Customizer: Deleting a Widget does not remove instance in options

[timmydcrawford]

When deleting a widget from widgets.php, for example a new Media Image Widget, the widget instance is removed from the widget_media_image site option, along with association/placement value in sidebars_widgets.

In the customizer however, if a widget is removed without having been saved first, the widget data ( again in this case testing with an image widget ), still exists in get_option( 'widget_media_image' ), while the entry in sidebars_widgets is either never added or properly removed.

It seems removal of a widget in both places ( widgets.php and customizer ) should result in the removal from the associated option in both cases.

[timmydcrawford]

Confirmed the issue on trunk too.

Steps to re-create:

• Add a new image widget ( or any widget )
• Delete the widget via the customizer
• get_option('widget_media_image')

[westonruter]

@obenland @timmydcrawford is this not a duplicate #27575? Widgets are not able to be fully deleted in the Customizer because there is not yet the ability to manage inactive widgets from there (see #27404). You'll note that the widget in the customizer has a “Remove” link as opposed to a “Delete” link.

[obenland]

Replying to westonruter:

@obenland @timmydcrawford is this not a duplicate #27575? Widgets are not able to be fully deleted in the Customizer because there is not yet the ability to manage inactive widgets from there (see #27404).

The key seems to be not to save changes. If you add and remove widgets without saving, the widget option will get updated but sidebars_widgets won't. Which seems to be a quite common scenario, looking at wp.com data. Ill update the ticket description.

You'll note that the widget in the customizer has a “Remove” link as opposed to a “Delete” link.

Did that change recently? It says "Delete | Close" for me.

[westonruter]

@obenland see comment 2 on #27575:

It is all intentional, actually. When a widget is added to a widget area but is not yet saved, then the "Delete" link is present. When the widget gets saved for the first time, it will change to "Remove"; at this point, instead of the widget instance being lost forever, clicking Remove places it in the Inactive Widgets sidebar, which then becomes a sort of widget trash can.

I agree that this is confusing now, as it has been raised a few times. But at the moment it is expected behavior which should get addressed with #27404.

[westonruter]

Duplicate of #27575.

Please re-open if I am missing something.