Download exact WordPress version when passing an alias

[zaguiini]

• Closes: wp-now: "latest" WP never updates #214

What?

Resolves to an actual WordPress version when starting wp-now with --wp=latest|trunk|nightly.

It keeps working while offline by caching the version aliases in a file: ~/.wp-now/wp-version-offline-alias.json

Why?

In #214, it was reported that running --wp=latest might start the server with an outdated version of WordPress because we're caching the version locally by the alias (which changes between published versions) and not the version number.

How?

Instead of having latest, trunk and nightly folders, we're resolving these aliases using the api.wordpress.org endpoint to actual versions, and caching the version number instead of the alias.

After confirmation this is the approach we want to move forward with, I'll add/update tests.

Testing Instructions

Build it locally and verify that following commands produce the following outputs:

Command	CLI options output
start	wp: 6.5.5 (resolved from alias: latest)
start --wp=latest	wp: 6.5.5 (resolved from alias: latest)
start --wp=trunk	wp: 6.7-alpha-xxxx (resolved from alias: trunk)
start --wp=nightly	wp: 6.7-alpha-xxxx (resolved from alias: nightly)
start --wp=6.3	wp: 6.3

[zaguiini]

cc @sejas

[sejas]

@zaguiini , thank you for creating the PR. It looks good, working as expected.

I was thinking if it would be possible to remove isDeveloperBuild in favor of a more simple check, like directly using the provided alias.

Let me know if you want me to update the tests as well.

Thank you!

I tested it and I confirm that after building the project npx nx build wp-now, I could run wp-now start with the following results:

node dist/packages/wp-now/cli.js start
node dist/packages/wp-now/cli.js start --wp=latest
It downloaded and used ~/.wp-now/wordpress-versions/6.5.5

node dist/packages/wp-now/cli.js start --wp=6.6-beta2
It downloaded and used ~/.wp-now/wordpress-versions/6.6-beta2

node dist/packages/wp-now/cli.js start --wp=trunk
node dist/packages/wp-now/cli.js start --wp=nightly
It downloaded and used ~/.wp-now/wordpress-versions/6.7-alpha-58716

Starting the server......
directory: /Users/macbookpro/proyectos/a8c/playground-tools
mode: playground
php: 8.0
wp: 6.7-alpha-58716 (resolved from alias: trunk)
Downloading WordPress 6.7-alpha-58716...
SQLite folder already exists. Skipping download.
Server running at http://localhost:8881

Passing an invented version returned a correct error:

node dist/packages/wp-now/cli.js start --wp=foo     

wp-now start

Start the server

Options:
      --version         Show version number                            [boolean]
      --path            Path to the PHP or WordPress project. Defaults to the cu
                        rrent working directory.                        [string]
      --php             PHP version to use.                             [string]
      --wp              WordPress version to use: e.g. '--wp=6.2'       [string]
      --port            Server port                                     [number]
      --blueprint       Path to a blueprint file to be executed         [string]
      --reset           Create a new project environment, destroying the old pro
                        ject environment.                              [boolean]
      --skip-browser    Do not launch the default browser
                                                      [boolean] [default: false]
      --inspect         Use Node debugging client.                      [number]
      --inspect-brk     Use Node debugging client. Break immediately on script e
                        xecution start.                                 [number]
      --trace-exit      Prints a stack trace whenever an environment is exited p
                        roactively, i.e. invoking process.exit().       [number]
      --trace-uncaught  Print stack traces for uncaught exceptions; usually, the
                         stack trace associated with the creation of an Error is
                         printed, whereas this makes Node.js also print the stac
                        k trace associated with throwing the value (which does n
                        ot need to be an Error instance).               [number]
      --trace-warnings  Print stack traces for process warnings (including depre
                        cations).                                       [number]
  -h, --help            Show help                                      [boolean]

Unrecognized WordPress version. Please use "latest" or numeric versions such as "6.2", "6.0.1", "6.2-beta1", or "6.2-RC1"

[sejas]

I've found this check is already on:
https://github.com/zaguiini/playground-tools/blob/f8e1c1e15767ae0e391317afffbf61964e7fad7b/packages/wp-now/src/config.ts#L146-L150

[zaguiini]

I was thinking if it would be possible to remove isDeveloperBuild in favor of a more simple check, like directly using the provided alias.

It's possible. I just wanted to stick as much as possible to the "a function should do one thing" principle. Also if we move the alias resolver within downloadWordPress, a bigger refactor will be required so that the "resolved from alias" output part shows before the version is downloaded.

But let me know if you have other ideas.

Let me know if you want me to update the tests as well.

That'd be great 🙌

[sejas]

I've fixed the tests here e727b2e

@zaguiini, I've also realized that this PR was breaking the ability to use wp-now while offline. I used a file to cache the resolutions and use it in case the request to the server fails. Let me know what you think.

Test instructions:

• Run npx nx build wp-now
• Run node dist/packages/wp-now/cli.js start
• Observe a new file is created in the path ~/.wp-now/wp-version-offline-alias.json
• The content of the file is similar to:

{
  "latest": "6.6.1"
}

• Kill wp-now by pressiong ctrl + c
• Disconnect your computer from internet
• Run again node dist/packages/wp-now/cli.js start
• Observe wp-now starts successfully
• In the console appears a message: Failed to fetch WordPress version online. Trying offline version.

[zaguiini]

Fantastic, @sejas!

All good to me. We're not handling the error when there is no downloaded corresponding WP version and it also fails to fetch from the internet:

But that's a small issue. Great job 🚀

[sejas]

All good to me. We're not handling the error when there is no downloaded corresponding WP version and it also fails to fetch from the internet:

Great suggestion. I've decided to terminate the process and displaying an error for that case: aa9cde2