Is this a real problem for programmers and wordpress users?

[Gabbe18]

Currently when you make a change to the code of a plugin or theme on wordpress and then need to update that theme or plugin all the changes you made will be lost. That means you need to keep a backup file with the changes and then manually change the code after every update.

So the question is, would any programmers, coders, wordpress users see any value in a software or plugin that removes the need to update the code of a plugin or theme manually every time the plugin or theme is updated?

NOTE: I am not actively pursuing this idea, at least not right now. I just wanted to get an opinion from someone who has more experience with programming and coding than me and to also start a discussion.

 

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[SEBASTlAN]

I'd use it, but I don't think I'd pay for it tbh.

 

[TheKeywordsGuy]

Currently when you make a change to the code of a plugin or theme on wordpress and then need to update that theme or plugin all the changes you made will be lost. That means you need to keep a backup file with the changes and then manually change the code after every update.

So the question is, would any programmers, coders, wordpress users see any value in a software or plugin that removes the need to update the code of a plugin or theme manually every time the plugin or theme is updated?

NOTE: I am not actively pursuing this idea, at least not right now. I just wanted to get an opinion from someone who has more experience with programming and coding than me and to also start a discussion.

1. Using a child theme will fix the issue with changes being lost when you update the main theme
2. There's a reason any changes YOU did to a plugin yourself SHOULD be lost when it updates, and that's because the changes you did might break the updated plugin if kept.
3. Anyone looking to edit their own themes and plugins will probably shrug these issues off as irrelevant as there are easy workarounds. You shouldn't even be editing plugins by yourself as it poses a security risk, and if you do, you definitely shouldn't keep updating them, and my guess is that everyone who knows what they're doing understands this.

 

[Mike Stoian]

1. Using a child theme will fix the issue with changes being lost when you update the main theme
2. There's a reason any changes YOU did to a plugin yourself SHOULD be lost when it updates, and that's because the changes you did might break the updated plugin if kept.
3. Anyone looking to edit their own themes and plugins will probably shrug these issues off as irrelevant as there are easy workarounds. You shouldn't even be editing plugins by yourself as it poses a security risk, and if you do, you definitely shouldn't keep updating them, and my guess is that everyone who knows what they're doing understands this.

This.

If your changes are lost when updating then probably you didn't do the changes properly. You should to the changes in a separate place ( child theme or custom module or whatever way there is for whatever CMS or software you're changing ). I've personally never had that issue and probably most other developers are the same.

 

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[Gabbe18]

1. Using a child theme will fix the issue with changes being lost when you update the main theme
2. There's a reason any changes YOU did to a plugin yourself SHOULD be lost when it updates, and that's because the changes you did might break the updated plugin if kept.
3. Anyone looking to edit their own themes and plugins will probably shrug these issues off as irrelevant as there are easy workarounds. You shouldn't even be editing plugins by yourself as it poses a security risk, and if you do, you definitely shouldn't keep updating them, and my guess is that everyone who knows what they're doing understands this.

Thanks for the info!

I am working on a website for a client and they asked for a very specific change. I didn't know how to make that change so I contacted the plugin's creators and they told me what I wrote in the post above.