Importing from a WP export file creates new users as subscribers instead of authors

[laurentlasalle]

When importing a WP export file (from Tools > Import > WordPress), the system asks if the blog administrator wants to create new users (if the authors from that export file differs from those already registred in the system). The role attributed to these new users is "Subscriber", which is a role that doesn't allow them to write nor publish posts.

I wanted to change the author of a newly imported post and since I was the only user with the required level to publish post content, the "Author" option wasn't available through the Quick Edit option. I just lost like 10 minutes trying to figure out why... o_O

[duck_]

Not sure if there's much that can be done. How can we be sure that the contributor (or author, editor, ...) role exists on the blog being imported to? As far as I can see isn't it the current behaviour best; let wp_insert_user set the role as the blog default.

Maybe a more prominent notice in the importer about changing the role as well as other author information.

[westi]

Sounds like worth of improved documentation in the import.
Maybe just hilighting the role the users will be created as

[nacin]

(In [15961]) Importer and exporter overhaul, mega props duck.

Exporter overhaul:

• Add author information to export
• Greater usage of slug identifiers
• Don't export auto-drafts, spam comments, or edit lock/last meta keys
• Inline documentation improvements
• Remove filtering for now (@todo)
• Bump WXR version to 1.1, but remain back compat in the importer

Importer overhaul (​http://plugins.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/304249):

• Use an XML parser where available (SimpleXML, XML Parser)
• Proper import support for navigation menus
• Many bug fixes, specifically improvements to category and custom taxonomy handling
• Better author/user mapping

Fixes #5447 #5460 #7400 #7973 #8471 #9237 #10319 #11118 #11144 #11354 #11574 #12685 #13364 #13394 #13453 #13454 #13627 #14306 #14442 #14524 #14750 #15055 #15091 #15108.

See #15197.