WordPress has released version 13.0 of Gutenberg with major improvements that take it several steps closer to being the easy-to-use website builder it claims to be. This update is especially relevant as the features of this plugin will be included in the core of WordPress 6.0, which is scheduled to be released at the end of this month of May.
Gutenberg, the basic WordPress editor
Gutenberg is a visual style website builder specially designed to make it easy to create web pages. Its concept is based on a drag-and-drop or point-and-click interface on a virtual canvas that you can visualize how it will look like as you design it. Hence its name “visual style editor”.
With this way of creating websites, instead of manipulating code, the editor directly manipulates the different elements of the web page. Those elements of the web page (from the header to the footer) are called blocks.
The main advantage of the Gutenberg editor is that it is part of the WordPress core. In this way, in theory, it helps websites built with Gutenberg to work faster than with a third-party plugin.
With this new Gutenberg 13.0 update, the WP visual editor offers multiple improvements that will take WordPress 6.0 a step forward in the publishing world.
Main improvements of the Gutenberg version 13:0
From this new Gutenberg 13.0 update we can highlight the following improvements:
Select text between blocks
Now we can select and copy text fragments that span several blocks. In this way, Gutenberg 13.0 is a step towards an editor where blocks and text coexist without friction.
Show Featured Image in Cover Block
With the updated cover block, the post featured image will no longer be an afterthought. It becomes an integral part of the publication. We just have to click on the “Use featured image” button, and that’s it!
Create responsive groups, rows and stacks
Selecting multiple blocks at once will expose the Block Group’s Stack and Row options right on the toolbar. In this way, we can group them in a stack or row layout with a single click.
Make your blocks stand out with customizable borders
You can now adjust the borders of your blocks thanks to the new `BorderControl` component. You can change the border color, style, or width.
Create fantastic pages in no time using Patterns
As a developer, you will be able to register post-content block patterns so that they are then proposed both in the new page’s editor and in the Query Loop block.
Enjoy the improved navigation block
Adding a new navigation block in the editor will now default to the first available menu when only one exists; manual selection will not be required.
Text decorations, such as underlines and line breaks, are supported by the block. We may also add link descriptions to navigation link blocks.
What is your opinion? Do these changes in the WordPress visual editor sound interesting?