Simple History 4.16.0 released – improved settings logging, ANSI_QUOTES support, RSS feed filtering, and more

Since this new version contains so much new, we’ve split it up into multiple headlines:

• Link to history from update screen
• Settings pages logging updates
• Monitor WordPress Auto Update Adjustments
• Attachment Updates: Now with Full Change History
• Plugin Update Errors: Now Captured in Your Logs
• Links next to occasions
• Debug Page Boost: SQLite Support and More Insights
• Changelog summary

Link to history from update screen

After updating plugins we find it useful to go to the site history view to get at more detailed look at the changes that was made. This version adds a handy shortcut link, next to the other links at the bottom of the page.

Settings pages logging updates

In this version, we’ve made significant updates to how changes on the WordPress settings pages are logged.

Changes made to the options on any settings screens have undergone a major overhaul, making the logs much more user-friendly and informative.

First, with this version, only built-in WordPress options are logged. Previously, other options could “sneak in” when they were added using a filter or similar methods on the same screen.

When the site language is updated, “en_US” is now shown as the language when the option is empty. Previously, it was set to an empty string, which was a bit confusing.

The “Week Starts On” setting now displays the new and previous weekday as human-readable text (e.g., Monday, Tuesday) instead of just a number.

The plugin now logs changes as “Updated setting…” instead of “Updated option…”. Internally, WordPress stores the settings as options, but “setting” is the word used in the WordPress UI. The settings screens are called settings screens, not options screens.

The name of the settings page is included in the main log message for each setting updated, and the text is a link to the settings page in question.

Most settings now include the setting name in a human-readable format and the changes also as human-readable text. This means that instead of “blog_public” was changed to “0”, the log will now display “Discourage search engines from indexing this site” was changed to “On”. This applies to almost all settings, so instead of “blogname”, you will now see “Site Title”, and instead of “blogdescription”, you will see that “Tagline” was changed. Similarly, “admin_email” means that “Administration Email Address” was changed. The list goes on.

These changes applies to all the settings screens that come with WordPress: General, Writing, Reading, Discussion, Media, Permalinks, and Privacy.

Monitor WordPress Auto Update Adjustments

In the latest release of Simple History, we’ve added a new feature that logs changes to the WordPress auto update settings. Now, whenever an admin user modifies the way WordPress handles core updates, it will be recorded in the activity log. Whether you switch from “automatic updates for all new versions of WordPress” to “automatic updates for maintenance and security releases only,” or vice versa, Simple History will capture this important change. This enhancement ensures you have a clear audit trail of all modifications to your site’s update settings, providing greater transparency and control over your WordPress maintenance processes.

Changes to WordPress core auto update settings are now logged. Whether you switch from “automatic updates for all new versions of WordPress” to “automatic updates for maintenance and security releases only,” or vice versa, Simple History will capture this important change.

This enhancement ensures you have a clear audit trail of all modifications to your site’s update settings, providing greater transparency and control over your WordPress maintenance processes.

Attachment Updates: Now with Full Change History

Attachment modifications are now tracked in more detail. When changes are made to an attachment’s title, alternative text, caption, description, or slug, Simple History provides a comprehensive log entry that clearly displays what fields were changed and what both their new and old values were.

Plugin Update Errors: Now Captured in Your Logs

Plugin updates don’t always go smoothly. Sometimes, the WordPress upgrader encounters obstacles – it might fail to delete old files, struggle to move folders, or face other unexpected issues. Previously, these failed updates could slip under the radar, leaving site administrators unaware of potential problems.

With this latest update to Simple History, we’ve addressed this blind spot:

• Plugin update failures are now logged
• Error messages provide insight into what went wrong
• Administrators can quickly identify and address update issues

Debug Page Boost: SQLite Support and More Insights

The debug page has got a few improvements in this version:

• SQLite Support: View table size and row count for SQLite databases, matching existing MySQL and MariaDB features
• Database Engine Detection: Quickly identify your database type (MySQL, MariaDB, or SQLite)
• Drop-ins Visibility: See a list of all drop-ins active on the site

Changelog summary

1. More Informative Settings Logging
   • Clearer, more user-friendly messages when settings are updated
   • Human-readable display of options like “Week Starts On” and feed content settings
   • Improved logging of WordPress core auto-update preference changes
2. Supercharged Debug Page
   • Now displays your database engine (MySQL, MariaDB, or SQLite)
   • Shows table size and row count for SQLite databases
   • Lists Drop-ins for better insight into your WordPress setup
3. Improved Error Handling and Logging
   • Exceptions are now thrown for log query database errors, making debugging easier
   • Plugin update failures are logged with detailed error messages
   • New support for ANSI_QUOTES mode in MySQL/MariaDB
4. Enhanced RSS Feed Functionality
   • Filter your RSS feeds by log levels (e.g., warnings, notices) for more targeted monitoring
5. Additional Context for Plugin and Theme Management
   • Update URI plugin header now included in context for installs and updates
   • Streamlined logging for plugin/theme ZIP installations
6. Attachment Modifications Tracking
   • Now logs changes to title, alternative text, caption, description, and slug for attachments
7. User-Friendly Interface Improvements
   • Link to Simple History site added below update completion messages
   • Helpful link for managing failed login attempts, integrated with our Extended Settings add-on