Display compatibility metadata for Dependent plugins

[beccawitz]

Recently, WordPress rolled out plugin dependencies to make the process of installing/activating addons (Dependents) and the plugins they rely on (Dependencies) consistent and easy to use.

It would be helpful to take that one step further and display the following metadata on a Dependent plugin’s page in the WordPress repository and in the WordPress Dashboard:

1. Required minimum [Dependency Plugin] version: x.x.x (indicating the minimum version of the Dependency plugin that should be used.

2. Tested up to [Dependency Plugin] version: x.x.x (indicating the latest version of the Dependency plugin that the Dependent plugin has been tested with)

Displaying this additional compatibility metadata aims to help users make more informed decisions when selecting plugins, and to encourage and recognize dependent plugin developers for making efforts to be compatible with the latest Dependency plugin which can lead to a better experience for plugin users overall.

Additionally, it would be beneficial to have an API that allows Dependency plugins to gather data about the minimum versions and latest tested versions being used by Dependent plugins.

[costdev]

Hi @beccawitz, thanks for opening this ticket!

Some history for others: Maximum version requirements were ruled out at this time due to security best practices of ensuring users can update dependency plugins without being restricted by a dependent plugin. However, this ticket is proposing Minimum version information.

Required minimum [Dependency Plugin] version: x.x.x (indicating the minimum version of the Dependency plugin that should be used.

If this was to be implemented, I would also want to see a restriction on the installation and activation of a dependent plugin if an installed dependency is not at the correct minimum version, as is done with PHP/WordPress minimum version requirements.

Tested up to [Dependency Plugin] version: x.x.x (indicating the latest version of the Dependency plugin that the Dependent plugin has been tested with)

This would need some technical design consideration as to how to write, parse, and detect the "[Dependency Plugin]", taking into account that plugin names can be changed and are therefore unreliable. While WooCommerce, for example, has a "WC tested up to" header, in that case WooCommerce is committing to that format as the dependency, which won't be the same when the dependency isn't aware that it's a dependency and that decision is made by the dependent plugin author.

Additionally, it would be beneficial to have an API that allows Dependency plugins to gather data about the minimum versions and latest tested versions being used by Dependent plugins.

I think that after the above points are discussed and if implemented, this would likely need to be a separate ticket as it would need its own discussion and consideration.

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I'll add the 2nd-opinion keyword to attract additional opinions to this discussion.

[beccawitz]

@costdev Great feedback, thank you! And thanks for adding the 2nd-opinion keyword for more opinions! Appreciate it :)