Jonathan Desrosiers 12:17 am on January 11, 2025
Tags: 6-8 ( 57 ), core ( 631 )

WordPress 6.8: Release Squad, Timeline, and Focus

Thank you to all who volunteered as interested in serving on the WordPress 6.8 release squad! After collecting all of the volunteers, reviewing active initiatives and tickets currently in the milestone, contributor availability in various areas, and planned events or holidays the following squad, timeline, and focus has been assembled.

Release Squad

Release LeadRelease Lead The community member ultimately responsible for the Release. – Matt Mullenweg
Coordination – Jeffrey Paul & Michelle Frechette
Tech Leads – Joe McGill, Jonathan Desrosiers, George Mamadashvili
Triagetriage The act of evaluating and sorting bug reports, in order to decide priority, severity, and other factors. Lead – Jb Audras
Design Lead – Tammie Lister
Performance Lead – Felix Arntz
Test Lead – Krupa Nanda

This squad continues the experiment that started in 6.7 of merging the MarComms (Marketing and Communications) Lead with Release Coordination in order to gather more feedback on that experiment. This can change during the process for future releases if needed. The squad is also a bit smaller than usual because of this release being a polish and bugbug A bug is an error or unexpected result. Performance improvements, code optimization, and are considered enhancements, not defects. After feature freeze, only bugs are dealt with, with regressions (adverse changes from the previous version) being the highest priority. fix release. Also of note, the CoreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. Tech Lead and Editor Tech Lead roles have been combined into a single “Tech Leads” role as part of the continued initiative to support a more closely coordinated effort across GutenbergGutenberg The Gutenberg project is the new Editor Interface for WordPress. The editor improves the process and experience of creating new content, making writing rich content much simpler. It uses ‘blocks’ to add richness rather than shortcodes, custom HTML etc. https://wordpress.org/gutenberg/ and Core.

Aaron Jorbin has volunteered to continue managing tickets and will organize minor releases as necessary for the remainder of the 6.8 release cycle.

Release Timeline

As a reminder, here are a few of the key milestones for the release:

BetaBeta A pre-release of software that is given out to a large group of users to trial under real conditions. Beta versions have gone through alpha testing in-house and are generally fairly close in look, feel and function to the final product; however, design changes often occur as part of the process. 1: March 4, 2025
Release Candidaterelease candidate One of the final stages in the version release cycle, this version signals the potential to be a final release to the public. Also see alpha (beta). 1: March 25, 2025
General Release: April 15, 2025

Please refer to the WordPress 6.8 Development Cycle page for the full release schedule.

Release Focus

After evaluating the current active initiatives, there will likely be fewer features ready to ship when compared to other recent major releases. As a result, 6.8 will focus primarily on being a polish and bug fix release. New features will be considered if deemed reasonably ready.

A WordPress release is put together by the entire community and the release squad only represents a fraction of the contributors to a release. If you are looking to get involved, please join the #core channel in SlackSlack Slack is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform https://slack.com/. The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at https://make.wordpress.org/chat/. where there are weekly chats on Wednesday at 20:00 UTC and bi-weekly new contributor onboarding meetings on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month at 19:00 UTC.

Props @jorbin, @joemcgill, @jeffpaul, @marybaum, @4thhubbard, @davidbaumwald, @courane01 for prepublish review.

#6-8

Joe Dolson 9:35 pm on March 25, 2025
Tags: 6-8 ( 57 ), dev-notes ( 570 ), dev-notes-6-8 ( 12 )

Accessibility Improvements in WordPress 6.8

WordPress 6.8 introduces a comprehensive set of accessibilityAccessibility Accessibility (commonly shortened to a11y) refers to the design of products, devices, services, or environments for people with disabilities. The concept of accessible design ensures both “direct access” (i.e. unassisted) and “indirect access” meaning compatibility with a person’s assistive technology (for example, computer screen readers). (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accessibility) improvements across WordPress CoreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. and the GutenbergGutenberg The Gutenberg project is the new Editor Interface for WordPress. The editor improves the process and experience of creating new content, making writing rich content much simpler. It uses ‘blocks’ to add richness rather than shortcodes, custom HTML etc. https://wordpress.org/gutenberg/ BlockBlock Block is the abstract term used to describe units of markup that, composed together, form the content or layout of a webpage using the WordPress editor. The idea combines concepts of what in the past may have achieved with shortcodes, custom HTML, and embed discovery into a single consistent API and user experience. Editor, making the platform more inclusive and user-friendly. These updates span administration, customization, themes, editing workflows, and the block editor, ensuring a smoother experience for users relying on assistive technologies.

Core

In WordPress Core, improvements include 33 accessibility fixes across all bundled themes, completion of a long-term effort to remove title attributes in the adminadmin (and super admin) interface, and better navigation menuNavigation Menu A theme feature introduced with Version 3.0. WordPress includes an easy to use mechanism for giving various control options to get users to click from one place to another on a site. management. The CustomizerCustomizer Tool built into WordPress core that hooks into most modern themes. You can use it to preview and modify many of your site’s appearance settings. and Administration areas have significant updates, from more descriptive labels, clearer screen reader feedback, and better motion preferences support.

Administration

Several accessibility enhancements to the admin interface make it easier for all users, including those relying on assistive technologies, to navigate and interact with the dashboard. These updates improve clarity, feedback mechanisms, and usability across key administrative areas.

Simplified ‘Add New’ Labels

The ‘Add New’ labels for core post types have been streamlined. For instance, ‘Add New Post’ is now ‘Add Post’, reducing verbosity and aligning with Gutenberg’s button labeling conventions (#61219).

Screen Reader Confirmation for Screen Options

When users adjust settings in the Screen Options panel, screen readers now announce confirmations of saved changes. This provides immediate feedback, enhancing the experience for visually impaired users (#62550).

Elimination of Empty Author Links

In list tables, entries without an assigned author used to display empty anchor tags. That caused usability issues for keyboard and screen reader users. Now, if no author is assigned, the field displays an em dash (—) with a screen reader-friendly ‘(no author)’ label, improving clarity and accessibility (#62913).

Removal of title Attributes

Lots of unnecessary and often redundant title attributes have been removed from the WordPress admin interface, making the interface easier to use for visually impaired users and more in line with best accessibility practices.

This change continues a broader effort started in WordPress 3.7 (#24766).

Customizer

In the Customizer, WordPress 6.8’s accessibility improvements add clarity, reduce unnecessary attributes, and make life easier for assistive technologyAssistive technology Assistive technology is an umbrella term that includes assistive, adaptive, and rehabilitative devices for people with disabilities and also includes the process used in selecting, locating, and using them. Assistive technology promotes greater independence by enabling people to perform tasks that they were formerly unable to accomplish, or had great difficulty accomplishing, by providing enhancements to, or changing methods of interacting with, the technology needed to accomplish such tasks. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assistive_technology users. They restore proper heading semantics, improve widgetWidget A WordPress Widget is a small block that performs a specific function. You can add these widgets in sidebars also known as widget-ready areas on your web page. WordPress widgets were originally created to provide a simple and easy-to-use way of giving design and structure control of the WordPress theme to the user. area selection, and respect user motion preferences.

Restoring Heading Semantics in Customizer Navigation Menus

WordPress 6.8 removes the role="presentation" attribute from <h4> section headings in the Customizer’s navigation menus. This change restores proper heading semantics, making the Customizer interface easier to navigate for users relying on assistive technologies (#62215).

Displaying SidebarSidebar A sidebar in WordPress is referred to a widget-ready area used by WordPress themes to display information that is not a part of the main content. It is not always a vertical column on the side. It can be a horizontal rectangle below or above the content area, footer, header, or any where in the theme. Descriptions in Widget Area Selection

The Customizer’s widget area selection now displays sidebar descriptions directly below their names, replacing the previous title attribute tooltips. This adjustment makes sidebar information more accessible to all users, particularly those using assistive technologies (#62836).

Respecting Reduced Motion Preferences in the Customizer

The Customizer now respects users’ preferences to minimize non-essential motion, as indicated by the prefers-reduced-motion media query. This enhancementenhancement Enhancements are simple improvements to WordPress, such as the addition of a hook, a new feature, or an improvement to an existing feature. reduces animations and transitions for users who have opted for reduced motion, providing a more comfortable experience (#62806).

Editing

Several accessibility improvements to the editor experience make it more intuitive and user-friendly for all users, including those relying on assistive technologies. These updates simplify interface elements, improve keyboard navigation, and remove redundant attributes for a more accessible editing workflow.

Conditional Display of ‘Disable the Visual Editor’ Option

The ‘Disable the visual editor when writing’ option in user profiles has changed. Now it only appears if it is currently enabled, allowing users who have previously disabled the visual editor to re-enable it. For users who have not disabled the visual editor, the option is hidden, simplifying the user interface and reducing potential confusion (#34681).

Renaming the ‘Text’ Tab to ‘Code’

The ‘Text’ tab in the Classic Editor is now called ‘Code’. This change makes it clear to nontechnical users that the tab is for code editing. (#38061).

Removal of Redundant title Attributes in Classic Editor

WordPress 6.8 moves the title attributes used with placeholder images in the classic editor to the alt attribute. Where images previously did not differentiate between different placeholders, they have been replaced with unique images. (#62861).

Ensuring Visibility of Screen Reader Shortcuts in Block Editor

Screen reader shortcuts are now consistently visible, so users with visual impairments can access necessary navigation aids regardless of screen size. This fixes an issue where the shortcuts were hidden in the block editor on smaller screens (#63084).

Miscellaneous

Beyond updates across core components, WordPress 6.8 adds several accessibility enhancements that refine various admin interfaces, semantic HTMLHTML HyperText Markup Language. The semantic scripting language primarily used for outputting content in web browsers., and content interactions for a more inclusive experience.

Improved Feedback for Password-Protected Posts

Users who enter an incorrect password on a password-protected post will now see an error message, improving feedback and reducing confusion (#37332).

Accessible Validation for Custom Menu Links

The validation process for custom links in the admin menu is now consistent and accessible, so invalidinvalid A resolution on the bug tracker (and generally common in software development, sometimes also notabug) that indicates the ticket is not a bug, is a support request, or is generally invalid. URLs trigger accessible feedback for sighted users and users of screen readers (#60969).

Updated screen-reader-text CSSCSS Cascading Style Sheets. Class

The screen-reader-text class and its local implementations have eliminated outdated clip and -webkit-clip properties to improve styling consistency. (#62238).

Fix for Comment Reply Form Escape Key Behavior

Pressing Escape to close the comment reply form no longer causes content loss (#62346).

Removal of Redundant title Attributes

6.8 removes the title attribute on the shortlink function (the_shortlink()), for cleaner markup and better compatibility with screen readers (#62838).

The title attributes in the calendar widget column headers are also gone, as are any redundant or unclear tooltips (#62860).

Improved HTML Semantics in Site Health Info Tables

The Site Health Info tables have better structured HTML, making it easier for assistive technologies to parse and read content (#62880).

Themes

Several accessibility enhancements have come to the Themes component, improving navigation, readability, and customization.

Theme Details Dialog Overlay

The Theme Details dialog previously obscured the admin sidebar sub-menu navigation, hindering accessibility. Thanks to this fix, the dialog no longer hides the sidebar, allowing seamless navigation (#41155).

“Skip to Content” Link Enhancement

The “Skip to content” link lacked a corresponding ID, reducing its effectiveness for keyboard navigation. Now the main content area has a unique ID, so users can bypass repetitive elements more efficiently (#62311).

Improved aria-current Management for Custom Logos

The logic to show that a linked logo pointed to the current page has improved, so users of screen readers get better information. (#62879)

Removal of Redundant Title Attributes

Title attributes in theme list tables, often redundant and confusing, are now gone. The result: a cleaner and more accessible interface (#62834).

Support for :focus-visible Pseudo-Selector in theme.jsonJSON JSON, or JavaScript Object Notation, is a minimal, readable format for structuring data. It is used primarily to transmit data between a server and web application, as an alternative to XML.

To enhance focus styles, particularly for keyboard users, theme.json supports the :focus-visible pseudo-selector. That lets theme developers define focus styles apply only when an element receives focus via keyboard navigation (#62906).

Bundled Themes

WordPress 6.8 adds accessibility enhancements across multiple bundled themes that refine skip links, menu interactions, and accessibility attributes to enhance the experience for all users.

Skip Link Placement Adjustments

Twenty Ten: The skip link now appears earlier in the markup for better keyboard navigation (#14795).
Twenty Twelve, Thirteen, and Fourteen: Now skip links appear before navigation elements, ensuring a logical tab order (#62967, #62968, #62969).

ARIA Attribute Improvements in Menus

Twenty Twelve: The mobile menu button now includes an aria-expanded attribute to indicate its state (#62892).
Twenty Fifteen: Updates to ARIA attributes ensure the primary menu is properly labeled for assistive technologies (#62936).
Twenty Nineteen: Limits the scope of aria-haspopup and aria-expanded attributes only to menu items with submenus, reducing unnecessary attributes (#62896).
Twenty Twenty: The horizontal menu’s submenus are now dismissible, making it easier to close expanded menus (#49950).
Twenty Twenty-One: The primary menu now includes aria-controls attributes, ensuring proper interaction for screen reader users (#62973).

Improved Accessibility for Site Titles

Bundled themes now add accessibility attributes to the site title link, making it easier for assistive technologies to interpret site navigation (#62895).

Gutenberg

The Block Editor saw over 70 accessibility enhancements that enhance core blocks, global styles, popovers, tooltips, and the editor interface itself. Additionally, improvements to the DataViews component refine media selection, layout semantics, and interactive elements, ensuring a more accessible editing experience.

Blocks

WordPress 6.8 introduces significant accessibility enhancements to Gutenberg’s core blocks, improving usability, clarity, and assistive technology support. Updates include better labeling and terminology for the Query LoopLoop The Loop is PHP code used by WordPress to display posts. Using The Loop, WordPress processes each post to be displayed on the current page, and formats it according to how it matches specified criteria within The Loop tags. Any HTML or PHP code in the Loop will be processed on each post. https://codex.wordpress.org/The_Loop., Post URLURL A specific web address of a website or web page on the Internet, such as a website’s URL www.wordpress.org, and Navigation blocks, ensuring clearer communication for all users. Focus management fixes include preventing focus loss in the Site Logo block and improving keyboard navigation for the Site Icon component. Refinements to ARIA attributes and tooltips across Image, Video, and Navigation blocks eliminate redundant elements and improve screen reader compatibility.

In short, the 6.8 block editor is the most accessible, intuitive, and inclusive it’s ever been:

Query Loop Block Enhancements: Made the display settings labels for the Query Loop block clearer to users (#65524).
Post URL Accessibility: Made the terminology in the Post URL component more intuitive for all users (#63669).
Radius Control Simplification: Removed unnecessary, confusing tooltip components from the radius control linked button (#66274).
Featured ImageFeatured image A featured image is the main image used on your blog archive page and is pulled when the post or page is shared on social media. The image can be used to display in widget areas on your site or in a summary list of posts. Alt Text: Added alt text and fallback options for featured images in the editor sidebar, ensuring better accessibility for screen readers (#66189).
Link Preview Improvements: Made labeling of link previews more accessible, informative, and user-friendly (#60908).
Site Icon Focus Fix: Addressed focus issues with the Site Icon component, ensuring consistent and expected behavior (#66952).
Image Block ARIA Attributes: Added the aria-haspopup property to the Image block’s “More tools” menu items, improving screen reader interactions (#66815).
Video Block Tooltip Removal: Eliminated unnecessary tooltips from the Video block’s text tracks button (#66716).
Navigation Block ARIA Label: Fixed the ariaLabel block support in the Navigation block, ensuring accurate labeling for assistive technologies (#66943).
Featured Image UIUI User interface Enhancement: Gave clearer user feedback for featured images when the image file cannot be retrieved (#66936).
Video Track Editor Accessibility: Made the video track editor more accessible, navigable and usable for all users (#66832).
Menu Selection Label Fix: Corrected the “Choose menu” label when a menu has been deleted to give users accurate information (#67009).
Site Logo Focus Preservation: Prevented focus loss when updating media from the sidebar in the Site Logo component for a seamless editing experience (#68621).
Lightbox Feature Label Consistency: Fixed inconsistent labels for the Lightbox feature for uniform terminology across the editor and frontend (#68261).
Navigation Element Labeling: Replaced the term “navigation” with “menu” in navigation element labels, aligning with accessibility best practices (#68683).
Navigation Link Tooltip Removal: Removed non-interactive tooltips from Navigation Link blocks (#68628).

DataViews

In the latest updates to Gutenberg’s DataViews component, several accessibility improvements have been implemented to enhance user interaction and compliance with accessibility standards.

Badge Color Contrast Adjustment: Improved the color contrast of badges, for readability for users with visual impairments (#66360).
Focus Management Fixes: Fixed issues where focus was lost after removing or resetting all filters, for a consistent user experience (#67003).
Keyboard Interaction Enhancements: Enforced expected keyboard behavior, that pressing the spacebar triggers media buttons in grid view (#67791).
Accessible Naming for Media Buttons: Added accessible names to media buttons in page view grids, improving screen reader navigation (#67690).
Semantic HTML Corrections: Removed inappropriate use of the grid role on ul elements in list layouts, following semantic HTML practices (#67849).
Visible Focus Indicators: Addressed the lack of visible focus styles on media items in grid view, so users can identify focused elements (#67789).
Simplified Checkbox Labels: Removed extraneous labeling from checkboxes in data views, improving the interface for assistive technologies (#67868).

Miscellaneous

WordPress 6.8 introduces several accessibility improvements that improve editor responsiveness, modal dialogs, search inputs, button components, motion preferences, color contrast, and focus management.

Editor Resizability and Responsiveness

Resizable Editor with Keyboard Support – Users can now adjust the editor size using arrow keys, improving accessibility for keyboard users (#65546).
Responsive .screen-reader-text CSS – Updates ensure better readability and responsiveness for screen reader text across devices (#66145).

Modal Dialogs and Popovers

Improved Modal Dialog Accessibility – Enhancements to modal dialogs make them more accessible for screen reader users (#65941).
Popover Close Button Labeling – The close button in popovers now includes accessible labels, aiding assistive technology users (#66813).

Search Inputs and Global Styles

Consistent Search Input Labeling – Visible labels now match actual labels in search inputs (#65458).
Global Styles Menu Labeling – Adjustments prevent mismatches between visible labels and accessible names in global styles menus (#65124).

Snackbar Notices and Sidebar Navigation

Snackbar Notice Consistency – Fixes ensure uniform messaging and behavior across snackbar notices (#66405).
Sidebar Navigation Focus Visibility – The focus style in sidebar navigation is now fully visible, to aid keyboard navigation (#67817).

Button Components and Motion Preferences

Button Component Enhancements – Secondary variant buttons now include hover styles, and unnecessary tooltips have been removed (#67325, #68498).
Reduced Motion Handling – Standardized handling of reduced motion preferences ensures a better experience for users sensitive to motion (#68417, #68426, #68425, #68423, #68315).

Color Picker and Contrast Checker

Color Picker Accessibility – The color picker includes accessible labels for copy buttons (#67094).
Contrast Checker CSS Simplification – Unnecessary CSS properties have been removed from the contrast checker in the color hook (#68055).

Pattern Modal and Post Editor

Pattern Modal Focus Management – When the user inserts a pattern, the modal closes. Focus shifts to the newly inserted pattern (#68975).
Post Editor CSS Class Fixes – Corrections make theming and functionality consistent in the post editor’s iframe body (#68481).

Keyboard Navigation and Screen Reader Enhancements

Improved Speak Messages for Mode Switching – Screen readers now announce clearer messages when users switch editor modes (#66278).
Speak ‘Block Moved’ Notification for Keyboard Users – Users moving blocks with keyboard actions now receive an audible confirmation from screen readers (#64966).

UI Consistency and Focus Management

Fix Inconsistent Sidebar Close Button Sizes – Sidebar close buttons have consistent sizing across the interface (#66756).
Increase Modal Close Button Size – The close button in modals is bigger (#66792).
Improve ‘Last Modified’ RevisionsRevisions The WordPress revisions system stores a record of each saved draft or published update. The revision system allows you to see what changes were made in each revision by dragging a slider (or using the Next/Previous buttons). The display indicates what has changed in each revision. Button Accessibility – The Revisions button has better labeling for screen reader users (#66606).
Improve Accessibility of the Warning Component – Enhanced the Warning component to improve contrast, visibility, and screen reader support in the block editor (#67433).
Improve EntitiesSavedStates Modal Dialog Design & Labeling – Better visual clarity and accessibility of the EntitiesSavedStates modal (#67792).

Refinements in Block Patterns, Global Styles, and Layout Components

Fix Visual Title and Tooltip Inconsistencies in Block Patterns List – Fixed inconsistencies in visual titles and tooltips in block patterns (#64815).
Fix: Templates and Patterns Nesting Two Button Elements – Corrected nesting of multiple elements with the button role in templates and patterns, for better accessibility (#67801).
Fix Inserter CategoryCategory The 'category' taxonomy lets you group posts / content together that share a common bond. Categories are pre-defined and broad ranging. Tabs Unnecessary ARIA Label – Avoids redundant ARIA labels, so screen readers deliver clear navigation (#68160).
Add Missing List Role to Global Styles Block List – Delivers proper accessibility semantics in the Global Styles panel (#69027).
Preserve ARIA Label Value in Comment Delimiter Block Support – Makes screen readers correctly interpret comment delimiter sections (#69002).

Improvements to UI Components and Controls

Replace ButtonGroup Usage with ToggleGroupControl – Updated the ButtonGroup component to use ToggleGroupControl, for better usability and accessibility (#65346).

Fix Incorrect Usage of ItemGroup in the Image Block Filters Panel – Corrected nested elements and fixing accessibility issues in the filters panel (#67513, #67427).
Fix EntitiesSavedStates Panel Dialog Props – Refined dialog properties to improve screen reader support (#67351).
BoxControl ARIA Value Fix – The aria-value text attribute in BoxControl now delivers correct screen reader output (#68362).
BlockSwitcher Refactor – Improved layout in BlockSwitcher for better consistency (#67502).
CustomSelectControl Refactor – Updated CustomSelectControl to use Ariakit state management, ensuring better UI behavior (#67815).
Fix Tooltip Usage in Circular Option Picker – Corrected tooltip behavior for proper user interaction (#68602).

Enhancements to Style and Theme Components

Remove clip and -webkit-clip for Block Library Styles – Eliminated outdated clip and -webkit-clip properties (#66144, #66147).
Visual Refactor: Add Chevron Icon for Shadows in Global Styles – Improves visibility of shadow settings in the UI (#67720).
Shadows: Always Show Reset Button When Hover Is Not Supported – Ensures accessibility by keeping reset options visible for users without hover support (#68122).

Enhancements for Text and Font Controls

Update Description for ‘Contain Text Cursor Inside Block’ Preference – Explains cursor containment settings more clearly (#68132).
Font Size Picker: Remove ‘Custom’ Option in Dropdown – Simplifies the font size picker UI (#69038).
InputControl: Ensure Consistent Placeholder Color – Adjusted placeholder text styling for better consistency across the UI (#69334).
Cover Block: Fix Placeholder Color Options Keyboard Accessibility – Makes sure users can navigate placeholder color options with the keyboard (#68662).

Props to @jeffpaul, @marybaum, @benjamin_zekavica, @audrasjb for editing and review.

#6-8, #dev-notes, #dev-notes-6-8

Pascal Birchler 7:36 pm on March 25, 2025
Tags: core-performance ( 116 ), hosting ( 22 ), performance ( 381 ), performance-chat ( 311 ), summary ( 918 )

Performance Chat Summary: 25 March 2025

The full chat log is available beginning here on Slack.

Performance Lab plugins

As a consequence from the previous meeting and last week’s release (which for the first time saw releases for only a few of the performance plugins, without Performance Lab), changes to the release cadence were defined
Specifically, the team will change release cadence from monthly to on-demand (which could be more frequent or less frequent).
Consequently, the release procedure will be much more streamlined, avoiding the previously used “release party” format in favor of someone simply following the release handbook and sharing progress along the way.
Related to that, @westonruter has taken the separate release party chats handbook docs and moved the relevant example chats inline with the sections in the releasing the plugin handbook page. This eliminates the duplication of release instructions between the two resources.
@mukesh27 shared that PRs #1795 and #1818 are ready for review.

Our next chat will be held on Tuesday, April 8, 2025 at 15:00 UTC in the #core-performance channel in Slack.

#core-performance, #hosting, #performance, #performance-chat, #summary

Benjamin Zekavica 7:35 pm on March 25, 2025
Tags: 6-8 ( 57 ), agenda ( 1,076 ), dev chat ( 805 )

Agenda, Dev Chat, Mar 26, 2025

The next WordPress Developers Chat will take place on Wednesday at 15:00 UTC in the core channel on Make WordPress Slack.

The live meeting will focus on the discussion for upcoming releases, and have an open floor section.

Additional items will be referred to in the various curated agenda sections below. If you have ticketticket Created for both bug reports and feature development on the bug tracker. requests for help, please continue to post details in the comments section at the end of this agenda.

Announcements 📢

WordPress 6.8 | Release Candidaterelease candidate One of the final stages in the version release cycle, this version signals the potential to be a final release to the public. Also see alpha (beta). 1 is now available 🥳

The Release Candidate 1 release of WordPress 6.8 is now available! A heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined the Release Party. We appreciate your testing and feedback.

@jeffpaul reminds all CoreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. Committers to read this article and follow the outlined process for the upcoming steps: WordPress 6.8 Release Candidate Phase

We are in the process of finalizing the development notes, after which the Field GuideField guide The field guide is a type of blogpost published on Make/Core during the release candidate phase of the WordPress release cycle. The field guide generally lists all the dev notes published during the beta cycle. This guide is linked in the about page of the corresponding version of WordPress, in the release post and in the HelpHub version page. will be released, followed by an email to PluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory https://wordpress.org/plugins/ or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party Authors containing the necessary information.

GutenbergGutenberg The Gutenberg project is the new Editor Interface for WordPress. The editor improves the process and experience of creating new content, making writing rich content much simpler. It uses ‘blocks’ to add richness rather than shortcodes, custom HTML etc. https://wordpress.org/gutenberg/ 20.5 is now available

The new version of the Gutenberg plugin is now available in our plugin directory.

Help Test 6.8 BetaBeta A pre-release of software that is given out to a large group of users to trial under real conditions. Beta versions have gone through alpha testing in-house and are generally fairly close in look, feel and function to the final product; however, design changes often occur as part of the process. version 🧪

The Test-Team has written two helpful guides for people interested in testing:

Forthcoming releases 🚀

Release Candidate 2 of 6.8: April 1th

The Release Candidate 2 release of WordPress 6.8 will be available on Tuesday, April 1, 2025.

A detailed overview of the release schedule for WordPress 6.8 can be found here. The article also includes information about the individuals assigned to each release party.

Next Gutenberg version: 20.6

Gutenberg 20.6 is scheduled for release on Wednesday, April 2, 2025.

Next major releasemajor release A release, identified by the first two numbers (3.6), which is the focus of a full release cycle and feature development. WordPress uses decimaling count for major release versions, so 2.8, 2.9, 3.0, and 3.1 are sequential and comparable in scope.: 6.8

We are currently in the WordPress 6.8 release cycle. Read more about the release squad, timeline and focus for this release.

Editor Updates 🔄

You can keep up to date with the major Editor features with the weekly updates, now on the blogblog (versus network, site)!
Editor Weekly Updates: March 10th – 23rd

Props to @krupaly2k for this wonderful overview.

Highlighted posts ✨

Discussions 🤔

The discussion section of the agenda is to provide a place to discuss important topics affecting the upcoming release or larger initiatives that impact the Core Team. To nominate a topic for discussion, please leave a comment on this agenda with a summary of the topic, any relevant links that will help people get context for the discussion, and what kind of feedback you are looking for from others participating in the discussion.

Hosting Issues Found During 6.8 RC1 Release Party

During the Release Party of 6.8 RC1, @desrosj observed errors occurring on several hosts. The most common issues involved three specific tests:

WP_Test_REST_Users_Controller::test_get_items_only_fetches_ids_for_head_requests() | Error Log
test_wp_check_password_supports_argon2i_hash() | Error Log
test_wp_unique_id_from_values() | Error Log

These tests resulted in failures on multiple hosts.
We should discuss this issue further to identify the causes and potential solutions.

Open floor 💬

Any topic can be raised for discussion in the comments, as well as requests for assistance on tickets. Tickets in the milestone for the next major or maintenance release will be prioritized.

Please include details of tickets / PRs and the links in the comments, and indicate whether you intend to be available during the meeting for discussion or will be async.

Props to @jeffpaul for reviewing the agenda.

#6-8, #agenda, #dev-chat

Jeffrey Paul 5:09 pm on March 25, 2025
Tags: 6-8 ( 57 ), dev-notes ( 570 ), dev-notes-6-8 ( 12 ), target

Miscellaneous developer changes in WordPress 6.8

WordPress 6.8 delivers a broad set of developer-focused enhancements that improve extensibility, consistency, and modern standards across the platform. These updates include changes to shortcodes and media handling, expanded theme and blockBlock Block is the abstract term used to describe units of markup that, composed together, form the content or layout of a webpage using the WordPress editor. The idea combines concepts of what in the past may have achieved with shortcodes, custom HTML, and embed discovery into a single consistent API and user experience. support, improved adminadmin (and super admin) validation and hooksHooks In WordPress theme and development, hooks are functions that can be applied to an action or a Filter in WordPress. Actions are functions performed when a certain event occurs in WordPress. Filters allow you to modify certain functions. Arguments used to hook both filters and actions look the same., and fine-tuned control over post type registration and scheduling APIs. While these updates may not individually warrant their own developer note, they collectively represent important refinements for pluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory https://wordpress.org/plugins/ or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party, theme, and site developers working with WordPress under the hood. This post rounds up the miscellaneous changes worth knowing as you prepare your code for WordPress 6.8.

Table of contents

Removed option to disable the Visual Editor from user profile settings

The option to disable the visual editor was used to enforce the usage of the text interface in the classic editor. This setting was removed in #34681. The setting is removed conditionally; if you have it enabled, it will remain enabled and editable until it is disabled for a user.

The text editor will continue to be an option for all users. $user->rich_editing continues to be a valid user profile field, and the visual editor can be disabled by toggling that value to false.

Example code:

update_user_option( $user_id, 'rich_editing', 'false' );

Changed `WP_Image_Editor::generate_filename( $suffix )` to allow empty string as a suffix

The previous implementation of the WP_Image_Editor::generate_filename() method automatically appended a dimension suffix (e.g., -600×800) to the file name when no $suffix is provided, or when it is any “falsey” value (e.g., null or false).

With the addition of image format switching like the switch from .heic to .jpg added in #62359, it became more apparent that there was a need to create copies of files without changing their file names.

In #62385, the behavior of this method was changed to accept an empty string as an intentional value for $suffix. The method will treat false or null as empty values where a dimension suffix should be generated; but will treat an empty string as the desired value for the suffix.

The default function value remains null.

For extenders, if you are passing a value into the generate_filename() that could be an empty string, you should ensure that the variable type is null or bool to keep your method behavior unchanged.

Add validation of custom menu links in the classic menu administration

In #60969, validation was added to the classic menu administration when adding custom links. This validation matches the existing validation used in the CustomizerCustomizer Tool built into WordPress core that hooks into most modern themes. You can use it to preview and modify many of your site’s appearance settings. when adding custom links. It is a partial validation, checking for the following structures:

* – http://example.com/

* – //example.com

* – /directory/

* – ?query-param

* – #target

* – mailto:foo@example.com

If your use case requires content in a custom link’s href attribute that is not a generally valid URLURL A specific web address of a website or web page on the Internet, such as a website’s URL www.wordpress.org pattern, it may no longer be accepted.

New action hook in Import administration screen

A new action hook, after_importers, has been introduced to the Import administration screen (/wp-admin/import.php). This enhancementenhancement Enhancements are simple improvements to WordPress, such as the addition of a hook, a new feature, or an improvement to an existing feature. allows developers to execute custom functions at the end of the importers page, aligning its extensibility with other administration screens like Tools. The hook is implemented as follows:

/**

* Fires at the end of the importers Administration screen.

*/

do_action( 'after_importers' );

This addition provides a standardized method for extending the importers page, facilitating the integration of custom functionalities. For more details, refer to #54419.

Update to `wp_video_shortcode()` HTMLHTML HyperText Markup Language. The semantic scripting language primarily used for outputting content in web browsers. attributes

The wp_video_shortcode() function has been updated to generate valid HTML by properly handling boolean attributes. Previously, attributes like loop, autoplay, and muted were assigned a value of "1", leading to HTML validation errors. Now, these attributes are rendered without values, aligning with HTML specifications for boolean attributes. For instance, the loop attribute will now appear as loop instead of loop="1". This change ensures that video elements produced by the shortcodeShortcode A shortcode is a placeholder used within a WordPress post, page, or widget to insert a form or function generated by a plugin in a specific location on your site. are semantically correct and pass HTML validation. For more details, refer to #60178.

Update to `wp_audio_shortcode()` HTML Attributes

The wp_audio_shortcode() function has been updated to generate valid HTML by properly handling boolean attributes. Previously, attributes like loop, autoplay, and muted were assigned a value of "1", leading to HTML validation errors. Now, these attributes are rendered without values, aligning with HTML specifications for boolean attributes. For instance, the loop attribute will now appear as loop instead of loop="1". This change ensures that audio elements produced by the shortcode are semantically correct and pass HTML validation. For more details, refer to #61515.

New `is_embeddable` argument for `register_post_type()`

A new is_embeddable argument has been introduced to the register_post_type() function, allowing developers to control the embeddability of custom post types. By default, this parameter inherits its value from the public argument, ensuring that publicly accessible post types remain embeddable unless explicitly specified otherwise. This enhancement provides greater flexibility in managing content embedding, enabling developers to restrict embedding for specific post types as needed. For more details, refer to #35567.

Updates to `body_class` classes

Some new classes were introduced to the <body> tagtag A directory in Subversion. WordPress uses tags to store a single snapshot of a version (3.6, 3.6.1, etc.), the common convention of tags in version control systems. (Not to be confused with post tags.).

The classes wp-theme-<name> and wp-child-theme-<name (when the current theme is a child themeChild theme A Child Theme is a customized theme based upon a Parent Theme. It’s considered best practice to create a child theme if you want to modify the CSS of your theme. https://developer.wordpress.org/themes/advanced-topics/child-themes/.) were added, where <name> represents the sanitized name of the active theme. Please note that these classes are added on both front-end and in the administration. For more information, refer to #19736.

The wp-singular class was added to the list of body classes when viewing a single post object. This class includes a wp- prefix to avoid conflicts with existing classes in themes or plugins. For more information, refer to #35164.

`readme.html` file is now `noindex,nofollow`

Because site owners likely don’t intend for the content of the readme.html file to be indexed, as it’s unrelated to the site content. A noindex,nofollow metaMeta Meta is a term that refers to the inside workings of a group. For us, this is the team that works on internal WordPress sites like WordCamp Central and Make WordPress. tag was added to this file, to prevent it from being indexed. Polyglot teams that are translating this file manually are encouraged to update their version. For more information, refer to #63069.

Style Book availability for classic themes

The Style Book feature has been extended to support classic themes. This enhancement allows developers and users to preview and understand site colors, typography, and block styles within the context of their classic themes. To utilize the Style Book in a classic theme, ensure that the theme either:

Supports editor styles: Implement this by adding add_theme_support( 'editor-styles' ); in the theme’s functions.php file.
Includes a theme.json file: Incorporate a theme.json configuration file to define global styles and settings.

By adopting either of these methods, classic themes can leverage the Style Book’s capabilities, providing a more consistent and customizable editing experience.

For detailed guidance on integrating theme.json into classic themes, refer to the Global Settings & Styles (theme.json) – Block Editor Handbook. Additionally, the tutorial “Using theme.json with classic themes” offers practical insights and examples. These resources provide comprehensive information on enhancing classic themes with modern styling capabilities. For more information, refer to #62509.

Enabling Block Hooks for post content

The Block Hooks mechanism has been extended to apply to post content, in addition to its existing support for templates, template parts, patterns, and navigation menus. This enhancement allows developers to insert hooked blocks directly into posts and pages, offering greater flexibility in content customization.

Key considerations:

User expectations: Aligns block insertion capabilities with user expectations across various site components.
Content management: Introduces the ability to manage hooked blocks within individual posts and pages, enhancing content control.

This update provides developers with expanded tools for dynamic content placement, improving the customization capabilities. For more information, refer to #61074.

Block Hooks enabled for Synced Patterns

The Block Hooks feature has been extended to support synced patterns (i.e., core/block blocks). Previously, Block Hooks were applied to templates, template parts, patterns, navigation menus, and post content. This enhancement ensures consistent behavior across all these entities, allowing developers to insert hooked blocks into synced patterns seamlessly. This update provides greater flexibility and control over content customization within the WordPress ecosystem. For more information, refer to #62704.

Standardized behavior for render_block_context FilterFilter Filters are one of the two types of Hooks https://codex.wordpress.org/Plugin_API/Hooks. They provide a way for functions to modify data of other functions. They are the counterpart to Actions. Unlike Actions, filters are meant to work in an isolated manner, and should never have side effects such as affecting global variables and output.

The behavior of the render_block_context filter has been standardized to ensure consistent application across all block levels. Previously, this filter applied differently to top-level blocks compared to inner blocks, leading to inconsistencies in context propagation. Specifically, context provided via render_block_context was available to inner blocks when applied to top-level blocks, but not when applied to inner blocks.

This discrepancy has been addressed, ensuring that context supplied through the filter is uniformly available to all nested inner blocks, regardless of their position within the block hierarchy. For more information, refer to #62046.

Cron APIAPI An API or Application Programming Interface is a software intermediary that allows programs to interact with each other and share data in limited, clearly defined ways.: Introduce a new filter of the same name to wp_next_scheduled()

The wp_next_scheduled hook allows plugin developers to modify the timestamp of the next scheduled event for a given wp-cron job. The full event object, hook name and arguments are provided as additional arguments for this filter. Fore more information, refer to #52655.

HDR Image support for Imagick: new filter to control maximum bit depth of resized images

WordPress 6.8 introduces a new filter, image_max_bit_depth, that developers can use to control the maximum bit depth for resized images. The filter is also passed the original bit depth of the uploaded image. Note that this filter only works when the site’s hosting supports Imagick and coreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. is using the Imagick editor because the GD image editor does not support reading or controlling bit depth (#62285).

By default, the maximum depth matches the bit depth of the original uploaded image. Previously, the maximum bit depth was reduced to 8 for images with higher bit depths, so HDR images were always output with reduced bit depth. Starting in 6.8 HDR images will be output with the bit depth they are uploaded with (for example 12 bits). To enforce the previous behavior, developers can use the following code:{{{ add_filter( ‘image_max_bit_depth’, function( $max_depth, $original_depth ) { return ( 8 < $original_depth ) ? 8 : $original_depth; } ); }}}

Media: enable setting image output quality by image size

A new $size parameter was added to the wp_editor_set_quality filter. $size is an array with ‘width’ and ‘height’ keys. Developers can use this information to set image quality based on the image size, for example using a lower quality setting for small images (#54648).

Media: control uploading of unsupported media types

In 6.8, a new filter wp_prevent_unsupported_mime_type_uploads controls the behavior of the editor and media library when users upload an image type that the server does not support. By default, users will see an error message that “This image cannot be processed by the web server. Convert it to JPEG or PNG before uploading”. Developers can return false from the filter to enable uploading of these images; however, sub-sized images will not be created (#61167).

Props to @joedolson @audrasjb @webcommsat @joemcgill @benjamin_zekavica @peterwilsoncc @adamsilverstein @azaozz for input and review.

#6-8, #dev-notes, #dev-notes-6-8

Jeffrey Paul 4:57 pm on March 25, 2025
Tags: 6-8 ( 57 )

WordPress 6.8 Release Candidate Phase

Now that WordPress 6.8 has entered the Release Candidaterelease candidate One of the final stages in the version release cycle, this version signals the potential to be a final release to the public. Also see alpha (beta). phase, the following policies are in place.

These policies mainly cover how and when CoreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. committers can commit. For non-committing contributors, this post may help explain why a Core committercommitter A developer with commit access. WordPress has five lead developers and four permanent core developers with commit access. Additionally, the project usually has a few guest or component committers - a developer receiving commit access, generally for a single release cycle (sometimes renewed) and/or for a specific component. makes a certain decision.

String Freeze

To allow the Polyglots teamPolyglots Team Polyglots Team is a group of multilingual translators who work on translating plugins, themes, documentation, and front-facing marketing copy. https://make.wordpress.org/polyglots/teams/. time to get their local language’s translationtranslation The process (or result) of changing text, words, and display formatting to support another language. Also see localization, internationalization. of WordPress ready, no new strings are permitted to be added to the release. Existing strings can be removed and/or duplicated if needed.

Seek guidance from the Polyglots team leadership for any strings reported as buggy. A buggy string is one that can not be translated to all languages in its current form.

Tickets on the WordPress 6.8 milestone

For the remainder of the cycle, only two types of tickets may be placed on/remain on the 6.8 milestone:

Regressions: bugs that have been introduced during the WordPress 6.8 development cycle, either to existing or new features.
Test suite expansion: tests can be committed at any time without regard to code or string freezes. This can cover either new or existing features.

Trunktrunk A directory in Subversion containing the latest development code in preparation for the next major release cycle. If you are running "trunk", then you are on the latest revision. is now WordPress 6.9-alpha

WordPress 6.8 was recently forked to its own branchbranch A directory in Subversion. WordPress uses branches to store the latest development code for each major release (3.9, 4.0, etc.). Branches are then updated with code for any minor releases of that branch. Sometimes, a major version of WordPress and its minor versions are collectively referred to as a "branch", such as "the 4.0 branch"., trunk is now open for commits for the next version of the software.

Backporting to the 6.8 branch

Backporting commits of production code (that is, anything that ends up in the zip file) now requires double sign-off by two core committers. The dev-feedback keyword should be used to request a second committer’s review, dev-reviewed should be added to indicate a second committer has reviewed and approved the commit to the 6.8 branch.

Commits to the test suite do not require double sign-off.

#6-8

Aki Hamano 2:21 pm on March 25, 2025
Tags: 6-8 ( 57 ), dev-notes ( 570 ), dev-notes-6-8 ( 12 )

Miscellaneous Block Editor Changes in WordPress 6.8

WordPress 6.8 brings a range of smaller yet meaningful updates to the blockBlock Block is the abstract term used to describe units of markup that, composed together, form the content or layout of a webpage using the WordPress editor. The idea combines concepts of what in the past may have achieved with shortcodes, custom HTML, and embed discovery into a single consistent API and user experience. editor that enhance consistency, improve developer experience, and refine default behaviors. These changes include refinements to the Navigation block’s class and markup handling, a new filterFilter Filters are one of the two types of Hooks https://codex.wordpress.org/Plugin_API/Hooks. They provide a way for functions to modify data of other functions. They are the counterpart to Actions. Unlike Actions, filters are meant to work in an isolated manner, and should never have side effects such as affecting global variables and output. for customizing visible post statuses, and updates to the behavior of the iframeiframe iFrame is an acronym for an inline frame. An iFrame is used inside a webpage to load another HTML document and render it. This HTML document may also contain JavaScript and/or CSS which is loaded at the time when iframe tag is parsed by the user’s browser. and LinkControl components. You will also notice stabilization of previously experimental features, improved block registration requirements, and changes that prepare the block editor for broader extensibility and UIUI User interface consistency moving forward. This post highlights these miscellaneous updates that don’t warrant individual dev notesdev note Each important change in WordPress Core is documented in a developers note, (usually called dev note). Good dev notes generally include a description of the change, the decision that led to this change, and a description of how developers are supposed to work with that change. Dev notes are published on Make/Core blog during the beta phase of WordPress release cycle. Publishing dev notes is particularly important when plugin/theme authors and WordPress developers need to be aware of those changes.In general, all dev notes are compiled into a Field Guide at the beginning of the release candidate phase. but are still important to be aware of when building with or extending the block editor.

Table of Contents

Customizable Post Status Visibility in Navigation Block Links
Consistent Class Application for Navigation Block Menu Items
Consistent Markup for Navigation Item Labels
Stabilize the isPreviewMode settings flag
Iframed Content: Always enable for block themes
Block registration: Normalize blockType.parent to an array
Stabilized LinkControl component
Changes to the Iframe Component

Customizable Post Status Visibility in Navigation Block Links

The Navigation block now supports filtering of the post statuses of Posts shown in the Navigation on the front of the site. The new filter render_block_core_navigation_link_allowed_post_status defaults to publish but that list can be extended via the hook:

add_filter( 

    'render_block_core_navigation_link_allowed_post_status', 

    static function(array $post_status): array {

        $post_status[] = 'private'; // append statuses to the array of default statuses.

        return $post_status;

} );

For more information, visit #63181.

Consistent Class Application for Navigation Block Menu Items

The Navigation block’s handling of the current-menu-ancestor CSSCSS Cascading Style Sheets. class has been updated for improved consistency. Previously, the current-menu-item class was applied to the <li> element of the current menu item, while the current-menu-ancestor class was applied to the <a> element of ancestor items. This inconsistency posed challenges for developers aiming to style navigation menus uniformly. With the changes introduced in #67169, both classes are now applied to their respective <li> elements, ensuring a consistent and predictable structure for styling purposes.

Key Change:

The current-menu-ancestor class is now applied to the <li> element of ancestor menu items, aligning its behavior with that of the current-menu-item class.

Implications for Developers:

This update standardizes the application of CSS classes within the Navigation block, simplifying the process of targeting and styling current and ancestor menu items.
Developers should review and adjust any custom styles or scripts that rely on the previous application of the current-menu-ancestor class to ensure compatibility with this change.

By implementing this adjustment, WordPress 6.8 enhances the consistency and reliability of its Navigation block, facilitating more intuitive and maintainable menu styling for developers.

Consistent Markup for Navigation Item Labels

The Navigation block has been updated to enhance consistency between navigation items and submenu items. Previously, navigation items containing submenus lacked the <span class="wp-block-navigation-item__label"> wrapper around the navigation item text, which was present in standard navigation items. This inconsistency made styling and scripting more challenging for developers. With the changes introduced in #67198, both navigation items and submenu items now include this <span> wrapper, ensuring uniform markup structure across all navigation elements.

Key Changes:

Consistent Markup: All navigation items, including those with submenus, now wrap the item text within a <span class="wp-block-navigation-item__label"> element.

Implications for Developers:

Simplified Styling: The uniform use of the <span> wrapper allows for more straightforward and consistent CSS targeting of navigation item labels.
Enhanced Scripting: Developers can now reliably select and manipulate navigation item labels using JavaScriptJavaScript JavaScript or JS is an object-oriented computer programming language commonly used to create interactive effects within web browsers. WordPress makes extensive use of JS for a better user experience. While PHP is executed on the server, JS executes within a user’s browser. https://www.javascript.com/., regardless of whether the item contains a submenu.

By standardizing the markup structure of navigation items, WordPress 6.8 improves the developer experience when customizing and extending navigation menus.

Stabilize the `isPreviewMode` settings flag

The isPreviewMode settings flag is now stable, and using select( ‘core/block-editor’ ).getSettings().__unstableIsPreviewMode will now log a deprecation warning.

This public flag is commonly used to disable behaviors that cannot be used when rendering block or template previews. A good example is keyboard shortcuts.

For more information, visit #66149.

Iframed Content: Always enable for block themes

Continuing the effort to use iframed content in the post editor initiated in WP 5.9. Starting from WP 6.8, the editor will always render iframed content for block themes. This behavior was only enabled when using the GutenbergGutenberg The Gutenberg project is the new Editor Interface for WordPress. The editor improves the process and experience of creating new content, making writing rich content much simpler. It uses ‘blocks’ to add richness rather than shortcodes, custom HTML etc. https://wordpress.org/gutenberg/ pluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory https://wordpress.org/plugins/ or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party.

Note: There are no changes for classic themes.

For more information, visit #66800 and #33346.

Block registration: Normalize `blockType.parent` to an `array`

The block registration APIAPI An API or Application Programming Interface is a software intermediary that allows programs to interact with each other and share data in limited, clearly defined ways. now enforces the parent setting to be an array. The editor will now display a warning if it’s a different type, such as a `string`.

For more information, visit #66250.

Stabilized LinkControl component

The LinkControl component, which has been in an experimental state for several years, is being stabilized in WordPress 6.9. This change affects plugin developers who are using the __experimentalLinkControl component in their custom blocks or extensions.

For backwards compatibility, the __experimentalLinkControl import will continue to work but will display deprecation warnings.

For more information, visit #56384.

Changes to the Iframe Component

WordPress 6.8 changed the behavior of the scale prop on the Iframe component. This change may affect existing code.

Code using the following pattern may be affected:

import { __unstableIframe as Iframe } from '@wordpress/block-editor';

<Iframe scale="default" />

If you want to use autoscaling, change scale="default" to scale="auto-scaled".

For more information, visit #66280.

Co-authored by @jeffpaul

Props to @jeffpaul @mamaduka for review.

#6-8, #dev-notes, #dev-notes-6-8

Aki Hamano 2:19 pm on March 25, 2025
Tags: 6-8 ( 57 ), dev-notes ( 570 ), dev-notes-6-8 ( 12 )

Updates to user-interface components in WordPress 6.8

This post lists notable changes to the @wordpress/components package for the WordPress 6.8 release.

Table of Contents

RadioGroup: Log deprecation warning
Navigation: Prepare for hard deprecation
SearchControl: Deprecated onClose prop
Soft deprecate the ButtonGroup component
Default 32px sizes are now deprecated
Modal: Buttons in headerActions should use “compact” size
Reducing experimental APIs

`RadioGroup`: Log deprecation warning

The RadioGroup component has been deprecated. To be consistent with the current WordPress design system, use RadioControl or ToggleGroupControl instead.

For more information visit #68067.

`Navigation`: Prepare for hard deprecation

The Navigation component (and all its subcomponents) are deprecated, planned for hard removal in WordPress 7.1. Use the Navigator component instead.

For more information, visit #68158.

`SearchControl`: Deprecated `onClose` prop

This prop was originally intended for adding a custom click handler to the suffix button to close the search field entirely, rather than just clear the input value.

The pattern of repurposing the search clear button as a search close button is no longer used in WordPress, and is no longer recommended as a UIUI User interface pattern since it can be confusing to users.

If you were relying on this prop, we recommend adding a separate close button to your UI.

For more information, visit #65988.

Soft deprecate the `ButtonGroup` component

The ButtonGroup component has been deprecated, as it can easily lead to accessibilityAccessibility Accessibility (commonly shortened to a11y) refers to the design of products, devices, services, or environments for people with disabilities. The concept of accessible design ensures both “direct access” (i.e. unassisted) and “indirect access” meaning compatibility with a person’s assistive technology (for example, computer screen readers). (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accessibility) issues. For simpler adherence to accessibility best practices and to be consistent with the current WordPress design system, use ToggleGroupControl instead.

For more information, visit #65429.

Default `32px` sizes are now deprecated

UI components across the editor (input fields, buttons, etc.) are currently rendering in a range of heights between 30px and 40px. To add consistency and visual polish to the editor’s UI, we started working on standardizing components toward a default height of 40px.

Continuing the standardization effort started in previous releases, for the WordPress 6.8 release, we will start logging deprecation warnings for the following components if they are not yet opting into the new default size:

BorderBoxControl
BorderControl
BoxControl
ComboboxControl
CustomSelectControl
DimensionControl
FontAppearanceControl
FontFamilyControl
FontSizePicker
FormFileUpload
FormTokenField
InputControl
LineHeightControl
NumberControl
Radio
RangeControl
SelectControl
TextControl
ToggleGroupControl
TreeSelect
UnitControl

To start opting into the new 40px default height, set the __next40pxDefaultSize prop.

<SelectControl
	options={ selectOptions }
	value={ selectValue }
	label={ __( 'Label' ) }
	onChange={ onSelectChange }
	__next40pxDefaultSize
/>

For more information, visit #65751.

`Modal`: Buttons in `headerActions` should use “compact” size

The close button in the Modal component has been enlarged from the “small” button size (24px) to use the “compact” button size (32px).

If you are using the headerActions prop to inject buttons beside the close button, we recommend you also use the “compact” button size variant to match.

<Modal
	headerActions={ <Button icon={ fullscreen } label="Fullscreen mode" size="compact" /> }
/>

For more information, visit #66792.

Reducing experimental APIs

Stabilized `BorderBoxControl`

The __experimentalBorderBoxControl component can now be imported as BorderBoxControl.

The legacy __experimentalBorderBoxControl export is marked as deprecated.

For more information, visit #65586.

Stabilized `BorderControl`

The __experimentalBorderControl component can now be imported as BorderControl.

The legacy __experimentalBorderControl export is marked as deprecated.

For more information, visit #65475.

Stabilized `BoxControl`

The __experimentalBoxControl component can now be imported as BoxControl.

The legacy __experimentalBoxControl export is marked as deprecated.

For more information, visit #65469.

Stabilized `Navigator`

The legacy set of __experimentalNavigator* APIs is deprecated and should instead be imported as Navigator. All of the sub-components are also available via the Navigator namespace.

Moreover, the __experimentalNavigatorToParentButton component and the goToParent method available via the __experimentalUseNavigator hook are now deprecated, and they now behave identically to the __experimentalNavigatorBackButton and the goBack method.

To recap:

__experimentalNavigatorProvider => Navigator
__experimentalNavigatorScreen => Navigator.Screen
__experimentalNavigatorButton => Navigator.Button
__experimentalNavigatorBackButton => Navigator.BackButton
__experimentalNavigatorToParentButton => Navigator.BackButton
__experimentalUseNavigator => useNavigator

Co-authored by @mamaduka, @mciampini.

Props @mirka @jeffpaul @mamaduka for review.

#6-8, #dev-notes, #dev-notes-6-8

Felix Arntz 9:04 pm on March 24, 2025
Tags: 6-8 ( 57 ), dev-notes ( 570 ), dev-notes-6-8 ( 12 ), interactivity API ( 8 ), performance ( 381 )

Interactivity API best practices in 6.8

WordPress 6.8 comes with a few new best practices and requirements in the Interactivity APIAPI An API or Application Programming Interface is a software intermediary that allows programs to interact with each other and share data in limited, clearly defined ways. that are part of a longer-term continuous-improvement effort. Some of the relevant changes in 6.8 are an intermediary step: They do not include these enhancements themselves, but they prepare the project to add them in a future release by adding two new deprecation warnings.

If you have been using the Interactivity API in your project, especially if you have been writing your own stores, please read on to learn how you can prepare your changes for the latest and future behavior of the API.

How to apply the latest best practices (and avoid deprecation warnings)

To help the Interactivity API speed up WordPress, the project is working towards running most store actions asynchronously by default, as a better foundation for achieving good INP (“Interaction to Next Paint”) performance. Right now, browsers invoke all synchronous Interactivity API event handlers as part of the same task—this means they stack up. This can make the user wait for longer than 50 milliseconds (also called a “long task”) for the site to reactReact React is a JavaScript library that makes it easy to reason about, construct, and maintain stateless and stateful user interfaces. https://reactjs.org/. to some interaction, like clicking a button.

Starting with 6.8, and going forward, the Interactivity API’s push towards asynchronous handlers as the default will make those long tasks less likely. The 6.8 release only prepares for the transition. In the following WordPress release, the API will automatically yield to the main thread in between handlers, so ideally there’s nothing to stack up, and nothing to make the user wait. (Also refer to async actions and the splitTask() function.)

This performance enhancementenhancement Enhancements are simple improvements to WordPress, such as the addition of a hook, a new feature, or an improvement to an existing feature. also helps with cross-pluginPlugin A plugin is a piece of software containing a group of functions that can be added to a WordPress website. They can extend functionality or add new features to your WordPress websites. WordPress plugins are written in the PHP programming language and integrate seamlessly with WordPress. These can be free in the WordPress.org Plugin Directory https://wordpress.org/plugins/ or can be cost-based plugin from a third-party compatibility, as handlers for the same event may come from different plugins. The new requirements outlined below are an important step to prepare the Interactivity API for that future.

Wrap certain action callbacks in `withSyncEvent()`

Pay attention to any store action that is attached to an event listener (like data-wp-on--click) and accesses the event object: If the action callback uses any of the event properties or methods below, you need to wrap it in a newly added utility function called withSyncEvent():

Property: event.currentTarget
Method: event.preventDefault()
Method: event.stopImmediatePropagation()
Method: event.stopPropagation()

Starting in WordPress 6.8, if any action callback uses the above event properties or methods and is not wrapped in withSyncEvent(), that action callback will trigger a deprecation warning. For now, the logic will continue to work as before. But in a future WordPress release it will break if you do not migrate. For example, event.preventDefault() will not prevent the default action since the action will be asynchronous by default. As such, please make sure to resolve any deprecation warnings you see.

This correct (✅) code example illustrates how to use withSyncEvent():

import { store, withSyncEvent } from '@wordpress/interactivity';

store( 'myPlugin', {
	actions: {
		// `event.preventDefault()` requires synchronous event access.
		preventNavigation: withSyncEvent( ( event ) => {
			event.preventDefault();
		} ),

		// `event.target` does not require synchronous event access.
		logTarget: ( event ) => {
			console.log( 'event target => ', event.target );
		},

		// Not using `event` at all does not require synchronous event access.
		logSomething: () => {
			console.log( 'something' );
		},
	},
} );

This bad (❌) example will, going forward, emit a deprecation warning:

import { store } from '@wordpress/interactivity';

store( 'myPlugin', {
	actions: {
		// Missing `withSyncEvent()` around synchronous event access.
		preventNavigation: ( event ) => {
			event.preventDefault();
		},
	},
} );

Do not use actions to determine HTMLHTML HyperText Markup Language. The semantic scripting language primarily used for outputting content in web browsers. attribute values

If you have been relying on Interactivity API store functions (like actions or callbacks) to determine HTML attribute values (e.g. via data-wp-bind--attr), please revise these attributes now. Instead, use global state, local context, or derived state. And please do not combine these function calls with directive logic like the ! operator.

Starting in WordPress 6.8, any directive using a store function in combination with the ! operator will emit a deprecation warning. The logic will continue to work as before for now, but in a future WordPress release it will break if you do not migrate. More broadly, if you are using store functions in directives that determine HTML attribute values, please migrate to using global state, local context, or derived state instead. More deprecation warnings around incorrect usage of store functions are expected soon, and eventually unmigrated code is going to break.

Please refer to the following correct (✅) code example to illustrate how to use derived state:

import { store } from '@wordpress/interactivity';

store( 'myPlugin', {
	state: {
		get isOpen() {
			const ctx = getContext();
			return !! ctx.open;
		},
	},
} );

<div
	data-wp-interactive="myPlugin"
	data-wp-bind--hidden="!state.isOpen"
>
	Content.
</div>

This bad (❌) example will, going forward, emit a deprecation warning:

import { store } from '@wordpress/interactivity';

store( 'myPlugin', {
	actions: {
		isOpen() {
			const ctx = getContext();
			return !! ctx.open;
		},
	},
} );

<div
	data-wp-interactive="myPlugin"
	data-wp-bind--hidden="!actions.isOpen"
>
	Content.
</div>

To provide context on why this new requirement is relevant: Using store functions for anything other than the “on”, “init”, or “watch” groups of directives has always been an anti-pattern. It is now being more formally discouraged, and will in the future be made impossible.

Support for the `.length` property in directives

An additional Interactivity API enhancement in WordPress 6.8 is support for the .length property on strings and numeric arrays in directives, ensuring consistency between server and client rendering.

Previously, the .length property was unavailable on the server, requiring workarounds. This update allows developers to use .length within all directives that reference global state, local context, or derived state, aligning behavior across environments.

This code example illustrates using the .length property:

<div data-wp-interactive="example">
  <div data-wp-bind--hidden="!state.list.length">
    <input type="range" min="1" data-wp-bind--max="state.list.length">
  </div>
  <div data-wp-bind--hidden="!state.string.length">
    <h1 data-wp-text="state.string"></h1>
  </div>
</div>

This improvement streamlines logic and improves developer experience.

Summary and further reading

Please refer to the following links for further reading:

GutenbergGutenberg The Gutenberg project is the new Editor Interface for WordPress. The editor improves the process and experience of creating new content, making writing rich content much simpler. It uses ‘blocks’ to add richness rather than shortcodes, custom HTML etc. https://wordpress.org/gutenberg/ pull request #68097 for the withSyncEvent and new directive requirement enhancements
Gutenberg issues #64944 and #69552 with additional context on the long-term plans to run Interactivity API actions asynchronously by default.
Gutenberg issue #69269 with additional context on the long-term plans to more clearly separate directives that do something vs that determine a value.
TracTrac An open source project by Edgewall Software that serves as a bug tracker and project management tool for WordPress. ticketticket Created for both bug reports and feature development on the bug tracker. #62582 for support of the .length property.
Documentation for understanding global state, local context, or derived state.

Co-authored by @gziolo.
Props to @westonruter, @jonsurrell, @webcommsat, @marybaum for review and proofreading.

#6-8, #dev-notes, #dev-notes-6-8, #interactivity-api, #performance

Krupal Lakhia 7:51 pm on March 24, 2025
Tags: core ( 631 ), editor update ( 4 ), gutenberg ( 509 )

Editor Weekly Updates – March 10th – 23rd

Last week, there were some exciting developments in the GutenbergGutenberg The Gutenberg project is the new Editor Interface for WordPress. The editor improves the process and experience of creating new content, making writing rich content much simpler. It uses ‘blocks’ to add richness rather than shortcodes, custom HTML etc. https://wordpress.org/gutenberg/ Editor. Below, you’ll find an overview of the key changes and improvements.

Need AccessibilityAccessibility Accessibility (commonly shortened to a11y) refers to the design of products, devices, services, or environments for people with disabilities. The concept of accessible design ensures both “direct access” (i.e. unassisted) and “indirect access” meaning compatibility with a person’s assistive technology (for example, computer screen readers). (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accessibility) Feedback
Enhancements
Need Design Feedback
Bugs

Need Accessibility Feedback:

Navigation Submenu, Custom Link Block: Consider removing the title editing UI –

Enhancements:

Add a search to the template selection modal in the block editor – When you are editing a page or post in the blockBlock Block is the abstract term used to describe units of markup that, composed together, form the content or layout of a webpage using the WordPress editor. The idea combines concepts of what in the past may have achieved with shortcodes, custom HTML, and embed discovery into a single consistent API and user experience. editor, there is an option to change the template.
Block API: support multiple namespaces in registerBlockCollection() – It would be nice if a block collection could contain blocks from more than one namespace to better organize and consolidate block categories & collections in the block inserter.
LinkControlSearchInput: Explore way to provide better label and placeholder – Accessibility enhancementenhancement Enhancements are simple improvements to WordPress, such as the addition of a hook, a new feature, or an improvement to an existing feature.
UIUI User interface Components: UI Components: Add theming support for all the components – Some components currently lack theme support, limiting their adaptability to different design systems. This issue serves as a general tracker to identify those components and systematically incorporate theming support.
Block APIAPI An API or Application Programming Interface is a software intermediary that allows programs to interact with each other and share data in limited, clearly defined ways.: wp_register_block_metadata_collection doesn’t work with multiple blocks with identical folder names – Using wp_register_block_metadata_collection to improve block registration/loading performance and noticed that the php array created by running “wp-scripts build-blocks-manifest”
Block Bindings: Function canUserEditValue result change not affect Block behaviours – Having a custom Bock Binding Source you might encounter the situation when users accidentally change bound content and that change escalates through setValue to the very source ending up with changes in database or external system.
PR Editor: fix: missing default category on new posts – Automatically assigns the default categoryCategory The 'category' taxonomy lets you group posts / content together that share a common bond. Categories are pre-defined and broad ranging. for new posts in the category taxonomyTaxonomy A taxonomy is a way to group things together. In WordPress, some common taxonomies are category, link, tag, or post format. https://codex.wordpress.org/Taxonomies#Default_Taxonomies. using the useEffect hook to set when no terms are present but only if it’s a new post and settings have been loaded.
PR – [New block] bookmark and bookmark count – Currently, WordPress lacks a built-in way for users to bookmark or favorite posts for later reading. This is an essential feature for content-heavy sites, similar to YouTube’s Watch Later or social media Saved Posts features.
RSS Block: Add options to preserve source order and reverse items – RSS Enhancement
Fix: Background wrapper for ‘Button Inside’ option – This PR updates the current implementation of button placed inside the search box
UI Components: Enhance sandbox component to accept sandbox prop – Enhances the Sandbox component
Stylelint: Relax at-rule-empty-line-before for SCSS – Stylelint: Relax at-rule-empty-line-before rule for SCSS syntax
Paragraph block: migrate text align and add full wide supports – Paragraph block migrate text align and add full wide supports
Excerpt Block: Add character count option – This PR adds a character count option to the ExcerptExcerpt An excerpt is the description of the blog post or page that will by default show on the blog archive page, in search results (SERPs), and on social media. With an SEO plugin, the excerpt may also be in that plugin’s metabox. Block as an alternative to the existing word count functionality, allowing theme designers to control excerpt lengths more precisely.

Needs Design Feedback:

The List View sidebar needs a “No block selected.” message – Currently, when a user creates a new post or there are no blocks in the editor, the List View panel on the left shows a blank white column. Adding a “No block selected.” message would improve the user experience by providing clearer feedback.
UI components: Allow Snackbar component to support two actions for better user interaction and flexibility
Components: Fix Styling for TextControland TextAreaControl in dark themes – This PR introduces theming support for the TextControl and TextAreaControl components.

Bugs:

Accessibility: Media & Text block: radius doesn’t apply to media element and goes underneath – The border radius doesn’t go on top of the existing content, but underneath it.
Editor: Front-end link doesn’t match the style of other panels – Some improvements have been made to the post URLURL A specific web address of a website or web page on the Internet, such as a website’s URL www.wordpress.org UI.

Thank you @benjamin_zekavica for helping in posting and adding details

#core, #editor-update, #gutenberg

Felix Arntz 3:40 pm on March 24, 2025
Tags: 6-8 ( 57 ), dev-notes ( 570 ), dev-notes-6-8 ( 12 )

New filter `should_load_block_assets_on_demand` in 6.8

WordPress 6.8 introduces a new filterFilter Filters are one of the two types of Hooks https://codex.wordpress.org/Plugin_API/Hooks. They provide a way for functions to modify data of other functions. They are the counterpart to Actions. Unlike Actions, filters are meant to work in an isolated manner, and should never have side effects such as affecting global variables and output. should_load_block_assets_on_demand, which runs as part of a new function wp_should_load_block_assets_on_demand(). The filter complements the existing should_load_separate_core_block_assets filter by more clearly separating concerns of both filters.

Until now the should_load_separate_core_block_assets filter had two different purposes:

Loading separate stylesheets for CoreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. blocks, instead of a combined wp-block-library stylesheet (as the name indicates).
Loading blockBlock Block is the abstract term used to describe units of markup that, composed together, form the content or layout of a webpage using the WordPress editor. The idea combines concepts of what in the past may have achieved with shortcodes, custom HTML, and embed discovery into a single consistent API and user experience. scripts and stylesheets on demand only if the blocks are included in the page (not indicated by the name).

Now the new filter (and its surrounding function) handles only the second purpose. To maintain backward compatibility, the existing filter still works for both purposes. But going forward, please use it only for the first purpose.

Having the two separate filters for these purposes lets you control them separately. For example, as a site owner who wants to opt in to loading block scripts and stylesheets on demand, but keep loading the combined wp-block-library stylesheet with your classic theme, now you can:

add_filter( 'should_load_separate_core_block_assets', '__return_false' );
add_filter( 'should_load_block_assets_on_demand', '__return_true' );

Block themes now opt in by default to both features, similar to how they were already doing before via just the one filter.

Refer to TracTrac An open source project by Edgewall Software that serves as a bug tracker and project management tool for WordPress. ticketticket Created for both bug reports and feature development on the bug tracker. #61965 for more context.

Props to @jeffpaul, @michelleames, @marybaum, @webcommsat for review and proofreading.

#6-8, #dev-notes, #dev-notes-6-8

Welcome!

Communication

Release Squad

Release Timeline

Release Focus

Core

Administration

Simplified ‘Add New’ Labels

Screen Reader Confirmation for Screen Options

Elimination of Empty Author Links

Removal of title Attributes

Customizer

Restoring Heading Semantics in Customizer Navigation Menus

Respecting Reduced Motion Preferences in the Customizer

Editing

Conditional Display of ‘Disable the Visual Editor’ Option

Renaming the ‘Text’ Tab to ‘Code’

Removal of Redundant title Attributes in Classic Editor

Ensuring Visibility of Screen Reader Shortcuts in Block Editor

Miscellaneous

Improved Feedback for Password-Protected Posts

Accessible Validation for Custom Menu Links

Updated screen-reader-text CSSCSS Cascading Style Sheets. Class

Fix for Comment Reply Form Escape Key Behavior

Removal of Redundant title Attributes

Improved HTML Semantics in Site Health Info Tables

Themes

Theme Details Dialog Overlay

“Skip to Content” Link Enhancement

Improved aria-current Management for Custom Logos

Removal of Redundant Title Attributes

Support for :focus-visible Pseudo-Selector in theme.jsonJSON JSON, or JavaScript Object Notation, is a minimal, readable format for structuring data. It is used primarily to transmit data between a server and web application, as an alternative to XML.

Bundled Themes

Skip Link Placement Adjustments

ARIA Attribute Improvements in Menus

Improved Accessibility for Site Titles

Gutenberg

Blocks

DataViews

Miscellaneous

Editor Resizability and Responsiveness

Modal Dialogs and Popovers

Search Inputs and Global Styles

Snackbar Notices and Sidebar Navigation

Button Components and Motion Preferences

Color Picker and Contrast Checker

Pattern Modal and Post Editor

Keyboard Navigation and Screen Reader Enhancements

UI Consistency and Focus Management

Refinements in Block Patterns, Global Styles, and Layout Components

Improvements to UI Components and Controls

Enhancements to Style and Theme Components

Enhancements for Text and Font Controls

Performance Lab plugins

Announcements 📢

WordPress 6.8 | Release Candidaterelease candidate One of the final stages in the version release cycle, this version signals the potential to be a final release to the public. Also see alpha (beta). 1 is now available 🥳

Forthcoming releases 🚀

Release Candidate 2 of 6.8: April 1th

Next Gutenberg version: 20.6

Next major releasemajor release A release, identified by the first two numbers (3.6), which is the focus of a full release cycle and feature development. WordPress uses decimaling count for major release versions, so 2.8, 2.9, 3.0, and 3.1 are sequential and comparable in scope.: 6.8

Editor Updates 🔄

Highlighted posts ✨

Discussions 🤔

Hosting Issues Found During 6.8 RC1 Release Party

Open floor 💬

Removed option to disable the Visual Editor from user profile settings

Changed WP_Image_Editor::generate_filename( $suffix ) to allow empty string as a suffix

Add validation of custom menu links in the classic menu administration

New action hook in Import administration screen

Update to wp_video_shortcode() HTMLHTML HyperText Markup Language. The semantic scripting language primarily used for outputting content in web browsers. attributes

Update to wp_audio_shortcode() HTML Attributes

New is_embeddable argument for register_post_type()

Updates to body_class classes

readme.html file is now noindex,nofollow

Style Book availability for classic themes

Enabling Block Hooks for post content

Block Hooks enabled for Synced Patterns

Cron APIAPI An API or Application Programming Interface is a software intermediary that allows programs to interact with each other and share data in limited, clearly defined ways.: Introduce a new filter of the same name to wp_next_scheduled()

HDR Image support for Imagick: new filter to control maximum bit depth of resized images

Media: enable setting image output quality by image size

Changed `WP_Image_Editor::generate_filename( $suffix )` to allow empty string as a suffix

Update to `wp_video_shortcode()` HTMLHTML HyperText Markup Language. The semantic scripting language primarily used for outputting content in web browsers. attributes

Update to `wp_audio_shortcode()` HTML Attributes

New `is_embeddable` argument for `register_post_type()`

Updates to `body_class` classes

`readme.html` file is now `noindex,nofollow`

Stabilize the `isPreviewMode` settings flag

Block registration: Normalize `blockType.parent` to an `array`

`RadioGroup`: Log deprecation warning

`Navigation`: Prepare for hard deprecation

`SearchControl`: Deprecated `onClose` prop

Soft deprecate the `ButtonGroup` component

Default `32px` sizes are now deprecated

`Modal`: Buttons in `headerActions` should use “compact” size

Stabilized `BorderBoxControl`

Stabilized `BorderControl`

Stabilized `BoxControl`

Stabilized `Navigator`

Wrap certain action callbacks in `withSyncEvent()`

Support for the `.length` property in directives