Extra permission to allow users to download the template but no need to grant the general feed permission

I'm not so sure about this. What is the point of having access to the Feeds download template, without having access to import a file that can be created using the template?

Code review:

1. +++ b/feeds.module
   @@ -317,7 +322,7 @@ function feeds_menu() {
   -    'access callback' => 'feeds_access',
   +    'access callback' => 'feeds_template_access',
        'access arguments' => array('import', 1),
   

   This change will cause that users who are allowed to import now can no longer download the Feeds template. Shouldn't the import permission inherit the download template permission? If not, then there should be an update function to add the permission for people who are now allowed to import. Also in this case, the link to the download template should not be shown on the import form if the user is not allowed to download the template.

2. +++ b/feeds.module
   @@ -477,6 +482,23 @@ function feeds_page_access() {
   +  foreach (feeds_enabled_importers() as $id) {
   +    if (user_access("Access template $id feeds")) {
   +      return TRUE;
   +    }
   +  }
   

   This just checks if an user has access to any importers template, rather than the template of the importer in question.

It sounds like this feature would fit better in a custom module. In that module you could implement hook_menu_alter() to change the access callback.

I could you this extra permission for my site very well. I have quite some users which are allowed to fill in a template but I do not want to give them the permission to do the import itself, because I want to do this myself after a thorough check of the data. Currently I have to provide the latest template for the feeds importer by downloading and sending it by mail, and it would be very handy of I could provide them the link with the (latest version) template file instead!

Thanks for your efforts and explanations, though I still think this feature is an edge case. And it can easily be implemented in a custom module. I also think that an user with permission to import should always be able to download the template; I can't think of any case where one may import but may not download the template.

Custom module example:

/**
 * Implements hook_menu_alter().
 */
function mymodule_menu_alter(&$items) {
  // Change the access callback for the Feeds importer template.
  if (isset($items['import/%feeds_importer/template'])) {
    $items['import/%feeds_importer/template']['access callback'] = 'mymodule_importer_template_access';
    $items['import/%feeds_importer/template']['access arguments'] = array(1);
  }
}

/**
 * Menu access callback for generating the importer template.
 *
 * @param FeedsImporter $importer
 *   The importer to check access for.
 *
 * @return bool
 *   TRUE if access should be granted.
 *   FALSE otherwise.
 */
function mymodule_importer_template_access(FeedsImporter $importer) {
  // (your logic here)
}

I agree with MegaChriz. It's a nice idea, but works perfectly fine in a separate module.

@ikeigenwijs
To make the custom module approach more flexible, you could implement permissions in there.

/**
 * Implements hook_permission().
 */
function mymodule_permission() {
  foreach (feeds_importer_load_all() as $importer) {
    $perms["template $importer->id feeds"] = array(
      'title' => t('Download template from @name feeds', array('@name' => $importer->config['name'])),
      'description' => t('Users with this permission can get the template to fill in.')
    );
  }
  return $perms;
}