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Alert user of database table permission errors during search-replace#216

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copilot/alert-user-db-permissions-errors
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Alert user of database table permission errors during search-replace#216
Copilot wants to merge 4 commits intomainfrom
copilot/alert-user-db-permissions-errors

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Copilot AI commented Mar 15, 2026 •
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When a database UPDATE fails (e.g. read-only table, insufficient permissions), search-replace silently reported 0 replacements with no indication of why — even after a dry-run showing expected changes.

Changes

  • SQL path (sql_handle_col): Check $wpdb->last_error after $wpdb->query() UPDATE calls; emit WP_CLI::warning() with the table name, column name, and the raw database error.
  • PHP path (php_handle_col): Same check after each $wpdb->update() call.

Example output when a table is not writable:

Warning: Error updating column 'post_content' in table 'wp_posts': UPDATE command denied to user 'wpuser'@'localhost' for table 'wp_posts'
  • Behat test: Covers the SQL path by creating a table with a BEFORE UPDATE trigger that raises a MySQL signal error, verifying that STDERR contains the expected warning with the column and table name.
Original prompt

This section details on the original issue you should resolve

<issue_title>Alert the user of db table permissions errors</issue_title>
<issue_description>## Feature Request

Use Case and user story

When there are database table permissions errors, search-replace should be able to alert the user.

I was working with an older DB that I had manually imported the wp_posts table with the wrong DB permissions. (the table was read-only)

When I did a dry-run of the search-replace it worked great, showed me all the replacements to be made, etc.

Then when I did a live run, it went through the process and still reported that there were 527 changes to make, but instead of making them it returned Success: 0 Replacements made

I downloaded a more blunt tool for forcing the DB updates through, and that's when I discovered that the table in question is read-only. Once I knew that, the workaround was simple: export the DB to a fresh DB using wp db export and then import that fresh database, which resets the permissions, then search-replace worked like a charm.

I also tried with --verbose and --debug but the critical piece (when the actual SQL is running) is not outputting anything useful.

Output of the Dry Run

527 Replacements to be made

Output of the --debug argument on a live run

Success: made 0 replacements

Proposed solution

It would be more helpful if table permission errors are preventing the actual changing, that this is output.

I'd propose an additional argument of --errors or adding this output to the existing --debug argument.
</issue_description>

Comments on the Issue (you are @copilot in this section)

@schlessera Thanks for the report, @Benunc! I think it might make even more sense to actually forward errors or warnings, and in this case show an error that a read-only db/table cannot be changed.

✨ Let Copilot coding agent set things up for you — coding agent works faster and does higher quality work when set up for your repo.

@swissspidy
Alert user of DB table permission errors via WP_CLI::warning()
005dc9b 
Co-authored-by: swissspidy <841956+swissspidy@users.noreply.github.com>
Copilot AI changed the title [WIP] Add alert for database table permissions errors Alert user of database table permission errors during search-replace Mar 15, 2026
Copilot AI requested a review from swissspidy March 15, 2026 07:51
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codecov bot commented Mar 15, 2026 •
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Codecov Report

❌ Patch coverage is 53.33333% with 7 lines in your changes missing coverage. Please review.

Files with missing lines Patch % Lines
src/Search_Replace_Command.php 53.33% 7 Missing ⚠️

📢 Thoughts on this report? Let us know!

@swissspidy swissspidy marked this pull request as ready for review March 15, 2026 08:21
@swissspidy swissspidy requested a review from a team as a code owner March 15, 2026 08:21
Copilot AI review requested due to automatic review settings March 15, 2026 08:21

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Co-authored-by: Copilot Autofix powered by AI <175728472+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>
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swissspidy commented Mar 16, 2026

@copilot failing test:


001 Scenario: Warn when updating a table fails due to a database error # features/search-replace.feature:1579
      Then STDERR should contain:                                      # features/search-replace.feature:1586
        $ wp search-replace old-value new-value wp_readonly_test
        
        Error: Couldn't find any tables matching: wp_readonly_test
        cwd: /tmp/wp-cli-test-run--69b7c519c30eb4.40486879/
        run time: 0.30239796638489
        exit status: 1
        
        --- Expected
        +++ Actual
        @@ @@
        -Error updating column 'data' in table 'wp_readonly_test'
        +Error: Couldn't find any tables matching: wp_readonly_test
         (Exception)

@swissspidy
Fix Behat test: use --all-tables-with-prefix instead of positional ta…
8959809 
…ble name

Co-authored-by: swissspidy <841956+swissspidy@users.noreply.github.com>

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Alert the user of db table permissions errors

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