Make wpdb::base_prefix explicitly public

[DavidAnderson]

Currently in the WPDB class, there is no clear/explicit way for a plugin (e.g. a backup plugin that wants to backup all database tables) to know the base table prefix. (Not the current table prefix, but the base one).

The value is stored in wpdb::base_prefix, but this is not explicitly made public. Hence, a coder is likely to look for alternatives. wpdb::get_blog_prefix(0) looks like it is intended to supply this lack (the case of $blog_id == 0 is explicitly coded for in there), but actually fails in the case of pre-3.0 WPMU installs that have been upgraded (i.e. if MULTISITE is not defined).

In the proposed patch, I make explicit that wpdb::base_prefix is a public property, thus allowing coders to rely on it (and hindering future hackers from accidentally setting it as private).

[DavidAnderson]

Proposed patch

[DavidAnderson]

Proposed patch

[DavidAnderson]

Please disregard the first patch. Did the trac feature to replace a patch disappear? I couldn't see it.

[nacin]

Replying to DavidAnderson:

Please disregard the first patch. Did the trac feature to replace a patch disappear? I couldn't see it.

Yeah, it's been removed. It was too often used improperly, this overwriting previous work and making it tougher to follow progress on a ticket.

Could you explain the switch from isset() to !empty()? I don't see anything about that in your bug report.

I'm not against this, but we should then use the public visibility keyword.

[DavidAnderson]

Hi,

I switched from isset() to !empty(), because I believed that explicitly listing it with var would cause isset() to always be true. This belief turns out to be false!

I see no problem with using public explicitly - I was just copying the style of the existing class.

New patch attached.

[pento]

Let's do this.

[DrewAPicture]

fixed docs

[SergeyBiryukov]

Duplicate of #16762.