Using wplink (wp_editor) on front end is triggering a js error due to unsatisfied dependency

[imath]

wplink should include jquery-ui-core in its dependencies as it uses it > $.ui

When using the wp_editor in front end, if you click on the link button, and once the window is opened, if you try to type some text for the link's text, you get :
Uncaught TypeError: Cannot read property 'keyCode' of undefined

I think that's because $.ui is not defined, because the jquery-ui-core is not enqueued on front-end (it's enqueued in the post edit Administration screen).

Using the attached patch is fixing the issue for me.

[DrewAPicture]

@azaozz Mind taking a look? Based on snooping around in blame, this might've been around for a while now.

[afercia]

Be sure to be logged out to reproduce the bug. Also, this impacts accessibility since tabbing is no more constrained inside the link modal etc.

[afercia]

Looking back at this, wondering why jQuery UI is used in the first place. Maybe some historical need for key codes normalization but as today I think event.keyCode is safe to use?
See attached patch, getting rid of $.ui so there's no need to set jquery-ui-core as dependency.
Any thoughts?

[azaozz]

Replying to DrewAPicture:
Replying to afercia:

Long time ago wplink was using UI dialog. Seems $.ui.keyCode was never removed after converting it to "plain" JS.

Thinking the better way to fix this is to stop using $.ui.keyCode as in 34716.2.patch. There is a (very) small chance of version collision if we enqueue jquery-ui-core on the front.

[azaozz]

In 35728:

Editor: remove wpLink dependency on jQuery UI.

Props afercia.
Fixes #34716.