Justin Tadlock

  • Still No Wood Grain: WP Tavern Design Update

    Still No Wood Grain: WP Tavern Design Update

    It has been a bit of a slow news week in the land of WordPress with the COVID-19 pandemic reaching across the globe. Most people are hunkering down or getting accustomed to a change in their daily lives. For some people, that has meant figuring out a way to work with children at home. For…

  • Block-Based Themes and the Problem with Dynamic Data in HTML Templates

    Block-Based Themes and the Problem with Dynamic Data in HTML Templates

    The Gutenberg project and its eventual full-site editing feature is coming upon a major issue that will need to be solved. Block-based themes of the future are currently on a path toward a template system that will comprise of plain HTML files. While that will work for the majority of a theme’s output, the trouble…

  • Build Custom Templates with the MB Views Add-On for Meta Box

    Build Custom Templates with the MB Views Add-On for Meta Box

    Meta Box released its MB Views add-on plugin last week. The new extension allows developers to build custom templates from the comfort of their WordPress admin. The goal is to provide an easy-to-use interface for outputting custom fields without editing theme files, but its flexibility pushes the boundaries of full-site editing. Quick take: MB Views…

  • GitHub Acquires npm, Plans to Improve Infrastructure and Experience

    GitHub Acquires npm, Plans to Improve Infrastructure and Experience

    GitHub announced yesterday that it had acquired the popular JavaScript package service npm for an undisclosed amount. npm, Inc. was the company behind the Node package manager, npm Registry, and npm CLI. The company is shuttering its doors, but the future of the npm service looks bright with this acquisition. Currently, npm serves over 1.3…

  • Gutenberg 7.7 Ships Refreshed UI and First Iteration of Block Patterns

    Gutenberg 7.7 Ships Refreshed UI and First Iteration of Block Patterns

    Last week, version 7.7 of the Gutenberg plugin shipped to users. In what is one of the more visually-striking updates in a while, the design team presented a refreshed UI. Users will also get their first chance to test the upcoming block patterns feature. Some users may get a surprise. Gutenberg 7.7 is the first…

  • Women in Tech Salary Transparency Project: Addressing the Gender Pay Gap

    Women in Tech Salary Transparency Project: Addressing the Gender Pay Gap

    Lizzie Kardon, Head of Content and Engagement at Pagely, was featured in a nationwide segment on NBC’s TODAY show last month. On the show, women talked about the wage gap and the issues faced by women in the workforce. Kardon is a part of a growing movement of women who are supporting other women in…

  • WooCommerce 4.0 Lands with New Admin Interface and Updated Onboarding Experience

    WooCommerce 4.0 Lands with New Admin Interface and Updated Onboarding Experience

    Yesterday, Automattic launched version 4.0 of its WooCommerce plugin. Except for the new admin interface, which has been in testing for over a year, the development of this update began in January 2020. The update also includes an updated onboarding experience for new users. Version 4.0 is a major release of the plugin. Users should…

  • Advice for Newcomers to Remote Work: Lessons Learned

    Advice for Newcomers to Remote Work: Lessons Learned

    “What did you do today?” asked my aunt. “Take a nap? Watch TV?” “You know, I work a real job, Auntie? They pay me and everything.” Making some of my family and friends understand what I actually do from home is tough. If it is a family member I don’t really like, I sometimes respond,…

  • Editor Will Default to Fullscreen Mode in WordPress 5.4

    Editor Will Default to Fullscreen Mode in WordPress 5.4

    Riad Benguella announced on the core development blog last week the editor in WordPress 5.4 will ship in fullscreen mode by default. While some form of fullscreen or distraction-free writing has existed for years in the core platform, this marks the first time WordPress will make it the default experience. Not all installations will see…

  • BracketSpace Releases Library of Reusable Code for Plugin and Theme Development

    BracketSpace Releases Library of Reusable Code for Plugin and Theme Development

    BracketSpace, a WordPress-centric software development company based, released Micropackage a few weeks ago. The project is a collection of open-source repositories with reusable code for inclusion in WordPress plugins and themes. The library currently has 13 packages, including a filesystem wrapper, a template system, an Advanced Custom Fields block creator, and more. The company out…

  • Gutenberg Hub Launches Collection of 100 Block Templates

    Gutenberg Hub Launches Collection of 100 Block Templates

    Gutenberg Hub launched its collection of block templates yesterday. The project, which kicked off with 100 free templates, aims to help users create complex layouts by simply copying and pasting block code into the editor. Munir Kamal, the founder of CakeWP, created Gutenberg Hub in 2017 after he heard about the initial Gutenberg project announcement.…

  • Preparing for WordPress 5.4: Changes Theme and Plugin Developers Should Know About

    Preparing for WordPress 5.4: Changes Theme and Plugin Developers Should Know About

    With the release of WordPress 5.4 looming, it is time for plugin and theme developers to begin testing their extensions and making sure there are no issues. There are also new APIs for upcoming features. Yesterday, the core team released the first release candidate for 5.4. The official release is planned for March 31. This…

  • Will Page Builders Remain Competitive in the Block Era?

    Will Page Builders Remain Competitive in the Block Era?

    As Elementor, the most-used WordPress page builder, celebrated its first round of funding at $15 million, some of our readers questioned whether this was a sound investment. With movement in the Gutenberg plugin toward a full-site editing solution, which will eventually make its way into core WordPress, it is a valid concern. Will page builders…

  • The International WordPress Community and WordCamps Amid COVID-19

    The International WordPress Community and WordCamps Amid COVID-19

    With the rising numbers of people who have contracted COVID-19, a disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2), it is time for the WordPress community to begin evaluating what the remainder of 2020 may look like. It is not a time for panic. However, some serious discussions will need to happen and…