It feels like the end of an era. Last week, core contributors merged a patch that removed PHP variables named $pee and $tinkle from the WordPress codebase. Yes, the software that powers 43% of the web has pee-pee jokes in its code. I know how it sounds. I felt silly writing that sentence. My job as a writer for WP …
The WordPress Web Fonts API Has Arrived
The journey toward a web fonts API in WordPress has been a rollercoaster of emotions for developers. After being punted from the WordPress 5.9 release, it was moved to the Gutenberg project, where it could be built alongside related features that relied on it. The API has been merged into the Gutenberg plugin and should land in version 12.8. Theme …
WordPress Multisite Is Still a Valuable and Often Necessary Tool
Rob Howard rocked the boat last week in calling for the deprecation of WordPress multisite in the latest MasterWP newsletter. He argued that “the brave and noble add-on is no longer necessary or valuable to developers.” The responses via Twitter were swift and in disagreement. Before WordPress 3.0, multisite was an entirely separate system called WPMU (WordPress MultiUser). It was …
FSE Outreach Round #12: Building a Site Header With Blocks
On Wednesday, Anne McCarthy announced Round #12 of the FSE Outreach Program. As always, everyone is free to join by testing features and providing direct feedback on problem areas with the design tools in WordPress. Anyone interested should respond by March 16. For this round, volunteers are tasked with testing some oldies but goodies. Early in the program’s history, anyone …
Recreating Onia: Building Brushstroke Backgrounds With WordPress Blocks
As I was looking over the latest releases from the WordPress theme directory this week, I came across one that caught my eye. Onia was clean and minimal while reserving its flourishes to bring attention to just a few elements across the page. Could this be one of those diamonds in the rough I am always looking for in the …
WordFest Live to Host Free 24-Hour Festival of WordPress March 4, 2022
The third edition of WordFest Live is coming up on March 4, 2022. The online event will feature more than 60 sessions over the course of 24 hours, as well as workshops, socials, and celebrations. Sessions will be focused on WordPress, remote working, and mental wellbeing. Topics include leadership, freelancing, website performance, podcasting, WooCommerce, dealing with mental disorders in tech, …
The Case for a Shared CSS Toolkit in WordPress
Earlier today, Mark Root-Wiley published an in-depth proposal around standardized design tokens and CSS for WordPress. The goal is to create a consistent, customizable, and interoperable system around the design tools in core. Essentially, he is proposing a standardized design framework or, as he refers to it, a “shared CSS toolkit” that WordPress, themes, and plugins can rely on. The …
QuickPost Plugin Allows Users To Create New or Duplicate Posts from the WordPress Content Editor
There is not much I miss about the classic editor. It was dead to me when the block system became the new normal. However, there might be a feature or two that I miss. The biggest of those features? The “Add New” button at the top of the post editor. “Add New” button in the classic editor. So, when Aurooba …
Unearthing Hidden Treasures in the Wabi WordPress Block Theme
After being involved in web design for almost 19 years now, there are grinding days where nothing feels fresh. However, there are also moments where you look at another web developer’s approach to problems and feel like there is a whole world of possibilities that you have yet to step into. And, it is rarely something complicated. The best developers …
UpdraftPlus 1.22.3 Patches Severe Vulnerability Through Forced Security Update from WordPress.org
UpdraftPlus, a plugin that allows users to backup to various cloud providers, has patched a severe security vulnerability that would allow logged-in users to download a site’s latest backups. The patched version (1.22.3) was sent out via a forced auto-update, a measure reserved for severe vulnerabilities that affect a large number of users. UpdraftPlus is active on more than 3 million …