User roles property should always be an array, but they sometimes become an object in localized data

[haruncpi]

When filtering user roles using array_filter() by get_role_caps method in wp-includes/class-wp-user.php, the resulting $this->roles array can end up with non-sequential numeric keys if some roles are removed. This causes WP_User->roles to be treated as a JavaScript object instead of an array when passed through wp_localize_script() — breaking client-side expectations.

For example:

$current_user = wp_get_current_user();

$local_data = array(
    'current_user' => array(
        'id' => $current_user->ID,
        'roles' => $current_user->roles,
    ),
);

wp_localize_script( 'myplugin-frontend', '_myplugin_object', $local_data );

If roles contains keys like [0 => 'editor', 2 => 'custom'], the resulting JSON becomes:

{ roles: { "0": "editor", "2": "custom" } }

Instead of

{ roles: ["editor", "custom"] }

This patch fixes the issue by reindexing the array with array_values() to ensure the result is always a proper, sequential array.

Ticket’s URL
https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/63427

[github-actions]

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[github-actions]

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[github-actions]

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[getsyash]

Test Report

I’ve tested this PR and can confirm that it works as expected. After applying the changes, the $current_user->roles array is properly reindexed using array_values(), ensuring sequential keys. The localized JSON output now correctly produces an array instead of a JavaScript object, which resolves the client-side issue.

Tested with multiple role combinations, including cases where some roles were removed — everything behaves correctly. ✅

Testing environment:

WordPress Version: 6.8.1
PHP Version: 8.2.27
Theme: TwentyTwentyFive
Plugins: None installed
OS: Windows

Thanks for the Fix