Old plugin versions not accessible

  • Resolved Angry Creative

    (@angrycreative)


    5 months, 1 week ago

    I have read the previous thread where you state that storing previous versions is a waste of space. I want to point out and prove that this is not true.
    At Angry Creative, we use composer and wpackagist to manage our client’s plugins. We are not alone in this, it has been a very common practise amongst modern WordPress agencies for years and many well-known names such as 10up, Humanmade etc. does the same.
    The reason for this is that it allows us to easily update plugins across all our clients’ sites, while also keeping track of version changes and potential conflicts. This is especially important when working with larger, more complex websites, where updates must be done in a controlled manner and all version changes must be tested to minimise the risk of errors. This also provides a layer of security as we can easily roll back to a previous version in case of any issues and we can validate checksums and easily restore hacked plugin codebases. Additionally it allows us to keep track of changes in the plugins we use, which is important for maintenance and troubleshooting.

    However, the way this plugin provides only the latest version on www.ads-software.com and subsequently wpackagist.org severely clashes with this workflow. It invalidates the composer files whenever a new version is released and forces constant updates since each time, the older version is no longer available.
    I want to stress that if previous versions keep being removed, the plugin runs a high risk of alienating all agencies and their customers that is relying on wpackagist, or similar version control systems.
    Hopefully this information provides enough evidence to show that storing older versions to some extent on www.ads-software.com is not a waste of space, but rather a necessity for many modern WordPress agencies, and I’m happy to provide additional information or answer any questions that you might have from the above.

    I look forward to your response!
    Regards: Filip, Angry Creative

Viewing 1 replies (of 1 total)
  • Plugin Author Ciprian

    (@butterflymedia)

    Thanks for the detailed explanation, Filip. I do understand your reasoning.

    I have never used Composer or wpackagist.org, and I have never kept old versions of plugins after an update. I do have some on GitHub, and I keep the last 2-3 on my own PC.

    It’s pretty hard to change my workflow now.

Viewing 1 replies (of 1 total)
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