What’s New in WordPress Version 5.5 – Block Editor

Video Transcript

Hi in this class on what’s new and WordPress 5.5.

We’re going to pick up where we left off at in the previous class.
So the second major update that I want to cover is the updates specifically related to the blocks and block editor, which is kind of where we’re at right now, the block editor window. So let’s first touch on the block library. Let’s open it up by clicking on the ad block button up here in our navigation bar. And I want to start off with the search for block feature, because typically this will go through all the blocks in your library that are currently installed and provide you with those that match the keyword or keyword phrases enter into the search for block box.

Like for example, I want the cover block. Well, there it is. But let’s say that you’ve got a block that you do not have installed.

Maybe you just don’t remember it, but you don’t have it installed, but there’s this new thing called the block directory at wordpress.org/plugins/browse/block, where it is connected to your block library. So if you do not have saved the SB children block installed on your site, this will appear as a potential add on. Let me show you let’s come on back here. Let’s close this one out and do a search for the SB children block, which I know is not in my library and you don’t even have to finish typing out the entire name. Cause it pulls it in right here. No blocks found in your library, but these blocks, all of them that are listed here.

Of course, they’re just the one, but these blocks can be downloaded and installed right? From within our editor window, the same method as adding a plugin that you don’t have installed, but it is currently located in the wordpress.org plugins directory or the themes same way.

And there’s some pros and cons to this, but I just wanted to point out that there’s that new thing called block directory@wordpress.org that has kind of sorta attached to your search function within your editor window. So next up let’s go and close this out. Next step is patterns, which is basically a bunch of presets, frankly, a bunch of time savers. If you asked me and most will actually all the themes that I’ve tested so far have presets.

You might encounter a theme or two at the very beginning that do not support patterns or presets as I’m calling them. But for the most part they will. And if not, now, they soon will. I’m sure, but these are just major time savers. So instead of you having to go through and manually put together several columns and inside of those columns, adding the image block, the text block, these are already done for you.

For example, you’ve got, say three buttons. So instead of having to go through and add three columns and then add a button to each one of those columns, just click on that. Boom, it’s already there. We also want to point out that you have your normal button styling options here under the blocks settings in the right sidebar. And some of the blocks settings for the different blocks have also changed or have had things added to them. And that’s the next thing that I want to mention. For example, with the image block here in the right sidebar under advanced, we now have the ability to add an HTML anchor to that.
Actually I’ve noticed this HTML anchor under advanced added to a bunch of the different blocks that weren’t there before I believe before it was only with the heading block. I could be wrong, but I do know that it was only with a few or maybe even just one or two blocks, but now it’s with most, all the blocks for that matter.

Let’s try the button here. Yep. It’s even in the button block too, but getting back to the image block, not only do we have this added HTML anchor option under advanced, but also we have within the inline toolbar for the image block, the ability to do some editing. So for example, if we wanted to crop the image, we can do that right here.

We don’t have to do it outside of the editor window. Now another option that I’ve noticed that’s changed over here in the right sidebar is with the heading block before we had to add the heading block inside of a group block in order to change or add a background color no more. Cause we’re in the heading block now on our block settings and the right sidebar, we now have the background color and you’re going to find the background color and a lot of blocks that it did not exist in before version 5.5 as well.

So speaking of background color, another change is with the group block. Let’s go ahead and see if I can add a group block here. I got a group block and under core settings now, not only do we have the background color and of course, text color, but we’ve got solid or gradient for the background color, got a lot of presets here, which we can customize right here.

Well, those are some of the major changes and additions to the blocks and the block editor window for version 5.5. But in the next class, we’re going to cover some of the non block related additions and changes for version 5.5. But for now, that’s going to bring us to the end of this class on an introduction to WordPress version 5.5. Thanks for checking it out and you have a great day.