Move the cron form to a status report item, then link to the form if automated cron is enabled

Working on it.

Patch. Fixed IS.

Let's see.

Fix

I'm actually not convinced by all the changes you made in that issue. There seems to be multiple things. IMHO we should keep the existing form in system module + have a dedicated configuration form for automated cron, but not intersect the two.

1. +++ b/core/modules/aggregator/aggregator.module
   @@ -42,8 +42,10 @@ function aggregator_help($route_name, RouteMatchInterface $route_match) {
   +      if (\Drupal::moduleHandler()->moduleExists('automated_cron')) {
   +        $output .= '<dt>' . t('Configuring cron') . '</dt>';
   +        $output .= '<dd>' . t('A working <a href=":cron">cron maintenance task</a> is required to update feeds automatically.', array(':cron' => \Drupal::url('automated_cron.settings'))) . '</dd>';
   +      }
   
   +++ b/core/modules/search/search.module
   @@ -80,7 +80,12 @@ function search_help($route_name, RouteMatchInterface $route_match) {
   -      $output .= '<dd>' . t('Some search page plugins, such as the core Content search page, index searchable text using the Drupal core search index, and will not work unless content is indexed. Indexing is done during <em>cron</em> runs, so it requires a <a href=":cron">cron maintenance task</a> to be set up. There are also several settings affecting indexing that can be configured on the <a href=":search-settings">Search pages page</a>: the number of items to index per cron run, the minimum word length to index, and how to handle Chinese, Japanese, and Korean characters.', array(':cron' => \Drupal::url('system.cron_settings'), ':search-settings' => \Drupal::url('entity.search_page.collection'))) . '</dd>';
   +      if (\Drupal::moduleHandler()->moduleExists('automated_cron')) {
   +        $output .= '<dd>' . t('Some search page plugins, such as the core Content search page, index searchable text using the Drupal core search index, and will not work unless content is indexed. Indexing is done during <em>cron</em> runs, so it requires a <a href=":cron">cron maintenance task</a> to be set up. There are also several settings affecting indexing that can be configured on the <a href=":search-settings">Search pages page</a>: the number of items to index per cron run, the minimum word length to index, and how to handle Chinese, Japanese, and Korean characters.', [':cron' => \Drupal::url('automated_cron.settings'), ':search-settings' => \Drupal::url('entity.search_page.collection')]) . '</dd>';
   +      }
   +      else {
   
   +++ b/core/modules/search/src/SearchPageListBuilder.php
   @@ -184,11 +184,17 @@ public function buildForm(array $form, FormStateInterface $form_state) {
   +    if ($automated_cron = $this->moduleHandler()->moduleExists('automated_cron')) {
   +      $description = $this->t('Only items in the index will appear in search results. To build and maintain the index, a correctly configured <a href=":cron">cron maintenance task</a> is required.', [':cron' => \Drupal::url('automated_cron.settings')]);
   +    }
   +    else {
   +      $description = $this->t('Only items in the index will appear in search results. To build and maintain the index, a correctly configured cron maintenance task is required.');
   +    }
   

   That module check doens't make sense, cron is a generic functionality usable outside of the automated_cron module.

2. +++ /dev/null
   @@ -1,139 +0,0 @@
   -    );
   -    $form['run'] = array(
   -      '#type' => 'submit',
   -      '#value' => t('Run cron'),
   -    );
   -    $status = '<p>' . $this->t('Last run: %time ago.', array('%time' => $this->dateFormatter->formatTimeDiffSince($this->state->get('system.cron_last')))) . '</p>';
   -    $form['status'] = array(
   -      '#markup' => $status,
   -    );
   -
   

   This functionality doesn't make sense to live just in automated_cron module ...

@dawehner.

IMHO we should keep the existing form in system module + have a dedicated configuration form for automated cron, but not intersect the two.

In the absence of automated_cron module, the form simply duplicates what we already have in admin/reports/status, under "Cron maintenance tasks". Items provided in both:

• The cron status info (last run, etc).
• A trigger for manually running the cron (here we have the only difference because in the form this is a button, while in status is a link).
• The link to run cron from outside the site

So it's pure duplication. Also note that, without automated_cron module enabled, the form doesn't expose any value/config/setting to be saved. It's only info and a manual cron run trigger.

If we keep the actual form (from system), the IS must be redefined. I'm passing this issue to @catch for an evaluation because he raised first the concern that this form, in absence of automated_cron, is a duplication of status.

So it's pure duplication. Also note that, without automated_cron module enabled, the form doesn't expose any value/config/setting to be saved. It's only info and a manual cron run trigger.

Well, in this case I would get rid of the button in the first place.

Tagging for usability review. This comes down to whether the page is useful with no modules enabled and how the other modules either extend it or add their own administration pages without it.

I am not sure if the functionality changes in this patch offer any additional value to users? @catch could you entail what the goal is here? It seems to mainly just add clutter.

@Bojhan it removes the automated cron form (and hence the link to it in the admin interface), if the module isn't enabled. So there is more on status reports, but less menu items in admin/config. Also there is nothing to configure if the module isn't enabled, which makes it odd to have a configuration form.

When automated_cron is uninstalled, the form shows the same info as the status. The only difference is that the manual cron trigger is a button on the form, while it's a link on the status page. Without automated_cron that form has no settings to configure.

Reroll for 8.1.x.

I'm proposing not do cardinal changes and just override (read "extend") default form.

What does this mean for releasability - considering BC?

@Bojhan, I'm not sure I understand what you meant by. Changes means that:

- cron will not be triggered during saving its configuration;
- configuration saving will not performed by clicking on "Run cron";
- interval configuration ain't available when "automated_cron" module disabled.

Does it make sense for you?

Any updates?

Wonder if this is still a valid task. And what is needed for D10 to move this forward?

Since there hasn't been a follow up in over a year going to close out for now.

If still a valid task please reopen.