WooCommerce 3.2 will be released with a new version check feature. If you have active plugins that have not declared compatibility with the latest version of WooCommerce a variety of helpful warnings display when you try and upgrade WooCommerce. These messages will advise you about how you can safely upgrade in a way that prevents plugin errors that lead to broken features and store downtime. WooCommerce will also prevent itself auto-updating if there are incompatible plugins.
You have to already be on WooCommerce 3.2 to get this feature, so the first time you may see these sorts of messages will be when upgrading to WooCommerce 3.3.
Adding version check support to your plugins
The feature works by checking the active plugins’ headers to determine compatibility with WooCommerce. This requires the cooperation of the plugin development community. If you are a plugin developer it is simple and straightforward to add support for the version check to your plugins. There are just two new headers you need to add:
/*
* Plugin Name: WooCommerce Barter Gateway
* Plugin URI: https://wordpress.org/plugins/woocommerce-gateway-barter/
* Description: Take payments by bartering crops and livestock.
* Author: WooCommerce
* Author URI: https://woocommerce.com/
* Version: 3.0.7
* Text Domain: woocommerce-gateway-barter
* Domain Path: /languages
* WC requires at least: 3.0.0
* WC tested up to: 3.2.0
*/
There are some great benefits to adding the headers and keeping them current:
- You will have to field less complaints from users that the new WooCommerce version broke your plugin. They will have clear warnings about the dangers of upgrading when the plugin is incompatible. This should reduce your support load when new versions of WooCommerce are released.
- You will not have to rush updates to your plugin. If a user upgrades WooCommerce and your plugin breaks you are under a lot of pressure to release an update fast. If the user waits until a compatible version of the plugin is released before updating WooCommerce you do not have this problem.
- Users will trust your plugin more. By adding the header you are letting the user know that the plugin has been tested, works with their version of WooCommerce, and is actively maintained to be compatible with WooCommerce.
The headers should be updated after each major (4.0.0) and minor (3.2.0) WooCommerce release. They do not have to be updated after patch releases (3.2.1). You should ideally have these headers in your plugins by WooCommerce version 3.3.0 to get the benefits.
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