Plugin Dependencies

1. 

   Activation prevention

2. 

   Cascade deactivation

Error on activation: “Parse error: syntax error, unexpected…”

Make sure your host is running PHP 5. The only foolproof way to do this is to add this line to wp-config.php (after the opening <?php tag):

var_dump(PHP_VERSION);

What happens if a user doesn’t have Plugin Dependencies installed?

Nothing. The Depends: header will simply be ignored.

Can I have grand-child plugins?

Yes, the dependency chain can go as deep as you want.

Defining virtual packages

Say you have some useful functions that you would like to package up as a library plugin:

/*
Plugin Name: Facebook Lib
Provides: lib-facebook
*/

Now, dependant plugins can specify ‘lib-facebook’ as a dependency:

/*
Plugin Name: Cool Facebook Plugin
Depends: lib-facebook
*/

Besides being more robust, the Provides: header allows multiple plugins to implement the same set of functionality and be used interchangeably.

1.3

• Add Dependency Loader class. Props kucrut.

• Make it work with bulk actions. Props jrf.

  • Usability: Remove bulk action checkboxes for plugins with unsatisfied dependencies on single site plugins page within a network. Props jrf.

• Guard dependencies even when a plugin is (de)activated outside of the plugins page context. Props jrf.

• Fix compatibility with multi-site. Props jrf.

  • New: Show dependencies in the network admin plugins page.
  • Bug fix: network activated plugins were not recognized (at all) and deactivating one would throw PHP notices.
  • Bug fix: network activation action was not correctly unset if dependencies were not met (WP 3.4+).
  • Bug fix: network deactivation would only check dependencies for the network and the main site, not for the other sites in the network
  • Improved: logic for recognizing whether dependencies have been satisfied.
  • Usability: On single site plugin page in a multisite network: added a “network” textual indicator for dependencies which were met by a network activated plugin.
  • Usability: On single site plugin page in a multisite network: the required plugin names now only link to the plugin if the current user can activate that plugin.
  • Usability: Improved information to single site admins when dependent plugins have been deactivated because a required plugin has been network deactivated – show all deactivated plugins since last admin login, not just what happened in the last change round.
  • Usability: Notifications about deactivated plugins are now shown on any admin page which will help admins notice changes made by this plugin earlier in case of a network deactivation. Props jrf.

• Clean up coding standards. Props kucrut, jrf.

• Improve style of plugin dependency notices. Props jrf.
• Usability: Add plugins deactivated by this plugin to the ‘recently active’ plugins list. Props jrf.
• Add Dutch translation. Props jrf.

1.2.1

• fixed notices. props cfoellmann

1.2

• added ability to use plugin names as dependencies
• more info

1.1

• added ‘Provides:’ header
• replaced ‘Dependencies:’ with ‘Depends:’
• more info

1.0.1

• fixed critical bug when not running MultiSite
• better network activation handling

1.0

• initial release
• more info