Question about a PCP Warning

[Jim537]

I have a couple of Custom/Private Plugins which use the 'required by'/'requires' feature in the headers.

PCB now gives the following warning for the plugin with 'requires' in the header which I do not understand.

Warning
– plugin_header_requires_plugins_not_in_directory
– The plugin declares "xxxx-xxxx" as a required plugin, but it could not be found in the WordPress.org plugin directory

The 'required by' plugin is installed and activated together with the 'requires' plugin and both work correctly.

Wordpress will not allow the 'required by' plugin to be activated unless the other is activated. The order of deactivation and deletion is also controlled.

Wordpress gives relevant information/guidance and warning messages on the plugins page for each stage of activation and deletion.

PCP isn't checking if the 'requires' plugin is installed or activated so what is this warning message for and why is it needed ?

The inference is that something is wrong because the plugin could not be found. This is misleading for an end user who might waste time chasing a non-existent problem.

[davidperezgar]

Thanks for raising this. This warning is specifically a WordPress.org Plugin Directory check; it does not validate whether the required plugin is installed or active on the current site.

The Requires Plugins header uses plugin slugs, and Plugin Check checks whether each declared slug is available in the WordPress.org directory. This helps identify dependencies that would not be available to users installing a plugin from WordPress.org.
For private/custom plugins, your setup can work correctly: WordPress can enforce the activation and deactivation dependency rules when both plugins are installed. In that case, the warning does not indicate a runtime problem with your site—it only indicates that the declared dependency cannot be found in the WordPress.org directory.

Since this is a warning rather than an error, it is expected for private-plugin setups. We could, however, consider making the wording clearer so it explicitly states that this is a directory-availability check rather than an installation or activation check.

[Jim537]

Thanks for the explanation.

1. Better wording would help but 'directory-availability check' infers that it is the local Plugin directory on Wordpress rather than the Wordpress.org repository. 'repository-availability check' would remove the ambiguity.

2. Warnings suggest that something is wrong and need to be fixed. Would it not be better to use an 'information' message.

3. Still not convinced that this message adds anything useful. These plugins would be installed by the WebMaster or website creator who would be expected to understand the significance of the message. It is the End Users who would likely find it confusing.

4. Why a 'directory-availability check' in just this specific case and not for slugs of all plugins being tested by PCP ?
   ref: Custom/Private Plugins not in the Wordpress Repository Custom/Private Plugins not in the Wordpress Repository #1474