Gary Pendergast 12:48 am on February 19, 2019
Tags: 5.2 ( 37 )

WordPress 5.2 Schedule and Scope

With WordPress 5.1 RC1 being released, and 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. being reopened for work on WordPress 5.2, let’s discuss what the release schedule should look like, and what can be done in that time.

During the core chat earlier this week, I proposed a “late April” release date. This is primarily driven by the proposal to bump WordPress’ minimum PHP and MySQL version requirements, which suggested April as an initial target.

Proposed WordPress 5.2 Schedule

To give something a little more specific than “late April”, I’d like to propose the following key dates for WordPress 5.2.

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 14, 2019.
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: April 10, 2019.
~~General Release: April 23, 2019.~~

Update: The schedule will be:

Beta 1: 21 March, 2019
Release Candidate: 17 April, 2019
General Release: 30 April, 2019

The end of April does have quite a few observed holidays to account for. The weekend of April 20/21 is Easter, the week of April 20-27 is Passover, and the weekend of April 27-28 is Orthodox Easter. The following week includes May Day, and is the week before the start of Ramadan.

I would like to propose April 23 as a reasonable compromise that isn’t an observed holiday for most people, and allows several days after the release for sites to test and upgrade.

Proposed WordPress 5.2 Scope

Given the timeframe, there are several projects in progress that would fit nicely.

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/

With the widgets to blocks being complete for Gutenberg 5.1, the Gutenberg work is ready to move into the next item on the 9 projects for 2019 list: 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. directory. The way authors discover and use new blocks is shaping up to be an important part of the block editor experience, so join in the #meta and #core-editor channels to discuss this important part of our future infrastructure.

With the explosion of new blocks comes the need to manage them. There are a lot of plugins which add dozens of blocks, but authors may only need one or two of them. Being able to hide the ones they don’t use can only make the editing experience easier. The CoBlocks plugin recent introduced a Block Manager feature along these lines.

Additionally, the Gutenberg team have made more UXUX User experience and performance improvements, which you can see in recent Gutenberg plugin releases.

Site Health Check

The Health Check plugin has been coming along nicely, and is looking like it will be ready to merge before beta 1. This is another of the 9 projects for 2019.

PHPPHP The web scripting language in which WordPress is primarily architected. WordPress requires PHP 5.6.20 or higher Error Protection

While it missed WordPress 5.1, the coreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. PHP team have been reworking the PHP Error Protection feature, and are on target for releasing it in WordPress 5.2.

Update Package Signing

Auto-updates are featured as two of the 9 projects for 2019, but to ensure these are completed in a safe and reliable fashion, there are a few steps to take beforehand. The first step involves implementing update package signing, which ensures sites have downloaded a valid update package. Once package signing has proven itself when running against WordPress 5.2.x releases, the next steps include improving the error detection and fallback mechanisms for the 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 and theme updaters, as well as making UIUI User interface options available for enabling auto-updates.

Pending WordPress.orgWordPress.org The community site where WordPress code is created and shared by the users. This is where you can download the source code for WordPress core, plugins and themes as well as the central location for community conversations and organization. https://wordpress.org/ work and Systems approval, package signing could reasonably be ready for WordPress 5.2.

Everything Else

Of course, there’s always room for small enhancements 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. fixes. If there’s something you’re working on that could be ready for WordPress 5.2, please list it in the comments!

Proposed WordPress 5.2 Leads

@matt will continue his role as Release LeadRelease Lead The community member ultimately responsible for the Release., defining the scope of the release.

@chanthaboune will act as Release Coordinator, ensuring each of the WordPress 5.2 projects are communicating and running to schedule.

To avoid bottlenecks in the form of an unnamed Australian (who happens to be the author of this post), I’d like to propose we continue something that worked well during WordPress 5.0: a “feature release lead” role, with each of the projects having a point person to keep track of project status. For each of the proposed features (as well as any that are proposed in the comments), please put some thought into who could be a feature release lead, and include them in your comments.

#5-2

Matt Mullenweg 1:44 am on February 19, 2019

I am so excited about 5.2. 🙂
- .akmal { ASAuz } 5:53 am on May 8, 2019
  
  🙂
Bradley Jacobs 3:01 am on February 19, 2019

Would love to see query logging expanded.

https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/42151
Robert Anderson 4:11 am on February 19, 2019

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 14, 2019.

To confirm: since 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/ 5.2 will be released on March 6, does this mean that Gutenberg 5.2 is what will be bundled into WordPress 5.2?

To avoid bottlenecks in the form of an unnamed Australian

https://futurama.fandom.com/wiki/Australian_man
- Riad Benguella 7:22 am on February 19, 2019
  
  Let’s clarify this during the dev chat and adapt 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/ release cycle to the feature-freeze date.
Eric Mann 4:14 am on February 19, 2019

Pending WordPress.orgWordPress.org The community site where WordPress code is created and shared by the users. This is where you can download the source code for WordPress core, plugins and themes as well as the central location for community conversations and organization. https://wordpress.org/ work and Systems approval, package signing could reasonably be ready for WordPress 5.2.

Given I’ve been supporting this through a 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 for about a year now, I’d absolutely love to see signing as part of coreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. in 5.2!
Christian Schoen 5:14 am on February 19, 2019

A central “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. manager” will be a great facility, not only as a switch for deactivation of single block types but to uninstall them too. A block type directory similar to the 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 directory that allows the installation of a single block type instead of a full library of them would be a great enhancementenhancement Enhancements are simple improvements to WordPress, such as the addition of a hook, a new feature, or an improvement to an existing feature. too.
Maxime BERNARD-JACQUET 7:42 am on February 19, 2019

Coblocks is not the only one to include a 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. manager. And not the first.

That’s why we definitely need a Block manager / repo! It will be messy if everyone is doing their own way.
We discussed the idea with Riad last year and I would love to see it become real.

But how do you plan to do it ? There are blocks specific plugins, and standard plugins that includes some blocks.
I’ll try to get involved more on this one
- Danny Cooper 11:12 am on February 19, 2019
  
  How about a standalone solution? https://wordpress.org/plugins/disable-gutenberg-blocks/
- Rich Tabor 2:46 pm on February 19, 2019
  
  We weren’t the first by far, but I’d argue it’s clearly the best experience. I built it because folks have been asking for just that, and I wanted to deliver a much better experience than asking them to go to a WP Adminadmin (and super admin) page elsewhere.
  
  I’d love to see something like 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. Manager in coreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. and am available to help out in any way I can. It really should be a relative experience for anyone who wants to turn off particular blocks.
Peter Wilson 12:41 am on February 20, 2019

In the recent #design triagetriage The act of evaluating and sorting bug reports, in order to decide priority, severity, and other factors., #43622 was discussed as a focus for 5.2 onwards.

As an initial step error messaging requires an audit and the improvement focus would continue throughout the year.

I’m willing to support the design team on this.
SamuelFernandez 10:26 am on February 20, 2019

It would be great if the container block could already be installed in WordPress 5.2. The reactions of the community speak for themselves (check this and this). This is a 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. that some people are eagerly awaiting.
Aaron Jorbin 9:35 pm on February 20, 2019
My one concern with the release is the timing. Right now it means that we are releasing during Passover and then assuming we follow up with 5.2.1 2 weeks later, we are doing that release during the first few days of Ramadan.

Pushing back a week allows for 2 full 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/ releases before feature freeze which also means more awesomeness for the users.

I think we should consider instead:
- 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 on 21 March
- RC1 on 17 April
- Release on 30 April.
- Matt Mullenweg 7:30 pm on February 27, 2019
  
  Great points, let’s push back the week.
  - buckwheatphd 1:59 am on May 8, 2019
    
    Excellent name for new 5.2 release! I thought I was the only person in the world that knew of Jaco, other than his good friend Pat Metheny. Well done indeed
williampatton 9:26 pm on February 27, 2019

Volunteering myself to help shepherd any projects or features that may be needed. Just let me know 🙂
Adam Silverstein 2:58 pm on March 1, 2019

Thanks for the summary Gary. I plan to get involved wherever I can be helpful!

I also hope to refocus my efforts on improving coreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress.’s internal handling of 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. including autosaves and previews. These issues continue to be present in 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 while we have tried to work around them, they really need resolving at a deeper level.
daverobinsonpw 8:33 am on April 9, 2019

Is there any more info anywhere on how the package signing is going to work?
Also is there a write-up of the PHPPHP The web scripting language in which WordPress is primarily architected. WordPress requires PHP 5.6.20 or higher error protection functionality? I remember seeing something on this when it was due for 5.1 but I don’t know if it reflects the current state.