node_access() prevent modules from applying grants on $node->status == 0

Hi,

Severals have been in trouble working with workflow module: #481532: Workflow Access grants not always respected

Workflow Access module defines grants on each node (view, update, delete). Everything is working perfectly as soon as the node is published ($node->status == 1).

But if the node isn't published ($node->status == 0) then Workflow Access defined grants are no longer applied. I found that this is prevent from happening in node.module node_access() function, on line 2035:

// If the module did not override the access rights, use those set in the
// node_access table.
if ($op != 'create' && $node->nid && $node->status)  {
 // retrieve modules specific grants from node_access table
}

So I checked code from the same function in current D7 source code, and it's doing this the right way, I think:

// If the module did not override the access rights, use those set in the
// node_access table.
if ($op != 'create' && $node->nid) {
  $query = db_select('node_access');
  $query->addExpression('COUNT(*)');
  $query->condition('grant_' . $op, 1, '>=');
  $nids = db_or()->condition('nid', $node->nid);
  if ($node->status) {
    $nids->condition('nid', 0);
  }
  $query->condition($nids);

  $grants = db_or();
  foreach (node_access_grants($op, $account) as $realm => $gids) {
    foreach ($gids as $gid) {
      $grants->condition(db_and()
        ->condition('gid', $gid)
        ->condition('realm', $realm)
      );
    }
  }
  if (count($grants) > 0 ) {
    $query->condition($grants);
  }
  return $query
    ->execute()
    ->fetchField();
}

So I think we should apply the same behaviour for D6. I don't see any reason for preventing modules to apply specific grants if a node isn't published yet. This is really useful in editorial workflow stuff.

To be honest, there is maybe a reason why this is done this way, but I can't see why, maybe someone could tell me.

I attach a really small patch here, which removes this statement condition in case no one see a reason to keep it.

Thank you,
Jérémy