Missing calling `exit` after using `wp_redirect`

[jigar bhanushali]

When I reviewed the wp-admin/ms-options.php file, I have found missing calling exit

As per the function wp_redirect description, we should call exit after wp_redirect

Ref: ​https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/wp_redirect/#description

[jorbin]

I don't think exit is necessary since the file ends after the redirect.

[johnbillion]

I'd be happy enough to add this in for completeness, best practice, etc.

[Presskopp]

The description says:

Note: wp_redirect() does not exit automatically, and should almost always be followed by a call to exit;

Therefore I go with jorbin

[rajinsharwar]

Just to put some context, we use wp_redirect() in multiple places in the core where we want to continue the page processing after doing the redirect. So, exiting within the function will break the core a lot, as well as plugins or themes using it, in case they are also processing after redirect.

Examples from core:
​https://github.com/WordPress/wordpress-develop/blob/33f443597f25bcfdc25cfbd73e57e601227ea809/src/wp-admin/update.php#L85
​https://github.com/WordPress/wordpress-develop/blob/33f443597f25bcfdc25cfbd73e57e601227ea809/src/wp-admin/nav-menus.php#L608
​https://github.com/WordPress/wordpress-develop/blob/33f443597f25bcfdc25cfbd73e57e601227ea809/src/wp-admin/user-edit.php#L122
​https://github.com/WordPress/wordpress-develop/blob/33f443597f25bcfdc25cfbd73e57e601227ea809/src/wp-admin/includes/plugin.php#L667
...

My opinion is to close this as won't-fix.

[audrasjb]

I also agree with what the documentation says: it should "almost" always be followed by an exit call. Therefore, I'm re-adding the close keyword and putting this ticket outside of the current milestone.

[SergeyBiryukov]

Replying to rajinsharwar:

Just to put some context, we use wp_redirect() in multiple places in the core where we want to continue the page processing after doing the redirect. So, exiting within the function will break the core a lot, as well as plugins or themes using it, in case they are also processing after redirect.

Unless I'm missing something, this ticket does not suggest placing an exit call within the wp_redirect() function. It only suggests adding the call in a specific place at the end of wp-admin/ms-options.php, which should not break anything.

Taking a closer look, there is already an exit call after wp_redirect() in the same exact pattern in these files:

• wp-admin/moderation.php
• wp-admin/ms-admin.php
• wp-admin/ms-edit.php
• wp-admin/ms-sites.php
• wp-admin/ms-themes.php
• wp-admin/ms-upgrade-network.php
• wp-admin/ms-users.php

See [16847] / #15518. It's only missing in wp-admin/ms-options.php by accident, so while an exit call might seem redundant here, 60926.patch​ brings more consistency with the other files.

[SergeyBiryukov]

In 58460:

Networks and Sites: Exit after wp_redirect() in wp-admin/ms-options.php.

This brings more consistency with the other files having the same pattern:

• wp-admin/moderation.php
• wp-admin/ms-admin.php
• wp-admin/ms-edit.php
• wp-admin/ms-sites.php
• wp-admin/ms-themes.php
• wp-admin/ms-upgrade-network.php
• wp-admin/ms-users.php

Follow-up to [15481], [16847].

Props jigar-bhanushali, jorbin, johnbillion, Presskopp, rajinsharwar, audrasjb, SergeyBiryukov.
Fixes #60926.