Great idea and absolutely useful. I like to see this as part of any plugin. One suggestion - I would place the uninstall part next to the deactivate space not as a full line beneath the box. This way it is more clear to which plugin it belongs.
Chip
· 1 year ago
Great. I needed this plugin, as some of my other plugins left some traces in my database. I will clean it and then report back to say how it went. ;)
Andrew Rickmann
· 1 year ago
Thomas,
Unfortunately the plugin hook has been added after the row so I can't include it in line. Otherwise I would have done.
Chip. It sounds like you may have got the wrong idea about what this does. This plugin is won't do anything at all unless a plugin author decides to write their plugin with this in mind. It is intended to show some of the ideas discussed in the post I linked to. Apologies if I have misread your comment.
Rob
· 1 year ago
Andrew,
It's a great idea but it really needs to be in the core. As it stands the benefit as a plugin developer of writing to use it is minimal until there's any guarantee that users will have it installed. There really needs to be a single solution to the problem of full uninstallation.
Thanks though for giving us something to chew on.
Andrew Rickmann
· 1 year ago
Rob,
I completely agree.
danithew
· 1 year ago
Great idea. I'd like very much to be able to uninstall directly from within WordPress.
Avi aka TikkunGer
· 1 year ago
Nice tool!!!
I think it's a great idea and I hope it catches on!
Len
· 1 year ago
I think there will be a big demand for this in light of the recent article at WTL. Currently I'm using Clean Option and the first time I ran it, it found over 300 orphaned items in the database! Not really sure if it actually approves database performance (much like using a registry cleaner on the Windows registry) but I'm fanatic about things like that. ;) I'll give yours a shot as well. Can never have too many tools.
Jessi
· 1 year ago
Brilliant! Hope plugin developers take advantage of this on their own initiative. If it becomes popular, perhaps it will make its way into the WordPress core.
BillH
· 1 year ago
I understand that the existing plugin hook is to be displayed after the plugin row. How about changing the line that currently says: "Uninstall all the options and settings (including database tables) relating to this plugin." to read "Uninstall all the options and settings (including database tables) relating to xxxxxxx."
Brad
· 1 year ago
I think an uninstall plugin would go over well. I for one have a 'messy' WP database due to some leftovers from some plugins. I think if this functionality would remove things such as those, it would be a great thing.
andy cochrane
· 1 year ago
while i fully applaud this tool, i kind of would prefer functionality like this rolled into the wordpress code itself. it would be extremely useful and nice to have wordpress move towards a mozilla-esque "extension" structure for plugins, wherein we can add, control, and remove plugins with as little stress as possible. this would help pretty much everyone- developers, site admins, and end users/visitors. so as a first step in a great direction, amen to this!
Wess
· 1 year ago
great idea. something I could have used a hundred times.
Dawn
· 1 year ago
After reading the blog post "Uninstall - is there such a thing" (http://weblogtoolscollection.com/archives/2008/...), I'm pleased to see you've created a plugin that will properly uninstall (as opposed to just remove or deactivate), I hope that plugin developers now start to include an uninstall with their plugins so we can use your plugin effectively.
I'll defnitely be using it
Thanks!
Dawn
George
· 1 year ago
I been looking for something like this now only if this was in the core file and not have to require plugin developer to write their code with this in mind.
Andrew Rickmann
· 1 year ago
BillH,
That's a good idea and I will look at that.
burningHat
· 1 year ago
Oh great! I was looking for a plugin like this for a long time!
Thanks!
Kjetil Flekkoy - Italy
· 1 year ago
Would just say thanks. Always good to be able to keep the system clean. Kjetil
tabrez
· 1 year ago
I too would vote for all the plugin authors forming a standard way to support plugin uninstallation and get as many wordpress plugins as possible compatible with Andrew's tool.
Norbert Beckers
· 1 year ago
Thumbs up! I agree that this should be a feature of WP itself. implementation of this could be beneficial for a plugin like "TinyMCE Advanced" which now asks if you want to delete the toolbar presets you mode when you temporarily deactivate this plugin. This could be shifted to the uninstall feature.
Mads Christian Jensen
· 1 year ago
best plugin ever!
Paul
· 1 year ago
Great idea - I've been following the discussion over at WLTC too and was very pleased to see someone doing something.
I agree this should be a core feature. But someone has to take a first step and you're the one, it seems.
I'm not a WP developer, but maybe you could submit this idea to the folks who work with the core of WP?
I'm sure something of the sort will eventually have to become part of WP. But untill it's part of the core, there's nothing stopping you from making this plugin (once it's finished) available to developers and users. And maybe developers could make their future plugins "uninstall compatible" or something like that.
Alex :: Web Design
· 1 year ago
This is definitely a step in the right direction, but what about the plugins that don't have a separate uninstall file?
Andrew Rickmann
· 1 year ago
Paul,
I have submitted this on the WordPress trac because I do think it is something that should be part of the core. One of the reasons why I am hesitant about releasing it is that there are other solutions that might be preferable.
The comments I have had are great but don't really engage with the method of achieving the uninstall which means that although we now have an example of one method of achieving it we aren't actually any closer to deciding that this is the way forward, i.e. that including a separate document. This is one issue that has already been raised on the trac, that it might be better to find a way of including the uninstall functions in the same plugin file.
Rob Marsh
· 1 year ago
A solution that I would prefer is to use the usual deactivation hook but have the plugin admin page have a check box or a separate button so that a flag is set which the deactivation routine can use to decide whether to leave stuff intact or wipe the slate clean.
bdtmz
· 1 year ago
hello a note of appreciation. we did want this, I always had to go through the database, real awsome work..
Pande
· 1 year ago
Great Idea!
Andrew Rickmann
· 1 year ago
Rob,
I did consider that option but I wanted it to be available when the plugin wasn't enabled.
I think there are reasons why you might disable something and then after a period decide not to use it and it may be best not to have to activate it in order to uninstall it.
Bruce -- Harper Blue
· 1 year ago
A good idea, whose time has long been here.
Keith
· 1 year ago
Andrew - The Wordpress Plugin Framework (WPF) that I developed allows for differentiating between deactivation and uninstallation of a plugin that has been developed using the WPF. I have provided a link to the latest version of the WPF below.
Basically, the WPF provides a "Deactivate Plugin" button to simply deactivate the specified plugin as well as an "Uninstall Plugin" button that removes the database entries associated with the plugin and deactivates the plugin.
David Lancelot Sjövall
· 1 year ago
Great initiative! I hope that we will se more uninstallation-plugins for WP in the future. Be proud that u made the first step creating one wp-uninstall-plugin!
Andrew Rickmann
· 1 year ago
Thanks Keith,
I think it is certainly an option, the only viable option at the moment, for developers to produce their own uninstall options and the WPF could be a massive help with that.
I think the best all round option is for the core to have an uninstall option as part of the plugins page that requires as little developer input as possible to operate.
Mike
· 1 year ago
Fantastic idea. I was talking to Jeffro (who first pointed this out to me) not long ago.
It's a great feature to have. Keep up the good work!
Matej Nastran
· 1 year ago
Great thing! Yes, Wordpress would absolutely have to have a plugin uninstall function!
Keith
· 1 year ago
Andrew - I definitely agree with you that the uninstall feature should be integrated into the core of Wordpress just as the activate / deactivate feature currently is. I also feel that this should be taken a step further and that a standardized plugin framework like the WPF should be integrated as well to help minimize the difficulty in developing, administering and configuring plugins.
I have placed a request in the Wordpress Trac system to have the WPF (or something like the WPF) integrated into the Wordpress core.
It may be of benefit to you to create a request for a basic uninstall feature as well.
Keep up the good work!
Andrew Rickmann
· 1 year ago
I think that is a great idea Keith, I would like to see the WPF as part of the core.
seobinh
· 1 year ago
I've been desperate for a a core feature of wordpress to uninstall plugins.
It's so annoying for the plugins to leave some junk in the database after they are deactivated / deleted.
Thank you very much for making this plugin and if possible please make it into the core.
Regards, Binh Nguyen
Craig
· 1 year ago
What a great idea - this has been an issue - now if we could just implement some standards among the plug-ins.
Keep to the good work!
< Craig
Kevin
· 1 year ago
Great idea. I am suprised wordpress has not done this themself. Glad i found your site i will be checking out your other posts for more things i can use.
All Comments
Unfortunately the plugin hook has been added after the row so I can't include it in line. Otherwise I would have done.
Chip. It sounds like you may have got the wrong idea about what this does. This plugin is won't do anything at all unless a plugin author decides to write their plugin with this in mind. It is intended to show some of the ideas discussed in the post I linked to. Apologies if I have misread your comment.
It's a great idea but it really needs to be in the core. As it stands the benefit as a plugin developer of writing to use it is minimal until there's any guarantee that users will have it installed. There really needs to be a single solution to the problem of full uninstallation.
Thanks though for giving us something to chew on.
I completely agree.
I think it's a great idea and I hope it catches on!
I'll defnitely be using it
Thanks!
Dawn
That's a good idea and I will look at that.
Thanks!
Always good to be able to keep the system clean.
Kjetil
I agree this should be a core feature. But someone has to take a first step and you're the one, it seems.
I'm not a WP developer, but maybe you could submit this idea to the folks who work with the core of WP?
I'm sure something of the sort will eventually have to become part of WP.
But untill it's part of the core, there's nothing stopping you from making this plugin (once it's finished) available to developers and users. And maybe developers could make their future plugins "uninstall compatible" or something like that.
I have submitted this on the WordPress trac because I do think it is something that should be part of the core. One of the reasons why I am hesitant about releasing it is that there are other solutions that might be preferable.
The comments I have had are great but don't really engage with the method of achieving the uninstall which means that although we now have an example of one method of achieving it we aren't actually any closer to deciding that this is the way forward, i.e. that including a separate document. This is one issue that has already been raised on the trac, that it might be better to find a way of including the uninstall functions in the same plugin file.
a note of appreciation. we did want this, I always had to go through the database, real awsome work..
I did consider that option but I wanted it to be available when the plugin wasn't enabled.
I think there are reasons why you might disable something and then after a period decide not to use it and it may be best not to have to activate it in order to uninstall it.
http://www.doubleblackdesign.com/2007/11/20/wor...
Basically, the WPF provides a "Deactivate Plugin" button to simply deactivate the specified plugin as well as an "Uninstall Plugin" button that removes the database entries associated with the plugin and deactivates the plugin.
I think it is certainly an option, the only viable option at the moment, for developers to produce their own uninstall options and the WPF could be a massive help with that.
I think the best all round option is for the core to have an uninstall option as part of the plugins page that requires as little developer input as possible to operate.
It's a great feature to have. Keep up the good work!
I have placed a request in the Wordpress Trac system to have the WPF (or something like the WPF) integrated into the Wordpress core.
http://trac.wordpress.org/ticket/5429
It may be of benefit to you to create a request for a basic uninstall feature as well.
Keep up the good work!
It's so annoying for the plugins to leave some junk in the database after they are deactivated / deleted.
Thank you very much for making this plugin and if possible please make it into the core.
Regards,
Binh Nguyen
Keep to the good work!
< Craig