Bundle Advanced Editor Plugin

[discobot]

Propose that the Advanced Editor (aka WYSIWYG Advanced) plugin be bundled with ClassicPress release (like Hello Dolly/Askismet are with WP - not actually integrated into core like Gutenberg was.)

Why? Since ClassicPress uses TinyMCE (Classic Editor), having Advanced TinyMCE features available makes a lot of sense… Many users don’t know of the availability of Advanced Editor options, and this approach would both bring awareness of them and make them more readily accessible. The Advanced Editor is a battle-tested mature plugin inline with ClassicPress project goals, and so is a great candidate for bundling.

WYSIWYG Advanced: https://github.com/johnalarcon/wysiwyg-advanced
Discussion reference: Should WYSIWIG Advanced be bundled with core? - #2 by majick

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Read-only archive: https://petitions.classicpress.net/posts/173/bundle-advanced-editor-plugin

Author: majick

Vote count: 6

Status: open

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Comments

I don’t think it should be bundled. Having moved away from having plugins, like Akismet and hello Dolly, which need to be deleted immediately after installation, I’d like to not go back to that situation.

Plugins will be discoverable within the directory and can easily be installed.

~ posted by azurecurve

I agree that bundling “extra” plugins is not a great idea. But it does bring up the question as themes and plugins are developed to support ClassicPress how will they be easily findable?

~ posted by Clif Graves

ClassicPress will have its own searchable Plugin Directory (and I presume after that a searchable Themes Directory)

~ posted by azurecurve

Although I like the sound of this as a fan of the proposed plugin I’m going to have to vote against it.

I believe the only plugins that should be bundled with core are the detached functionalities i.e. a function that is already in core but is eventually moved out into a plugin instead.

~ posted by Zulfikar Gani

Although I understand where you are coming from with this, I would prefer this to remain a plugin and keep the core as light as possible.

One suggestion would be though to have in the installer to install classicpress, certain options, keep it lean, or have certain options that you install at the same time, although this would then create the discussion which ones of course.

~ posted by Jason

There are a number of “middle-ground” approaches we could take here. A few examples:

• Present the most popular plugins (of which this would almost certainly be one) on the initial plugin directory screen.
• Add a “featured” plugins page, much like WP does. Transparent and impartial criteria for including plugins is important.
• We may release a “custom build” tool with v2 or shortly after. Common plugins like the WYSIWIG Advanced functionality could be included in this tool.

~ posted by James Nylen

I believe the only plugins that should be bundled with core are the detached functionalities i.e. a function that is already in core but is eventually moved out into a plugin instead.

Pretty well said. Would more than 80% of sites require advanced TinyMCE features? If so then it should perhaps exist in Core. But that said, if it should exist in Core, it makes more sense to build out the existing WYSIWIG instead of bundling an extra plugin with those features, which would confuse newbies and create one more potential thing that needs to be dealt with during installation.

We may release a “custom build” tool with v2 or shortly after. Common plugins like the WYSIWIG Advanced functionality could be included in this tool.

Lots of people who end up using ClassicPress might also end up installing Gutenberg or other page builders, though. And there’s also the strong possibility that Automattic ends up taking TinyMCE out of WordPress Core, turning it into a plugin, then purposefully neglecting it to force users to embrace Gutenberg… and then there is no upstream maintainer of even basic TinyMCE. So before making a decision on this it would probably be wise to wait a while… maintaining or customizing TinyMCE is truly no small task (even the basic version).

~ posted by Jesse

[viktor]

This should be left to plugins. However, if anyone wants additional features in the editor they should participate in TinyMCE v5 upgrade.