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Accept WTFPL as a GPL-compatible license #1158

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@davidperezgar davidperezgar commented Jan 16, 2026

Adds WTFPL (Do What The F*ck You Want To Public License) as a recognized GPL-compatible license in Plugin Check. The GNU license list marks WTFPL as GPL-compatible, but Plugin Check was flagging it as invalid.

Fixes #1157

Changes

  • Updated is_license_gpl_compatible() in includes/Traits/License_Utils.php:
    • Added WTFPL to the regex pattern for GPL-compatible licenses
  • Updated get_normalized_license() in includes/Traits/License_Utils.php:
    • Added normalization to convert WTFPL variations (e.g., "Do What The F*ck You Want To Public License") to "WTFPL"
  • Added test cases in tests/phpunit/tests/Traits/License_Utils_Tests.php:
    • Normalization tests for WTFPL variations
    • GPL compatibility tests for WTFPL
  • Added integration test in tests/phpunit/tests/Checker/Checks/Plugin_Header_Fields_Check_Tests.php:
    • test_run_with_valid_wtfpl_license() to verify WTFPL is accepted in plugin headers
  • Created test plugin test-plugin-wtfpl-license with WTFPL license for integration testing

Benefits

  • WTFPL is now recognized as GPL-compatible, aligning with the GNU license list
  • Reduces false positives for valid GPL-compatible licenses
  • Supports common WTFPL variations in plugin headers
  • Maintains existing validation for other licenses

Checklist

  • Code follows WordPress Coding Standards
  • Self-reviewed the code
  • Added necessary comments
  • No new linter errors
  • Added test cases to prevent regression
  • All existing tests pass
  • New tests pass
  • Integration test created and verified

@davidperezgar davidperezgar linked an issue Jan 16, 2026 that may be closed by this pull request
WTFPL should be accepted as a GPL-compatible license #1157
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@davidperezgar davidperezgar self-assigned this Jan 16, 2026
@davidperezgar davidperezgar changed the title develop to add WTFPL license Accept WTFPL as a GPL-compatible license Jan 16, 2026
@ernilambar ernilambar added this to the 1.9.0 milestone Jan 19, 2026
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@ernilambar ernilambar ernilambar approved these changes

@frantorres frantorres frantorres approved these changes

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WTFPL should be accepted as a GPL-compatible license

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