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Backwards Compatibility Review

Summary

Risk Level: None

This PR contains no breaking changes. The modification is a pure internal performance optimization that adjusts when post caches are primed during product queries. The change:

1. Fixes a bug where cache priming was skipped for the default query case (when return parameter is not set)
2. Now primes caches for all scenarios except when explicitly returning IDs only
3. Does not modify any public/protected API signatures, hook parameters, return types, or observable behaviors
4. The only difference is performance - queries will execute faster due to proper cache priming

The PR author's claim of "internal optimization only, no API changes" is accurate.

Technical Analysis

Changes Made (class-wc-product-data-store-cpt.php:2362):

Before:

if ( isset( $query_vars['return'] ) && 'objects' === $query_vars['return'] && ! empty( $query->posts ) ) {
    update_post_caches( $query->posts, array( 'product', 'product_variation' ) );
}

After:

if ( ! empty( $query->posts ) && ( ! isset( $query_vars['return'] ) || 'ids' !== $query_vars['return'] ) ) {
    update_post_caches( $query->posts, array( 'product', 'product_variation' ) );
}

What Changed:

• Cache priming now executes when return is not set (the default case)
• Cache priming now executes when return='objects' (already worked)
• Cache priming is skipped only when return='ids' (correct, as no product instantiation occurs)

Why This is BC-Safe:

1. No API signature changes: The query() method signature remains identical (class-wc-product-data-store-cpt.php:2347)

2. No hook changes: The method does not add, remove, or modify any do_action or apply_filters calls. The existing hooks in WC_Product_Query::get_products() (woocommerce_product_object_query_args and woocommerce_product_object_query) fire in the exact same order with the same parameters.

3. No return type changes:

   • return='ids': Still returns array of post IDs
   • return='objects' or not set: Still returns array of WC_Product objects
   • paginate=true: Still returns object with products, total, max_num_pages properties

4. No timing-sensitive side effects: update_post_caches() is a WordPress core function that:

   • Populates internal WordPress object caches
   • Is idempotent (safe to call multiple times)
   • Does not trigger hooks or modify database state
   • Only affects subsequent cache reads within the same request

5. Default return value: The parent class WC_Object_Query defines 'return' => 'objects' as the default (abstract-wc-object-query.php:92), meaning when not explicitly set, the behavior is equivalent to 'objects' which was already being optimized.

Ecosystem Impact Assessment:

✅ Payment Gateways: No impact - gateways don't typically hook into product query internals or cache priming

✅ WooCommerce Subscriptions: No impact - extensions use public APIs (wc_get_products(), WC_Product_Query) which are unchanged

✅ WooCommerce Bookings/Memberships: No impact - same reason as above

✅ Custom Themes/Templates: No impact - no template file changes, no changes to product object properties or methods

✅ Custom Checkout Flows: No impact - product instantiation behavior is identical, just faster

✅ Extensions filtering queries: Extensions using woocommerce_product_object_query_args or woocommerce_product_object_query hooks will see no behavioral changes, only performance improvements

Potential Edge Cases Considered:

1. ❓ Could earlier cache priming affect extensions expecting uncached data?

   • No: WordPress cache is request-scoped and per-object. Extensions cannot reliably detect or depend on whether data is cached vs. fetched from DB, as core WP and WC already cache aggressively and inconsistently.

2. ❓ Could the timing change affect query counts in debugging/profiling tools?

   • Yes, intentionally: This is the point - reducing N+1 queries from ~50 individual queries to 1 batch query. Tools like Query Monitor will show the improvement. This is not a BC break.

3. ❓ Could plugins hooking into posts_pre_query or similar WP filters be affected?

   • No: update_post_caches() is called after WP_Query completes (line 2357), so all WP query filters have already fired.

Testing Focus

While no BC risks were identified, regression testing should cover:

1. Product Query Variations:

   // Test all return parameter scenarios
   wc_get_products( ['limit' => 50] );                          // Not set (default)
   wc_get_products( ['limit' => 50, 'return' => 'objects'] );  // Explicit objects
   wc_get_products( ['limit' => 50, 'return' => 'ids'] );      // IDs only

2. Product Types: Verify with simple, variable, grouped, external products and variations

3. Paginated Queries: Test paginate=true with various page sizes

4. Filtered Queries: Test with category, tag, attribute filters

5. Extensions Using Product Queries:

   • WooCommerce Subscriptions product loading
   • Any custom extensions using wc_get_products() in loops
   • Admin product lists and filtering

6. Performance Validation: Use Query Monitor or similar to confirm query count reduction (this is a positive change, not a risk)

Expected Results: All queries should return identical results but with fewer database queries logged.

Confidence

95% - The change is extremely localized, well-understood, and affects only internal cache timing. The 5% uncertainty accounts for potential unknown edge cases in exotic custom extensions that might have unusual dependencies on query timing (highly unlikely given WordPress's existing caching behavior). The change has been correctly implemented and the PR description's technical analysis is accurate.

Conclusion

No breaking changes detected. This is a safe performance optimization that fixes a bug where cache priming was incorrectly skipped for the most common query scenario. The change:

• ✅ Maintains full API compatibility
• ✅ Preserves all hook firing order and parameters
• ✅ Does not modify return types or values
• ✅ Only affects internal cache timing (transparent to extensions)
• ✅ Properly categorized as significance: patch in changelog
• ✅ Correctly labeled as type: performance

Recommendation: Approve for merge. No deprecation notices required, no migration guide needed, no ecosystem coordination necessary.