Now that the time is approaching for the first release candidate of WordPress 6.7, we already have most of the new features that this version will include.
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Program transcript
Hello, I’m Alicia Ireland, and you’re listening to WPpodcast, bringing the weekly news from the WordPress Community.
In this episode, you’ll find the information from October 14th to 20th, 2024.
Matt wanted to thank Salesforce, the owners of Slack, for their donation of this tool to the community. With over 49,000 users on the instance (worth more than $8 million), there is consideration to upgrade to a higher version of the platform.
This contribution will be reflected in a new sponsorship section of the Five for the Future project.
Taking advantage of the explanation about Slack, the Code of Conduct for the community has also been modified to protect private conversations. Now, sharing private messages without consent is considered unacceptable behavior. This aims to ensure that private discussions among community members remain confidential, reinforcing trust and collaboration within the community. Messages may only be shared if necessary to report incidents to the response team.
With the arrival of WordPress 6.7 beta 3, it seems that a flow of all the details coming with the new version has begun, both with the Source of Truth and a large number of specific articles about some new features or changes.
This latest beta version includes 26 updates to the editor and 18 tickets for the core, compared to beta 2.
And the important question: what will WordPress 6.7 include?
Perhaps the highlight, as every year, is the release of the new theme: Twenty Twenty-Five.
The theme is aimed at a variety of bloggers, from simple personal blogs or photoblogs to more complex blogs, such as news sites that require advanced blocks. It includes style variations, templates, and page patterns.
Regarding Data Views, updates aim to make the views more customizable and functional, with features such as configurable information density, options to hide filters, column customization, and mobile interface improvements. Additionally, extensibility is enhanced with an API to manage third-party actions in data views. Actions like deleting, duplicating, and moving elements are optimized.
As for block support, design options have been expanded, including support for shadows in group blocks, and support for borders has been added to a variety of blocks such as buttons, comments, images, and more. Margin, color, and border radius controls have also been added in several blocks, allowing for more customization and flexibility in design without the need for additional code.
Improvements in Block Bindings allow for connecting dynamic data to block attributes and creating these links through a new graphical interface instead of just code. In this version, APIs have been added to extend this functionality, connection error warnings, and enhancements to the user experience, such as clearer text for non-developers. Currently, it is only possible to connect meta fields, but these options are expected to expand in the future.
Additionally, the Query Loop block is improved with a focus on simplicity. It now automatically inherits the template’s query, displaying content without additional configuration. The Post List option has been removed due to confusion. Key options, such as the number of posts and pagination, are consolidated in the sidebar, and new parameters for customizing queries, such as filtering by post format, are added. This makes it easier for beginners to use and provides more control for advanced users.
The new Zoom Out view facilitates content creation at the pattern level, allowing an overview of the structure of the page or template. Users can efficiently move, delete, and edit patterns, as well as quickly apply styles to upper blocks. The option is activatable from the toolbar and allows for large-scale design changes while maintaining detailed control over main elements without managing each block individually.
HEIC images are automatically converted to JPEG when uploaded, allowing them to be viewed in WP Admin and used in posts, even if the visitor’s browser does not support HEIC. This automatic conversion can be disabled using the image_editor_output_format filter in the PHP code, providing flexibility to developers.
The HTML standard for lazy-loaded images is implemented, automatically adding “auto” to the sizes attribute if the image has the loading="lazy" attribute. In supported browsers, this adjusts the size to the specific object of the image. In browsers that do not support this standard, “auto” is ignored without causing issues.
Recent updates to WordPress expand background image support to blocks like Quote, Verse, and Post Content, allowing for more customization without the need to nest blocks. A background image can also be applied globally through Styles in block themes, with options to configure fixed images. Additionally, a new interface is introduced to control background images, and reference values can be used in theme.json, enhancing flexibility and avoiding errors.
The integration of metaboxes in the post editor is improved with iframes, adding a split view that allows for seeing both the content and metaboxes at the same time. This ensures a more consistent visual experience between the editor and the site preview. Plugin developers will need to adapt their extensions for this change, especially if they use metaboxes. Additionally, interface improvements include the ability to resize metaboxes and save user preferences.
Updates to font management in WordPress improve the interface for creating, editing, and applying predefined font sizes, allowing for the activation of fluid typography and adjusting its values. Users can manage fonts more efficiently with a library organized by font and new options to activate or deactivate all fonts at once. The display has also improved when no fonts are installed.
Improvements such as the new template registration API simplify the integration of custom templates and template parts for plugins and themes. The preview options API is also improved, allowing for the addition of custom items to the preview menu. The Heartbeat API adjusts publication locking intervals for better collaboration. Furthermore, a new option is included to limit heading levels in key blocks.
Improvements to the editor’s toolbar are also introduced, with buttons reorganized for greater clarity. It adds the option to hide the Choose a Pattern modal when creating pages and improves the persistence of images in progress. The “pattern shuffling” functionality is also adjusted, and writing flow enhancements are implemented, such as inserting multiple images at once. Visual examples for blocks make them easier to find, and the site editor receives style and typography improvements.
On a more technical side, WordPress 6.7 introduces enhancements to the Interactivity API, including bug fixes and new APIs for handling data asynchronously. The HTML API has also been updated for complete processing of HTML documents and the option to separate time fields in TimePicker. Developers can define block variations through PHP files and dynamically override styles. A clearfix solution has been added for the Post Content block and compatibility improvements with PHP 8.x.
In the Developer Blog, an article explores how mastering the theme.json file can reduce the need for writing CSS. Global settings, style variations, and custom settings for themes, including colors, fonts, and specific styles for blocks, are covered. It also highlights when it is still necessary to use CSS.
The Test team has introduced its two new representatives, who will be Olga Gleckler and Krupa Nanda.
The Design team is once again presenting its proposals, starting with a possible change to the top editing bar, which would be reduced to a small area with the possibility of expanding for both editing and the menu.
Another new feature being worked on is a native dark mode in the admin panel, showcasing a color palette in both positive and negative.
Overall, a design proposal for WordPress Photos and the sponsorships for Five for the Future has been presented for the website.
The Accessibility team seems to be resuming meetings, but will do so monthly due to concerns raised about site access and the ability to publish content on the team’s website.
The Training team has announced the upcoming edition of the [Learn WordPress course focused on plugin development](https://make.wordpress.org/training/2024/10/13/announcing-the-next-learn-word
press-course-cohort/). It is designed for beginner developers and will cover everything from setting up a local development environment to key concepts like custom post types, CSS, and JavaScript. The course will begin the week of November 4, 2024, and will last six weeks.
The Photos team has announced its new team representatives, who will be Nilo Velez, Bigul Malayi, and Michele Butcher-Jones.
A few weeks ago, the Internet Archive reported that, after a DDoS attack and the exposure of user emails and encrypted passwords, they had to temporarily disable their site to improve security.
Although some of their systems have already been restored, the WordPress Foundation has approved a $100,000 donation to help restore the archive and its functions.
From the latest Foundation meeting, some details can also be gathered.
In the financial summary, the foundation has a cash position of $264,680, with an increase in donations of $12,952 compared to the previous year. Banking strategies and the possibility of moving funds to money market accounts were also discussed.
In the program summary, 8 charity hackathons and over 21 websites were held. Additionally, 8,600 people completed courses in Learn WordPress. Meetups and WordCamps also saw increased participation.
In the news, the new executive director, Mary Hubbard, was announced. New semiannual meetings are also planned to review financial and programmatic progress.
And finally, this podcast is distributed under a Creative Commons license as a derivative version of the podcast in Spanish; you can find all the links for more information, and the podcast in other languages, at WPpodcast .org.
Thanks for listening, and until the next episode!
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