Classicpress.json (or .yml)

[luizbills]

Context

I have some plugins for WooCommerce and I’m working to make them fully compatible with ClassicPress. But I wish there was a native way to rename the plugin, without me having to edit my readme.txt. For example, in WordPress it would still be called “Something for WooCommerce” but in ClassicPress it would be “Something for CC” or “CC Something”.

Possible implementation

I just imagined it in a simple configuration file, named classicpress.json:

{
    "name": "My ClassicPress plugin name",
    "description": "My ClassicPress plugin description"
}

The version, stable tag, Requires PHP … could still be pulled from readme.txt

Will you be able to help with the implementation?

Yes, I would like to help.

[viktor]

Hi, thanks for starting a petition. I’m glad to see you’re making your plugins compatible with ClassicPress. It sounds like this is related to the discussion about README.md and readme.txt.

@timkaye is leading development on the plugin/theme directory, and readme.md/txt is currently being discussed. He can offer feedback on your json/yml suggestion.

[timkaye]

It looks like we’ll be using a readme.md file for our software directory. So you could include both a readme.txt file and a readme.md file in your plugin: WP will parse the former, while CP will parse the latter.

[luizbills]

I think we shouldn’t make the same WordPress mistakes. The CMS should have a dedicated file (something.json like composer.json or package.json) instead of using README.md, which is a very opinionated file and should remain free for the developer to format as they prefers.

[alvarofranz]

Yes, JSON or YAML would be the modern approach for this.

YAML files are more “human” readable, and easier to write, they were built with that purpose in mind.

[viktor]

The current directory implementation will use README.md:

You will also need to ensure that your software provides the following three items of information:

1. Requires PHP header
2. Requires CP header
3. Either a README.md file in the software’s zip file — this is the preferred method — or a Description header. If neither of these are found, we will look for a README.md file in the software’s repository.

Plugins and Code Snippets

For a plugin or code snippet, the headers should be listed (one line for each header) at the top of the main .php file, like this:

/**
* Requires PHP: 7.2
* Requires CP: 1.4
* Description: (Note: this header is unnecessary if you are using a README.md file)
*/

You may include other headers if you wish, but they will be ignored by the ClassicPress Directory. (For plugins only, we can also read the headers and description if supplied in the plugin’s readme.txt file, but this will work only if it includes the Requires CP header. It may also lead to a less pleasing formatting of the description of your plugin in the ClassicPress Directory. So relying on this method is not recommended.)

Themes

For a theme, the headers should be listed (again, one line for each header) at the top of the style.css file, like this:

/*
Theme Name: Name of your theme
...
Description: A description of your theme.
Requires PHP: 7.2
Requires CP: 1.4
...*/

As indicated by the ellipses, you should typically include other headers too, though their presence serves other purposes and will be ignored by the ClassicPress Directory.

If the required headers are not present in the style.css file, the Directory will attempt to obtain them from the theme’s readme.txt file but, as with plugins, this will work only if that file includes the Requires CP header. Even then, this fallback may lead to a less pleasing formatting of the description of your theme in the ClassicPress Directory. Relying on this fallback is, therefore, not recommended.

https://forums.classicpress.net/t/ditch-readme-txt-in-favour-of-readme-md/3382/