Uninstall - Is There Such A Thing?

Some plugins do linger it seems.

When you think of uninstall, do you think of completely removing something? The official definition for the word is as follows, (uninstall) To remove completely from a system. I ask this question because I have discovered a problem that needs to be addressed by WordPress plugin authors.

Over the lifespan of a WordPress installation, there may be a number of plugins that are installed and subsequently uninstalled. Typically, the installation of a WordPress plugin consist of uploading files, folders and then activating the plugin within the admin panel. However, some plugins include a bonus. These are the plugins that create database entries either in the form of tables or data.

As a Wordpress user I am often upgrading plugins which means uninstalling the existing version. I am sometimes a little miffed by the lack of documentation when it comes to upgrading a plugin.

Like do I need to do something with the database when uninstalling and/or upgrading? A full set of instructions wouldn’t go amiss. Too much information is better than not enough in instances like this.