[ wp core check-update ] - format options parameter

[riccardodicurti]

Summary: From the information contained in the WordPress Developer Resources I read that it can set the return format https://developer.wordpress.org/cli/commands/core/update/ but give a return only for table format.

Steps to reproduce: Run command ‘wp core check-update --format=json’

` /**

• Checks for WordPress updates via Version Check API.
• Lists the most recent versions when there are updates available,
• or success message when up to date.

• OPTIONS

• [--minor]
• : Compare only the first two parts of the version number.
• [--major]
• : Compare only the first part of the version number.
• [--force-check]
• : Bypass the transient cache and force a fresh update check.
• [--field=]
• : Prints the value of a single field for each update.
• [--fields=]
• : Limit the output to specific object fields. Defaults to version,update_type,package_url.
• [--format=]
• : Render output in a particular format.

• ---

• default: table
• options:
• • table
• • csv
• • count
• • json
• • yaml

• ---

• EXAMPLES

• $ wp core check-update
• +---------+-------------+-------------------------------------------------------------+
• | version | update_type | package_url |
• +---------+-------------+-------------------------------------------------------------+
• | 4.5.2 | major | https://downloads.wordpress.org/release/wordpress-4.5.2.zip |
• +---------+-------------+-------------------------------------------------------------+

• @subcommand check-update */ public function checkupdate( $, $assoc_args ) {

  $updates = $this->get_updates( $assoc_args );
  if ( $updates ) {
      $updates   = array_reverse( $updates );
      $formatter = new Formatter(
          $assoc_args,
          [ 'version', 'update_type', 'package_url' ]
      );
      $formatter->display_items( $updates );
  } elseif ( empty( $assoc_args['format'] ) || 'table' === $assoc_args['format'] ) {
      WP_CLI::success( 'WordPress is at the latest version.' );
  }

  } `

[danielbachhuber]

Thanks for the report, @riccardodicurti

I believe wp core check-update --format=json returns an empty result because there are no updates available.

What is your expected behavior?

[riccardodicurti]

Ciao @danielbachhuber I would at least expect an empty json or a message telling me that no updates are available.

[danielbachhuber]

I would at least expect an empty json or a message telling me that no updates are available.

I'm not sure a message would make sense. If you're passing the data into JSON parser, a string would break the parser.

wp post list --format=json produces an empty array:

$ wp post list --format=json
[]

Would an empty array work for your purposes?

Also, for posterity, could you share a bit more detail about your use case?

[riccardodicurti]

Yes, my suggestion was definitely to return the message via json. In any case, the empty array is still sufficient to verify that we have received the response.

I am currently writing a set of tests and update routines via ssh using the cli.

[danielbachhuber]

Ok, makes sense. I think I'd be fine to change wp core check-update --format=json to return an empty array, and consider this a bug in the original implementation.