The export_wp() function inserts empty <wp:comment> data when get_comment() returns a false or empty value

[WPExplorer]

If you wish to exclude comments from the WordPress export you can use the following code:

add_action( 'export_wp', function() {
    add_filter( 'get_comment', '__return_false' );
} );

However, the function will still loop through empty values for the $comments array inserting unnecessary <wp:comment> items.

If you wish to exclude comments from the WordPress export you can use the following code:

add_action( 'export_wp', function() {
    add_filter( 'get_comment', '__return_false' );
} );

However, the function will still loop through empty values for the $comments array inserting unnecessary <wp:comment> items.

[freewebmentor]

Hi @wpexplorer! 👋

Thank you for your contribution to WordPress! 💖

[hellofromTonya]

While scrubbing for 6.6.x minor, dove into which WordPress Version introduced this bug and code. It was in WP 4.4 via [33891].

As it has a clear explanation and patch, moving it into 6.7 cycle for possible resolution.

[lbones]

I am working on testing this one! I am planning on recreating the issue in WP 6.6., and then running the patch to verify if the issue has been resolved. I am using the WordPress Playground, but can test through the CLI or whatever you may need.

In the PlayGround, I did notice that the user is not able to enter an empty comment. To recreate, I wrote a comment, and then went into the WordPress editor and removed the text in the comment.

[lbones]

This is the test that was done using the patch [from PR=6574] which was PHP 8.2 and WP 6.6.2

[lbones]

Another view of the issue in the patch [with PR=6574] using PHP 8.2 and WP 6.6.2

[lbones]

Initially, I thought that the issue was that the comments were coming through whether or not they contained content. I realized upon further investigation that the issue, is if the person wants to run

add_action( 'export_wp', function() {
    add_filter( 'get_comment', '__return_false' );
} );

then the patch, which contains an array_filter does work. Recommendation would be to add an export option without comments instead of the current patch.

Reasoning: This very niche solution makes the entire get_comment call in the wp_export function slower. The array_filter in combination with array_map creates two maps (could probably have a map_reduce like function), and with the for loop, we are going through all of the comments thrice.

P.S. I plan on opening a new ticket with the commenting editing issue I found. I believe the checks on modify_item in the comment controller just needs to be a little more robust.

[stoyangeorgiev]

This one was discussed at a bug-scrub. By the looks of it this one needs a bit more time, and with RC1 right around the corner, moving this one to 6.8. Cheers!

[mdibrahimk48]

Test Report:

The applied patch [PR=6574] shows no changes in functionality when tested with PHP 8.3 and WordPress 6.7.1.

Observation:

---

Attempting to submit an empty column does not work. However, when using the WordPress editor, removing text in a comment is possible without issues.

[desrosj]

This looks good, but I'd love to see some unit tests that demonstrate the failure and confirming that the change fixes the issue.

Trac ticket: https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/61244

This PR adds unit tests for the patch present to verify the behavior of comment filtering during exports.

The new test ensures that when comments are filtered out using get_comment filter, no empty <wp:comment> tags appear in the export XML.

Run the tests:

npm run test:php -- --filter=Tests_Admin_ExportWp

[saurabh.dhariwal]

WordPress Version 6.7
Issue Summary

Problem: Previously, the system allowed users to submit blank comments on posts and pages.
Expected Behavior: The system should prevent users from submitting empty comments.

Testing Steps & Results

Navigate to a post/page and open the comment section. ✅
Attempt to submit a blank comment. ✅
Observe the system’s response. ✅

Result: The issue could not be reproduced. The system correctly prevents blank comments from being submitted.

Test Conclusion

Status: ✅ Not Reproduced
Remarks: The issue appears to be resolved or was not present in the tested environment. Further verification may be needed if reported again.

[audrasjb]

Moving to 6.9 as we're too close from beta 3 and this still needs testing.