WordPress released the latest version of their website builder Gutenberg, introducing numerous features that make it easier to create websites with more control over the layout.
Version 16.9 of Gutenberg adds incremental improvements that together add up to an easier to use site editor.
WordPress Gutenberg 16.9
Gutenberg is the next generation WordPress website editor based on the concept of making it easy for anyone to build a website without requiring coding knowledge.
It uses the visual metaphor of blocks for creating a webpage, which becomes a process of adding blocks that represent the different parts of a webpage.
In addition to individual building blocks for creating a webpage Gutenberg also features patterns, which are complete webpage layouts made out of blocks.
Patterns provide users a starting point that only needs customization and speed up site development.
Gutenberg is now in phase two of a three phase development plan that is focused on perfecting full site editing the site creation process.
Version 16.9 delivers improvements to the following site editing and creation processes:
- Almost all blocks can be renamed
- Patterns can now be duplicated and more easily renamed
- Pattern categories can be renamed or deleted within the user interface
- There are new categories for audio and video media which makes it easier to organize them.
According to WordPress it allows “for better organisation of curated patterns.” - Reorganized the menu selections on the dimensions tool so that setting image dimensions (height, width, aspect ratio) is more intuitive.
- New CSS viewport-relative units feature (means that the size of a block is relative to the browser window)
- Plus many other features that improve the site editing process
Rename (Almost) All Blocks
The rename feature makes developing a website easier because users can now name blocks using words that make sense for the context.
This streamlines site creation because blocks can have meaningful names.
This is particularly useful for theme developers who can also provide meaningful names to blocks.
The only blocks that can’t be renamed are four blocks that are a sitewide design element or a placeholder:
- core/block
core/template-part
core/pattern
core/navigation
Pattern Renaming And Duplication
It was already possible to rename a pattern (a prebuilt webpage layout).
But a user would need to click out of the pattern editing screen then click into into another screen in order to rename the pattern.
This change makes it easier to rename a pattern directly within the pattern editing screen, streamlining the design process.
The pattern duplication is a similar improvement to the workflow.
Support For Viewport-Relative Units
This offers designers more options for creating better layouts that look good in different size viewports (visible part of a webpage in the browser).
WordPress explains the benefit of this change:
“Because we should not explicitly forbid the use of CSS units – which is what happens if they are not defined in our lists of available CSS units.”
WordPress 16.9 Makes Editing Is Easier
This release offers numerous improvements that make it easier to edit a website and offers more options for developers and theme designers.
Gutenberg gets better and better with each release.
Read the official WordPress Gutenberg announcement:
Featured Image by Shutterstock/TierneyMJ
