The newest version of Gutenberg editor, Gutenberg 18.0, was released yesterday with an array of refinements and bug fixes in it.
The 180th Gutenberg plugin release comprises a total of 206 closed PRs by 59 contributors and a record-setting 17 first-time contributors. You’ll find in the release the result of additional Data View work, improvements for featured images, and media+ text. The changelog also lists a ton of fixes, performance improvements, and about 35 PRs of Documentation updates.
Sitewide Color and Typography presets
In addition to Style Variations, the Site view screen is now populated with the controls to set side-wide color and typography choices. This will streamline designers’ workflows.
Featured Image: Now in Media + Text, with shadow support
Users can use the Media + Text block in their templates as it now supports the featured image. The design possibilities now opened up beyond a column-bases layout and also for single posts or page templates. Drop shadow controls expand the design tools of the creating developer and site owner alike.
Data Views with improved filters and updated Template index page
The data views screens, which are also prototypes for the future list pages, received quite a few intriguing updates. The Templates index page is now very flexible. In addition to the table view, users can now also enable a grid layout with preview cards or a list view that allows for full preview in a three-page window. The list view is available for templates, pages, and template parts. Another is the ability to select multiple criteria for filters.
Other Notable Highlights
The Grid layout experiments are the next step to consistent responsiveness of posts, pages, and templates.
They are evolving quite a bit. If you haven’t opened them up you might want to start doing so now. This release includes a couple of updates. Blocks can now be grouped as a grid via the transform feature. With Column Start and Row Start controls in the sidebar, the Drag and Drop of blocks around the grid is now possible.
Enhancements
Here are the enhancements in Gutenberg 18.0
- Core Data: Update method generating plural names. (59881)
- Expand the main content area to the viewport when zoomed out. (59512)
- Update the ‘sidebar card’ appearance. (59997)
Data Views
- Add: Command-click to select an item on the table view. (59563)
- DataViews: Add AND logic operators to filters. (59953)
- DataViews: Add default getValue for fields. (59810)
- DataViews: Implement multiple selections for filters. (59610)
- DataViews: Make the list layout stable. (59858)
- Pages data view: Update quick-actions. (59551)
- Reduce the visual prominence of primary actions in table data views, and consolidate primary + secondary actions in the ellipsis menu. (59128)
Site Editor
- Patterns: Add a title to the category delete flow and increase line height. (59645)
- Standardize block tools toggle button size to 32px. (59625)
- Update the index page for templates. (59792)
- [Site Editor]: Move the featured image to the top of the inspector controls. (59783)
Block Library
- Add a featured image to the Media & Text block. (51491)
- Social Icons: Update Medium icon. (57073)
- Table Block: Fixed width table cells on by default. (49672)
- Update the Reddit social icon to the latest brand guidelines. (59438)
Components
- Add typing for date and time typing for TextControl. (59666)
- Add: Support for menu group to the Dropdown. (59723)
- Update the line height for components. (60028)
Design Tools
- Add Box Shadow support for featured images. (59616)
- Background block supports: Move block support defaults to gutenberg_render_background_support and revert gutenberg_get_background_support_styles. (59889)
Layout
- Add Column Start and Row Start controls to Grid children. (59483)
- Allow blocks to be grouped as a Grid. (59853)
Global Styles
Block API
- Display settings ‘label’ defined by the ‘register_setting’ method. (59243)
Rich Text
- RichText: Add a non-breaking space shortcut on Windows. (43150)
New APIs
- Support the PluginDocumentSettingPanel slot in the site editor. (59985)
- Add pre 6.5 compat for viewStyles. (59322)
- h _deprecated_function() call. (59834)