYS warning when it tries to leave the page. Food for thought.

-- 
Ticket URL: <https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/60992#comment:26>
WordPress Trac <https://core.trac.wordpress.org/>
WordPress publishing platform