post_author_meta_box() function defaults to original author when the editor is different

[gobborg]

When editing/updating a post for a site with multiple authors, the author box dropdown defaults to the author that created the post.

Conditions to reproduce:

• have a site with multiple authors
• create a post as $author_A
• edit the post as $author_B

-> the author is "defaulted" as $author_A

Expected behavior:

• the author is "defaulted" as $author_B

More info
If a plugin supports change notification emails, the correct author is noted.

[knutsp]

Hello and welcome to Trac

I'm not completely sure I understand what you mean by "defaulted", but:

1. The author of a post is saved as a property of the post
2. The author of a new post defaults to the current user
3. The author of a post can be selected/changed when edited

The only pecularities I know of is when the user set as author of a post is deleted, and their post then edited.

The author of a post is not the last user editing it. It is meant to be the author (the user who wrote it).

[gobborg]

Here is a video of the behavior. ​https://www.archox.net/Real/post_author_meta-2024-07-03_09.46.33.mp4

I log in as user=archox and go to edit a page created by user=gobborg. The post_author_meta_box defaults to user=gobborg when I would expect it to be user=archox.

Does this clarify?

If original author is not meant to be the last user editing it, then why is the post_author_meta_box part of the UI?

It sounds like this is expected behavior, but if so, then maybe Editors shouldn't be able to change the Author.

[knutsp]

Replying to gobborg:

I log in as user=archox and go to edit a page created by user=gobborg. The post_author_meta_box defaults to user=gobborg when I would expect it to be user=archox.

The Sample Page is autmatically generated upon installation. The author is set to the first user created. What you see is not a "default", it is the saved author of the page. This is the expected behaviour.

If original author is not meant to be the last user editing it, then why is the post_author_meta_box part of the UI?

Hm. It's the other way around. The last editing user is not automatically set as the author. The user creating the post is the author by default, but can be changed.

It sounds like this is expected behavior, but if so, then maybe Editors shouldn't be able to change the Author.

Editors may change the author of any post/page, as any other information regarding content. An editor may publish content on behalf of others. The author display name may be used on the front as a byline.