The WordPress coreCoreCore is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. development team builds WordPress! Follow this site for general updates, status reports, and the occasional code debate. There’s lots of ways to contribute:
Found a bugbugA 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.?Create a ticket in the bug tracker.
Happy September no matter where you are in the world! Since we’re halfway through the alpha period for the next big release of WordPress, it’s time to gather all the pieces of planning into one place. This post will include all the best guesses and targets for dates, features, and squads.
This release will follow the same general cadence as the other releases this year, with a long alpha period (132 days) and a short betaBetaA 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. period (14 days) before the release candidaterelease candidateOne 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.
Proposed WordPress 5.9 Schedule
These are my best guesses at the milestones:
Milestone
Date
Days from
Alpha (trunktrunkA 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. open for 5.9 release)
June 30, 2021
Go/no go Date
October 12, 2021 October 14, 2021
104 days after Alpha
Feature freeze/Bug Fixes
November 9, 2021
42 days after go/no go
Beta 1
November 16, 2021
7 days after Feature Freeze
Release Candidate 1
November 30, 2021
14 days after Beta 1
General release
December 14, 2021
14 days after RC1
WP5.9 Schedule
This schedule puts Beta 1 the week of a major US holiday and a few major commerce dates worldwide. It does avoid putting RC1 during that week.
Proposed WordPress 5.9 Scope
The main goal for 2021 is getting full site editing to all WordPress users. For WP5.9 the following features are in the suggested roadmap:
Blocks + intrinsic web design
Navigation menus
Interface for theme.jsonJSONJSON, 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.
Refining editing flows for blockBlockBlock 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. themes
New default theme
Additional design tools
There are also a few roadmap hopefuls out there.
Pattern insertion + creation
Unzip/Rollback Failsafes
PHPUnit Tests
Improved compatibility with PHPPHPThe web scripting language in which WordPress is primarily architected. WordPress requires PHP 7.4 or higher 8.0 and 8.1
Proposed WordPress 5.9 Leads
Release LeadRelease LeadThe community member ultimately responsible for the Release.: Matt Mullenweg
Release Coordinators:
TriagetriageThe act of evaluating and sorting bug reports, in order to decide priority, severity, and other factors. Lead:
Editor Tech:
Editor Design:
CoreCoreCore is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. Tech:
Theme Lead:
Technical Writer: Jonathan Bossenger
Docs Lead:
Marketing & Comms: Josepha Haden
AccessibilityAccessibilityAccessibility (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) Lead:
Test Lead:
How to help!
I think we will need a slightly larger release squad for this final release of the year, so I’m opening calls for volunteers. As we approach the go/no go date and get a better idea of what features will really land in the release, we’ll get more squad leads assigned.
However, there are a couple of roles we really could use some volunteers for right now:
Triage Lead
Release Coordinators
If you’re interested in lending a hand, please share your interest in the comments!
Props to @francina for early versions of this post, and @jeffpaul + @desrosj for wrestling calendars with me.