Create [active_plugins] shortcode / block

[bobbingwide]

Using oik-loader and oik-unloader in cwiccer.com I was able to improve or worsen the performance of a post or page by reducing the number of activated plugins to those essential for delivering the post or page. Note:The logic isn't specific to single posts, but it's a lot easier to work on a single post than it is to work on an archive.

The admin interface for oik-unloader is better than the knocked up version for oik-loader but it could be improved significantly were it incorporated into the editor for individual posts and pages.

Requirement

• Easy to use UI for controlling activation or deactivation of plugins per URL
• Ability to select from active plugins and inactive ( but installed ) plugins
• Ability to override network activated plugins

Proposed solution

• [x] Implement in oik-unloader - this already contains oik shared library logic.
• [ ] Merge oik-loader into oik-unloader
• [ ] Separate oik-loader logic for plugins and blocks into a separate module / plugin
• [ ] Automatic rebuild of the oik-loader and oik-unloader CSV file(s) on post update
• [x] Develop an oik-unloader/active-plugins block
• [x] Delivered as server side rendered
• [x] Implement initial logic to display the [active_plugins] as a shortcode.

[bobbingwide]

References

• https://github.com/bobbingwide/oik-unloader
• wp-plugin-manager WordPress plugin
• How to disable WordPress plugins
• Plugin Load Filter WordPress plugin
• Plugin Organizer WordPress plugin

CSS and JS tidy

• wp-asset-clean-up WordPress plugin

[bobbingwide]

The [active_plugins] shortcode now displays something like this.

Combination

1. bbboing/bbboing.php Unloaded
2. oik-loader/oik-loader.php
3. oik-unloader/oik-unloader.php
4. oik/oik.php
5. sb-post-edit-block/sb-post-edit-block.php
6. oik-magnetic-poetry/oik-magnetic-poetry.php Loaded

This shows that bbboing was unloaded by oik-unloader and oik-magnetic-poetry was loaded by oik-loader

Note: For a subdirectory install the URL must include the subdirectory entry in C:\apache\htdocs\wp55/wp-content/mu-plugins/oik-unloader.1.csv

/wp55/2022/02/18/active_plugins/,,bbboing/bbboing.php

entry in C:\apache\htdocs\wp55/wp-content/mu-plugins/oik-loader-extras.csv

/wp55/2022/02/18/active_plugins/,0,oik-magnetic-poetry/oik-magnetic-poetry.php

[bobbingwide]

Additional requirements

• For a FSE theme, or any theme which supports widgets, it should be possible to implement the shortcode/block in a widget area.
• The shortcode should optionally support the display of a form allowing the user to choose the plugins to load/unload.
• This would be for (logged in) users with activate_plugins capability.
• In order for it to work nicely the form validation and processing would need to be implemented by the MU plugin.
• Note: The changes would take place immediately, for all users. This is business a usual. When a plugin is activated / deactivated the effect is immediate and applies to the whole site.

[bobbingwide]

The first version of the table of plugins in the form is

This shows:

• that bbboing is a Network activated plugin that's been Unloaded.
• Hello Dolly is a Network activated plugin that's still loaded
• oik-loader, oik-unloader, oik and Post Edit block are also still loaded
• oik-magnetic-poetry has been Loaded ( added ) by oik-loader.

[bobbingwide]

I'm finding it difficult to decide how to deal with the automatic plugin activation logic in oik-loader.

• oik-loader was written first.
• Its job is to dynamically activate dependent plugins when displaying: blocks, block examples or plugins
• The dependencies are determined from post meta data
• When required a new version of the oik-loader.$blog_id.csv file is generated from this data.
• oik-loader-MU loads both this file and oik-loader-extras.csv, which is manually curated.

Proposed solution

• [x] Include the $blog_id in the file name for the manually curated list eg oik-loader-extras.$blog_id.csv
• [ ] Rework the oik-loader admin to be similar to oik-unloader. ie copy/cobble class oik_unloader_admin to oik_loader_admin
• [x] Implement logic to add a single plugin at a time.
• [x] Add support for defining the post ID to be updated.
• [ ] Extend the [active_plugins] shortcode using the same solution
• [ ] Consider renaming CSV files to indicate which are created automatically and which are created manually.
• [ ] Consider replacing .csv files by .json files.
• [ ] Initially oik-unloader may become dependent upon oik-loader. If so, remove this dependency.

[bobbingwide]

Having copied and cobbled class oik_unloader_admin to oik_loader_admin I now realise that when two forms are on the same admin page they need to have unique button names. When they're duplicated the action is performed against both forms. Which isn't what we want at all. Perhaps it would make sense to complete the shortcode logic then apply that to the admin page.

[bobbingwide]

I've added the logic to update the oik-loader-extras from the [active_plugins] shortcode. But since oik-unloader-mu runs after oik-loader-mu the changes are not being detected immediately.

Proposed solution

• [x] Migrate the logic to load oik-loader-extras from oik-loader-mu into oik-loader-mu
• [x] Update oik-loader to not load the extras.
• [ ] Consider renaming the oik-unloader plugin to active-plugins
• [x] Consider implementing an oik-loader-mu-reload hook after performing an update.

[bobbingwide]

Consider implementing an oik-loader-mu-reload hook after performing an update.

That worked with 2 lines of code; the do_action in oik_loader_admin::update() and the add_action in the oik-loader-mu plugin file. This only gets invoked when an update has been applied.

There's still the consideration of what to do when the [active_plugins] shortcode is used on a page which automatically generates oik-loader CSV records.

[bobbingwide]

The logic in the active_plugins shortcode should take into account the availability of the oik-loader-mu plugin. If it's not loaded then anything to do with oik-loader shouldn't be shown.

[bobbingwide]

With oik-loader-MU activated.

Without oik-loader-MU activated.

[bobbingwide]

So, how can we tell that the server response has improved? Well, we can introduce a timings field into the form that keeps the last 10 (or so ) timings and displays them under the form.

It shouldn't be necessary to show what's changed. The user has to have a bit of common sense in order to be able to use this stuff in the first place.

[bobbingwide]

Delivered as server side rendered

I implemented the logic to deliver the block as server side rendered.

There were two major problems

1. None of the checkboxes were checked
2. Clicking on Update activated plugins produced a "Leave site? Changes you made may not be saved" message.

On reload of the post after update

1. None of the checkboxes were checked
2. Clicking on Update activated plugins didn't appear to work.

Obviously some more thought needs to be put into this. First thing to do is to investigate 1.

[bobbingwide]

1. None of the checkboxes were checked

I got this to work by re-enabling the lookup by post ID.

Currently, any entry in the oik-unloader CSV file that doesn't have an ID, but which needs one, must be manually updated. This is not yet possible in either the oik-unloader admin interface or the active_plugins shortcode / block.

[bobbingwide]

Clicking on Update activated plugins didn't appear to work.

It works for Unload but not for Load.

[bobbingwide]

At present changing the plugins to Load replaces the extras file with the latest URL; previous entries are lost.

[bobbingwide]

Note: If you unload the oik-unloader plugin then it disables the oik-unloader/active-plugins block. This confused me for a while on s.b/hm where I'd previously unloaded nearly every plugin on the home page. Also, you have to remember to enable the MU versions of oik-unloader and oik-loader as well.

[bobbingwide]

When oik-loader isn't active the active-plugins block crashes with oik_loader_map_id not found. OIK_Unloader_Active_Plugins_Shortcode::is_oik_loader_mu_loaded should also check for oik_loader_map_id

[bobbingwide]

When the server rendered block is displayed the checkboxes and Update activated plugins button should only be enabled when the user has the authority to update them. When the user's not logged in the button's not displayed but the checkboxes are still enabled.