Hello! This is the 74th weekly roundup of theme-related discussions, fixes, and developments in Gutenberg. This week we are trying a digest format. Please let us know what you think in the comments.
New directory names for block themes
In #36647 the names of the `block-templates` and `block-template-parts` changed to `templates` and `parts` respectively. The old directory names will continue to work as before. Please see this post for more details.
Changes to the navigation block
In #36863 the `__unstableLocation` attribute of the navigation block was given a lower priority than the contents of the block. This allows themes to provide a default navigation for users who don’t have classic menus set up, while at the same time allowing sites that have already implement classic menu locations to override them.
Templates in the Site Editor
#36613 proposes moving the header and footer templates to the top level of the Editor navigation. This seems like a good way to surface templates that are commonly used. The drawback is that it makes it harder for users to discover and understand other template parts. More input needed here.
Relatedly, #36612 suggests that “used” templates are marked so that users can see which ones are currently being rendered to users.
New Global Styles keys
In #36748 and #36645 the keys used when creating Global Styles were changed from `core` and `user` to `default` and `custom` respectively. Block themes will be unaffected by this change, but any plugins that hook into Global Styles maybe impacted.
Layout changes when selecting background colors.
When adding background colors to blocks, Gutenberg adds padding. #36971 raises some of the challenges that this presents. Without this padding blocks can look quite broken as content touches the edge of the block. Should we expect users to add this padding? Can we connect the selection of a background color to the padding setting? What do you think?
Exporting theme.json files
In #36619 theme.json files are added to the Site Editor export tool. This seems like a very useful addition for anyone who builds block themes. Let’s get it merged!
Sort keys alphabetically in theme.json
In #36968 the keys of the “core” theme.json file were reordered so that they are alphabetical. This seems like a good practice that all theme.json files should implement. Having a predictable order for keys makes it easier to find what you are looking for and helps avoid duplicate items.
As always, please weigh in on these issues and pull requests — your feedback is crucial and appreciated.
Overview Issues
- Default Theme (Twenty Twenty Two): Overview of Gutenberg issues: #75
- GS: The Global Styles Interface #34574
- FSE: Post Comments Loop Block: Tracking issue #34994
- FSE: Site Editing block placeholders #35501
- FSE: Templates list screen overview #36597
- DT: Typography Tools: Tracking defaults for blocks #35604
- Tracking: ToolsPanel Follow Ups #36165
General Resources:
- Full Site Editing Milestones
- GitHub Issues: Full Site Editing
- GitHub Issues: Themes
- Block-based Themes Reference
- Block-based Themes Tutorial
- Experimental-Themes.json
- Using the Block Editor for Theme Parts
- Printing navigation-block HTML from a legacy menu in themes
Thanks @jeffikus and @pbking for your help with this week’s summary. Please comment if there’s something you’d like to highlight 🙂
Abbreviation key:
DT: Design Tools
FSE: Full Site Editing
GS: Global Styles