WordPress plugin intelligence profile

oik bwtrace

Debug trace for WordPress, including ad hoc action hook and filter tracing.

WP PlugIndex snapshot

Current directory snapshot

Tested up to WordPress 6.8
Current version4.1.0
WordPress coverageTested up to WordPress 6.8
Minimum stackWP 5.0 · PHP 5.6
Directory statusactive
Last directory update10 May 20251y ago
Active installations20Adoption metric — not a quality score
WordPress.org rating5.0 / 5 from 1 ratings
Official packageDirect from WordPress.org

Repository metrics are context, not quality scores. Active installations measure adoption and can strongly reflect a plugin’s age and historical popularity. Ratings, recent updates and “Tested up to” metadata also do not guarantee modern code, error-free operation, security, feature completeness or suitability for a particular site. Why active installs don’t tell the whole story →

WP PlugIndex currently records oik bwtrace version 4.1.0 as active, updated 1y ago and tested up to WordPress 6.8.

Overview

About this plugin

  • The primary purpose of debug trace is to help in the development of PHP code: plugins or themes.
  • The primary purpose of action trace is to help you understand the sequence of events in the server.
  • The primary purpose of ad hoc tracing is to let you see what’s happening without changing any code.
  • The primary purpose of ‘string watch’ is to track the source of some output.
  • This plugin provides the admin interface to trace functions and methods and action and filter tracing.

oik bwtrace does not alter the output of your web pages though there are options

which cause some output to be written to the browser during ‘shutdown’ processing.

You can also use the oik trace facilities to assist in problem determination in a live site.

Output is written to files on the server in a user defined trace files directory.

When tracing a live or staging site you should ensure that the trace files directory is not publicly accessible.

Features:

  • Traces to a defined Trace files directory
  • Traces ALL server functionality, including AJAX, REST and other background requests
  • Writes summary trace record for each transaction into Daily Trace summary files
  • Traces browser transactions separately, if required
  • Traces AJAX transactions separately, if required
  • Traces REST requests separately, if required
  • Traces CLI requests separately, if required
  • Ability to choose the IP address to trace, defaults to ALL requests
  • Supports ad hoc tracing of user defined hooks
  • Action trace counts help you understand the sequence of actions and filters
  • Provides contextual information
  • Minimum performance overhead when tracing is not enabled
  • Tracing can be enabled programmatically
  • Traces and backtraces PHP Error, Warning and Notice messages
  • Backtraces deprecated logic messages
  • Does not require WP_DEBUG to be defined
  • Does not require SAVEQUERIES to be defined
  • Dynamically activates trace functions
  • Implemented as lazy just-in-time code
  • Can be used during regression testing
  • Can be activated in wp-config.php and db.php to trace code before WordPress is fully loaded
  • Plugin does not need to be activated if started programmatically or from wp-config.php
  • Operates as a standalone plugin
  • Integrated with oik-lib shared library management
  • Easy to code APIs: bw_trace2(), bw_backtrace().
  • API supports multiple trace levels

Ad hoc tracing allows you to:

  • trace parameters
  • trace results
  • trace registered functions
  • trace the global post
  • set the priority for the trace hook
  • debug backtrace hook invocation
  • perform ‘string watch’ to watch for a particular string

The trace record output can include:

  • Fully qualified source file name
  • Trace record count and trace error count
  • Time stamp
  • Current filter information
  • Hook count
  • Number of database queries that have been performed.
  • Current post ID
  • Current and peak memory usage (in bytes)
  • Files loaded count
  • Contextual information

The output for action tracing can include trace records showing:

  • Count of action hooks and filters
  • Invocation of the ‘wp’ actions
  • Contents of the global wp_rewrite for the ‘wp’ action
  • Summary reports at ‘shutdown’
  • Information about deprecated logic
  • Information related to Errors, Warnings and Notices

0

  • Experimental Performance trace option
  • Experimental front end links to trace file and daily trace summary

Is there a tutorial?

See this page and short video

Introduction to oik-bwtrace

Can I get support?

Use the contact form on the oik-plugins website.

How can I contribute?

[github bobbingwide oik-bwtrace]

Further reading

If you want to read more about the oik plugins then please visit the

oik plugin

“the oik plugin – for often included key-information”

WordPress.org metadata

Plugin tags

Topics listed for this plugin in the WordPress.org directory.

  • ad hoc tracing
  • backtrace
  • debug
  • trace
Compatibility & maintenance

Compatibility & maintenance

Tested up to WordPress 6.8

Not yet marked as tested with WordPress 7.1. WordPress.org currently lists Tested up to 6.8.

Current WordPress releaseWordPress 7.1
WordPress.org Tested up to6.8
Minimum requirementsWordPress 5.0 · PHP 5.6
Update activity10 May 20251y ago

“Tested up to” is directory metadata supplied by the plugin author. WP PlugIndex does not turn an older declaration into a claim that the plugin is incompatible.

Changes recorded by WP PlugIndex

Recent tracked changes

No tracked version or compatibility changes have been recorded by WP PlugIndex yet.

Tracking & source

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