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WP 6.2 Categories-list block wrongly displays & counts non-existing uncategorized posts #49983
Description
Description
The categories-list block does not behave accordingly.
This is in Dutch but should illustrate the problem:
It shows 9 posts as uncategorized (that do not exist). When clicked on this 'niet-gecategoriseerd' (= uncategorized), it shows zero posts, because none are actually uncategorized. 'Show empty categories' setting is also not turned on.
Here we see the category list in admin:
9 posts are said to be uncategorized, but they aren't. Clicking on the numbered link shows no posts.
Empty categories should never show. There should never be a link to an empty uncategorized category archive that nobody wants.
Opinionated remark:
It is 2023, site editor is out of beta, but we need basic functionality like taxonomies to work. This is an age old WP problem: "No category" should mean "no category".
There is no use for a 'uncategorized' category, it defeats the whole purpose of what a category is. This old fallback catch-all mechanism needs to be revised. Make it optional instead of mandatory. Remove it, put it in a filter (wp_use_default_category, __return_true) for those poor souls who actually use it. I'm pretty sure nobody is going to miss it.
Step-by-step reproduction instructions
- Add a couple posts
- Make sure all of them have a category (not uncategorized)
- Add the categories-list block in a category template
- Notice the above described problem (uncategorized seems attached as a hidden category for all posts)
Screenshots, screen recording, code snippet
No response
Environment info
- WordPress 6.2
- No Gutenberg plugin
Please confirm that you have searched existing issues in the repo.
Yes
Please confirm that you have tested with all plugins deactivated except Gutenberg.
Yes
Activity
github-actions commentedon May 14, 2023
Help us move this issue forward. This issue is being marked stale since it has no activity after 15 days of requesting more information. Please add info requested so we can help move the issue forward. Note: The triage policy is to close stale issues that need more info and no response after 2 weeks.
Humanify-nl commentedon May 15, 2023
@Thelmachido since this is now marked as stale, because of ‘the needs more info tag’… do you have any specification as to ‘what info it needs’?
I thought I had carefully documented the issue.
github-actions commentedon May 31, 2023
Help us move this issue forward. This issue is being marked stale since it has no activity after 15 days of requesting more information. Please add info requested so we can help move the issue forward. Note: The triage policy is to close stale issues that need more info and no response after 2 weeks.
priethor commentedon Jun 30, 2023
Thanks for the detailed reporting, @Humanify-nl. I'm moving it to
Needs testinginstead 🙂jordesign commentedon Jul 26, 2023
Hi @Humanify-nl - as we get to close to WordPress 6.3 releasing - I'd be interested to know if you still see the same behaviour if you test with that.
I also wanted to ask if you've been able to test this with all plugins disabled, and a default theme (like TwentyTwentyThree) to see if it still happens?
Humanify-nl commentedon Jul 26, 2023
@jordesign I'm very busy and not able to test this on short notice. I haven't ran into it anymore. This was an isolated case where I used categories and that seldomly happens. Since no other reports have been made I'll assume this was a database problem.
The other critique is still valid though, as from my experience, the uncategorized label is one of the main reasons many big web developing businesses never use native category and use a custom tax instead, or have some code to rename it (still defeats the purpose).
No client ever in any case wants to see 'uncategorized' label on their blog post. It is a long standing issue in my book, and i've never seen an explanation as to why this is a good idea (it feels like a fallback that is lingering for no reason).
But I should make a separate ticket on that as it has nothing to do with bugs.
jordesign commentedon Jul 26, 2023
Hey @Humanify-nl - I have a feeling the reason for this is that the 'uncategorized' category is merely a default - and is able to be renamed to whatever 'category' is desired.
As you mentioned - I'll close this issue. I'd suggest if you want to raise discussion about changing that default behaviour - the best place to do it would be the Core WordPress Trac.
https://core.trac.wordpress.org/