December 19, 2023 — In the final installment of Developer Hours for 2023, we explored how the wp-scripts package has become an essential tool for modern WordPress development, such as when building blocks and block themes. If you are looking to streamline your development process, harness the power of build tools, and simplify tasks such as checking for compliance with WordPress coding standards, this session recording is for you.

November 29, 2023 — In this installment of Developer Hours, we explored how to extend core WordPress blocks and why this approach can be preferred over creating a custom block. Extension techniques also allow you to curate the editing experience within WordPress beyond simply adding new functionality.

The session began with a presentation on the fundamentals of block extension. Then, we covered practical examples of adding new features to existing blocks, utilizing hooks for advanced extensions, and modifying block behavior to suit your unique site requirements.

Presentation Slides »

November 2, 2023 — WordPress 6.4 is set to launch on November 7, 2023, and with it, a new default theme for the upcoming year. This discussion focused on the development and design of the new Twenty Twenty-Four theme. Jessica Lyschik led the presentation, which was followed by a Q&A session.

The presentation included a demo/walkthrough of Twenty Twenty-Four, showing what the theme is capable of. We also shared some background information and tips and tricks on the new features and how to make it your own.

October 12, 2023 — A casual conversation about the most important and exciting developer-related changes coming to WordPress 6.4. Learn more about Blook Hooks and improved Editor flows as well as the new Twenty Twenty-Four theme.

September 27, 2023 — In this installment of WordPress Developer Hours, we dove into the functionalities of the create-block package. Developed to simplify and accelerate the process of building custom WordPress blocks, this package has become an indispensable tool for developers of all levels.

In addition to covering the fundamentals of the create-block package, the presentation showcased often overlooked features such as external project templates and variants, among others. So, whether you’re starting with block development or an experienced pro, this session will help you build better blocks.

September 14, 2023 — In this casual conversation, we discuss block variations and how you can use them to enhance the editing experience in WordPress. An often overlooked feature, variations are a great way to extend existing blocks and can be as simple or complex as you like. Many WordPress Core blocks you use daily are variations!

To kick off the discussion, we provide a brief overview of what variations are and how they work. Ryan Welcher then shares how he built the Advanced Query Loop plugin and why he opted for a variation of the Query block instead of building a custom block from scratch.

August 17, 2023 — During this Hallway Hangout, we had a casual conversation about how you can create custom design tools for blocks from a theming perspective.

Based on Justin’s latest article series for the WordPress Developer Blog, attendees learned when to move beyond the Block Styles API and create their own custom controls. We also discussed the current limitations of theme development and how block development can be used to extend block themes.

July 18, 2023 — Reusable blocks are a powerful way to save and reuse content across your site. In WordPress 6.3, reusable blocks will be renamed to “synced patterns.” This change reflects the unification of reusable blocks and traditional block patterns (unsynced patterns) within the Editor, which will streamline workflows, enhance the content creation experience, and set the stage for future enhancements in WordPress 6.4.

In this online workshop, we explore this exciting change as well as new functionality for creating custom patterns and managing them in the Site Editor.

June 30, 2023 — This Developer Hours session showcases extensibility methods that empower builders to extend and customize the WordPress editing experience.

– What is Editor extensibility and why is it important
– What extensibility methods are currently available in WordPress and how to use them
– What is missing in WordPress in terms of extensibility, particularly related to blocks and the Editor

June 15, 2023 — This Hallway Hangout was a casual conversation about building block themes with a special focus on enhancements coming in WordPress 6.3 and those planned for 6.4. We also discussed common challenges and pain points, reviewed existing solutions, and identified new improvements to WordPress that make block theming easier for developers and users alike.

The session began with a brief demonstration of the changes coming to the Site Editor in 6.3, notably page management and new editing flows. If you have begun building block themes for clients or are interested in block theming, this session is especially for you.