Update Sequence (just curious)

  • Resolved hommealone

    (@hommealone)


    7 years ago

    I’ve noticed that when most plugins release an update for compatibility with a WP update, I can update the plugin before I update WP. It has been seeming to me that the recent updates for TinyMCE Advanced do not show up on my dashboard as an available update until after I have made the corresponding WP update. (Is that correct?)

    If this is correct, I am just curious about why it is set up to work this way?

    I typically apply all of the available plugin updates just before I apply any available WP update, reasoning that it is good to have those plugin updates installed and ready when the WP update is made. Is that faulty reasoning? Your release sequence (if I am right about it) suggests that you might think the opposite.

    Using my typical update sequence (applying plugin updates first) makes your sequence a little bit inconvenient; I update all of my plugins, then update WP, then and only then do I (hopefully!) see that there is now one more plugin update available, which I then need to go back and update separately. This of course is not a big problem. I’m just curious to learn more about best practices for releasing plugin updates, which might help me in my own development practices.

    Thanks!

Viewing 6 replies - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)
  • Plugin Author Andrew Ozz

    (@azaozz)

    7 years ago

    I can update the plugin before I update WP. It has been seeming to me that the recent updates for TinyMCE Advanced do not show up on my dashboard as an available update until after I have made the corresponding WP update. (Is that correct?)

    Yes, that is correct. Think this should have been the way to do it, always. That ensures there are no errors whit the updated plugins and themes caused by missing PHP functions in the old WP version, etc.

    Another reason compatibility checks are strict now is that in WP 5.2 the minimum PHP version was updated. So a plugin that requires WP 5.2 may also require newer PHP version.

    Thread Starter hommealone

    (@hommealone)

    7 years ago

    Thanks for taking the time to explain. Per your reasoning, I guess that now, when there is an available WP update and a batch of available plugin updates in my admin, waiting to be installed, I’ll update WP first, and then the plugins.

    You learn something new every day.

    Plugin Author Andrew Ozz

    (@azaozz)

    7 years ago

    I’ll update WP first, and then the plugins.

    Best/safest would be to keep your existing way, and then update plugins and themes that require the new WP version:

    1. Update plugins that are compatible with the old WP version and are updated for the new WP version. Guessing that would be the majority.
    2. Update WP.
    3. Update plugins that are compatible with or require the new WP version.

    That will ensure there aren’t any “hiccups” while updating. A plugin or theme from the first group may have been updated to account for “breaking changes” in the new version, so you want it there before the WP update. Similarly a plugin that requires the new WP version may throw fatal errors if run on the old WP version.

    For TinyMCE Advanced, the PHP part of it would run on any WP version, even very old, however the js part needs to be updated every time either Gutenberg or TinyMCE is updated in core. Hence it always requires the latest WP version.

    Thread Starter hommealone

    (@hommealone)

    7 years ago

    Thanks again for your advice and explanation; much appreciated.

    Communications Lead

    (@awaqatar)

    6 years, 11 months ago

    Thank you for this question. Just what I was looking for.

    I have an add-on question. I need to upgrade from a very old version of WP – 4.9.3. Is it safe to go directly from 4.9.3 to 5.2.2?

    I’ve already deactivated unused plug-ins and updated those whose newest version is compatible with 4.9.3

    I appreciate any insight.

    Plugin Author Andrew Ozz

    (@azaozz)

    6 years, 10 months ago

    @awaqatar yes, it should be safe to update from WP 4.x to 5.x.

    If this is a big/busy site ideally you should have a test install (can be local install on your computer) that matches the configuration (i.e. the same plugins, themes and versions), and test there first.

Viewing 6 replies - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)

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