Local Plugin Details

Contributors: jarretc

Tags: plugins, admin, developer, readme

Requires at least: 6.5

Tested up to: 7.0.1

Requires PHP: 7.0

Stable tag: 1.1.0

License: GPL-2.0-or-later

License URI: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html

Makes the "View details" thickbox work on the Plugins screen for locally-installed plugins that aren't hosted on WordPress.org.

Description

By default, the Plugins list table only shows a working "View details" link for plugins WordPress recognizes from a WordPress.org update check. Plugins that aren't hosted on WordPress.org fall back to a plain "Visit plugin site" link if they declare a Plugin URI, or no link at all.

This plugin fixes that for any locally-installed plugin that ships a readme.txt file, by:

• Assigning the plugin a slug (its directory name) if WordPress hasn't already assigned it one, so the list table's existing "View details" logic kicks in.
• Serving the "View details" thickbox content straight from the plugin's own readme.txt — parsing the standard header fields (Requires at least, Tested up to, Requires PHP) and sections (Description, Installation, FAQ, Screenshots, Changelog, Upgrade Notice) — instead of querying the WordPress.org API, which has no record of a made-up slug.
• Also showing a "Visit plugin site" link alongside "View details", if the plugin's main file declares a Plugin URI header.

No changes are made to any other plugin's files, and no Install/Update button is shown, since these are already-installed local plugins.

Requirements

• The plugin must live in its own subdirectory under wp-content/plugins/ (single-file plugins have nowhere to put a readme).
• That directory must contain a readme.txt (or README.txt) file.
• WordPress must not already recognize the plugin from a WordPress.org update check — if it does, its real slug and data are left untouched.

Installation

1. Upload the local-plugin-details folder to /wp-content/plugins/.
2. Activate the plugin through the "Plugins" screen.
3. Any local plugin with a readme.txt will now show a working "View details" link.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why don't I see a "View details" link for one of my plugins?

Check that the plugin lives in its own folder (not a single loose .php file), that the folder contains a readme.txt, and that WordPress hasn't already assigned the plugin a slug from a WordPress.org update check.

Does this contact WordPress.org?

No. The "View details" content is generated entirely from the plugin's local readme.txt.

Changelog

1.1.0

• Also show a "Visit plugin site" link alongside "View details" when the plugin declares a Plugin URI header.

1.0.0

• Initial release.