The Tools screen is blank for users who cannot manage categories or tags

[johnbillion]

Since Press This was removed in #41689, the Tools screen is only composed of the Categories and Tags Converter.

For users who can't manage categories or tags (Authors and Contributors), the Tools screen is now completely empty. Subscribers currently don't see the Tools admin menu item.

The Tools admin menu item should be removed if there's nothing to display on it.

[janak007]

This would need workaround in two files.
1) menu.php for hiding the tools from admin menu.
2) tools.php for preventing users to access the page from by entering direct URL.

I have added patch for two files. After applying these patches only user with import capability can access to tools page.

[janak007]

Merged file patch

[dd32]

A use-case to consider here is when a plugin has added something to the tools page, such as the press this plugin.

I don't think we need to worry about blocking direct access to the page.

The attachments so far on this ticket don't really seem like good solutions, consider these use-cases:

• User can't import, but can export
• User can't export, but can import
• Multisite network has Import/Export disabled, but can access Delete Site
• Plugin has added submenus to the Tools menu
• A plugin is adding extra things on the tools page.

To fix this, it's going to need to be some code in wp-admin/includes/menu.php around line 180 which checks that

• Tools.php doesn't have any sub child nodes
• !has_action( 'tool_box' ) (to detect custom output on that page) and only then remove the menu from the menu.

42486.diff​ does just this, and I think this covers enough of the edge cases here.
As mentioned in the patch, it's still possible to hit a blank page when the user can import, but can't modify tags/cats, the menu will have subpages of importers/etc in that case.
Maybe we could increase the amount of text on the page, showing a description of the page & a "Sorry, nothing you can access right now" message when no tools on offer?

[dd32]

Bumping to 4.9.3 due to 4.9.2s release

[desrosj]

Punting to 4.9.4.

[seanchayes]

I refreshed the patch and added the same logic from wp-admin/tools.php to help determine if the Tools menu needs to be displayed.

So, if something adds an action to tool_box, there's some entries for the Tools menu and the current user can manage default taxonomies the Tools menu will be shown.

For testing, I set up some local users - a subscriber, an author and an editor and added a function to a child theme (which could just as well have been a plugin) that added something to the tool_box action.

For each user, and while the added function was in place, the Tools menu displayed. As soon as I removed the function then regardless of non-admin user the Tools menu was hidden.

I couldn't think of any worthwhile text to display on at the wp-admin/tools.php page when it is empty and no submenu items are displayed and nothing is hooked into tool_box so it just shows the Tools heading if you go there directly and are not an admin or with the capabilities tested for.

42486v2.diff is the patch with these changes.

[seanchayes]

Refreshed patch and updated display logic based on the comments in this ticket

[chetan200891]

I have tested 42486v2.diff

I have created Test Author, it hides Tools menu from Dashboard. But allows access tools.php by entering URL.

[dd32]

Bumping, 4.9.4 has been released.

[ketanumretiya030]

Hi,

I have test with All wordpress user role..

Editor,Contributor,Author
Tools menu visible and open tools.php file with blank admin Page.

Administrator : Display below message in admin tools.php when click on Tools menu
Categories and Tags Converter

If you want to convert your categories to tags (or vice versa), use the Categories and Tags Converter available from the Import screen.

Subscriber : Hide tool menu

[audrasjb]

Hello,

Here is a new patch with a message displayed for users coming from tools.php URL. This is displayed only to avoid blank screen in any case. It applies to editor, author and contributor roles or any custom role without import capabilities.

Cheers,
Jb

[audrasjb]

Displays a message when tools.php screen is blank (also merging previous patch)

[audrasjb]

Ow sorry, I forgot to manage toolbox actions (like in previous patch).
Here is a new attempt.

[audrasjb]

Fixes toolbox action handling in tools.php

[audrasjb]

Fixes inline comment message

[audrasjb]

@desrosj @johnbillion @dd32
Are your OK to ship the last patch in 4.9.5?

Many thanks for your feedback!
Cheers,
Jb

[audrasjb]

Bumping to 4.9.6 due to 4.9.5 beta release.

[desrosj]

I am not sure that I like the idea of copying an existing code block (that checks if the current user has the capability to manage categories or tags) into two different locations.

I think moving the Categories and Tags converter to the action hook would be a better approach. Using this approach would only require the original code proposed in 42486.diff​. It would also allow that card to be unhooked from the tools page, if desired.

[desrosj]

42486.2.diff​ is a patch with the approach I talked about above.

• The Categories and Tags Converter card is moved into a function.
• That function is attached to the tool_box hook at priority 1.

The new function definitely does not belong in the wp-admin/includes/menu.php file, but I am not sure where the best place to put it is. Also, there could probably be a better name for the function too.

[desrosj]

Punting due to lack of 2nd opinion.

[desrosj]

Moving all tickets in 4.9.7 to 4.9.8.

[pento]

Patch needs reviewing before milestoning.

[afercia]

In the screenshot attached below, Tools page for users with role Editor, Author, and Contributor on current trunk 5.2.

Actually, the items in the admin menu may change based on the role. The point is this page is completely blank and not so nice to see.

[Clorith]

So, what about expanding the terminology of "Tools" to make this page hold value for a wider array of users?

As an author (or any users unable to install something), a tool for me might be knowledge of how to use something specific in WP-admin. Sure there's the help tab in the top right corner for some pages, but that doesn't exist in the editor (although it does have a link that takes you to a WordPress.org article), or in the customizer (the small question mark with a short text)? Could a tool for these users be something simple like a link to a few curated articles on WordPress.org, as a way to provide value to a page that may otherwise end up blank?

In network admin, this could also exist to provide articles on managing a network.

There are other things the tools section could do, like a curated list of plugins, for those with access to them, but I think that's a different ticket altogether.

[paaljoachim]

I see that this ticket has stalled.
Should the top level Tools item just be hidden for now for user roles that only see the Tools title and a blank page until additional uses for the Tools screen can be tackled?

[ehau]

Yes, I think completely empty menus should not be displayed to the user.

[sebastienserre]

I agree with others, this tools page shouldn't be shown to not allowed user role.

[ocean90]

#59107 was marked as a duplicate.

[sabernhardt]

#60275 was marked as a duplicate.

[blackstar1991]

Will anyone delete this bug? We already have Version 6.4.2, but this problem still persists