The first release candidate for WordPress 5.8 is now available! 
Please join us in celebrating this very important milestone in the community’s progress towards the final release of WordPress 5.8!
“Release Candidate” means the new version is ready for release, but with thousands of plugins and themes and differences in how the millions of people use WordPress, it is possible something was missed. WordPress 5.8 is slated for release on July 20, 2021, but your help is needed to get there—if you have not tried 5.8 yet, now is the time!
You can test the WordPress 5.8 release candidate in three ways:
- Install and activate the WordPress Beta Tester plugin (select the
Bleeding edge channel and then Beta/RC Only stream) - Directly download the release candidate version (zip)
- Using WP-CLI to test:
wp core update --version=5.8-RC1
Thank you to all of the contributors who tested the Beta releases and gave feedback. Testing for bugs is a critical part of polishing every release and a great way to contribute to WordPress.
What is in WordPress 5.8?
The second release of 2021 continues to progress on the block editor towards the promised future of full site editing with these updates:
- Manage Widgets with Blocks
- Display Posts with New Blocks and Patterns
- Edit Post Templates
- Overview of the Page Structure
- Suggested Patterns for Blocks
- Style and Colorize Images
theme.json- Dropping support for IE11
- Adding support for WebP
- Adding Additional Block Supports
- Version 10.7 of the Gutenberg plugin
WordPress 5.8 also has lots of refinements to enhance the developer experience. To learn more, subscribe to the Make WordPress Core blog and pay special attention to the developer notes tag for updates on those and other changes that could affect your products.
Plugin and Theme Developers
Please test your plugins and themes against WordPress 5.8 and update the Tested up to version in the readme file to 5.8. If you find compatibility problems, please be sure to post to the support forums, so those can be figured out before the final release.
The WordPress 5.8 Field Guide, due to be published very shortly, will give you a deeper dive into the major changes.
How to Help
Do you speak a language other than English? Help us translate WordPress into more than 100 languages! This release also marks the hard string freeze point of the 5.8 release schedule.
If you think you have found a bug, you can post to the Alpha/Beta area in the support forums. We would love to hear from you! If you are comfortable writing a reproducible bug report, file one on WordPress Trac, where you can also find a list of known bugs.
Props to @audrasjb, @cbringmann, @webcommsat, and @pbiron for copy suggestions and final review.
We are almost there,
WordPress 5.8 comes next month.
We need your help: test!
Making decisions can be difficult. Yet, some people have a harder time than others. Such fear of commitment can affect multiple areas of life – including business.
In particular, the process of building a website is rife with important decisions to be made. Because of that, a commitment-phobic client may become overwhelmed. Having to make choices on a color scheme, features and functionality could potentially bring about anxiety.
If not managed effectively, it might also lead to a stalled project. When clients can’t make the necessary decisions regarding their website, there’s very little a designer can accomplish. Thus, we sit and wait for things to resolve themselves.
Not so fast! While fear of commitment and web design go together like oil and water, you don’t have to settle for such a quagmire. The following are some ways to help even the most skittish of clients move forward.
Share Research and Data
A modern website is going to require commitments to various tools and applications. For instance, a content management system (CMS) is usually a key component. From there, you’ll have to talk about plugins, themes, or any necessary custom code. And let’s not forget about web hosting and other third-party service providers.
It’s a lot to consider – especially for a client who isn’t well-versed in these subjects. Frankly, it’s no wonder that the process can stress people out.
One way to ease a client’s mind is to back your suggestions up with data. This helps to establish trust and proves that you do indeed know what you’re talking about. It also shows that they’re not alone in utilizing a particular tool or technology.
There are many useful tidbits to mention. Market share can be an important factor when it comes to a platform like WordPress. But so are examples of organizations using similar setups. Demonstrating a product’s longevity and history can also boost the comfort level.
The main idea is to show that the items chosen were done so with care and logic. That may be enough to convince a client that they’re on the right path.
Discuss the Importance of Stakeholder Buy-In
You may run into instances where a client is hesitant to provide input. They simply want you to pick out website technologies and run with them. Sometimes this is a result of having full trust in you as an expert – that’s great. But it can also be a sign of someone who doesn’t have the confidence to commit.
For smaller projects that don’t need a lot of advanced functionality, that may be fine. But passing the buck this way on a large website can be problematic.
Stakeholders should be aware of and approve of the tools powering their website. It’s not that they need to know every last detail. Rather, a basic grasp of what items are being used and why they are in place is often enough.
Why is this important? It’s all about commitment. A client who hasn’t bought into their project’s roadmap is less likely to fully understand the capabilities and limitations involved. This can lead to short-sighted decision-making that hurts the outcome.
By attaining a working knowledge of the various pieces in play, clients can better see things rationally. This makes things easier for everyone involved.
Identify Key Concerns
Sometimes having relevant data and a broad view of a project isn’t enough. A client may still have a difficult time making big decisions. They may not even understand why.
If you still find that a project is going nowhere fast, it’s time to take a different approach. It starts by identifying the pain points and starting a conversation. You don’t have to do anything dramatic – just a friendly email or phone call can get the ball rolling.
Mention that you’ve noticed some hesitancy regarding the website. Offer to answer any questions your client may have. Let them know that you’re happy to hear out their concerns.
The process of talking through such roadblocks can work wonders. Like any other problem, getting your thoughts out there tends to bring a feeling of relief. Once that kicks in, your client may be in a better place to start making decisions.
Stay Patient and Kind
Projects don’t always move as quickly as we’d like. And when a client is unable to commit to a particular path, it can be highly frustrating. We’ve all been there.
But it’s still important to maintain a calm demeanor. Passing your stress onto someone else is not conducive to getting things done.
Instead, aim to stay patient, kind, and helpful. Provide the kinds of data and background information that will bring comfort and confidence to stakeholders. Look for clues as to why a certain decision may be problematic and offer your assistance.
The good news is that this approach can pay off. Once a client begins making the required commitments, they start to fall like dominoes. Before you know it, the project is finished off – and with a successful outcome.
From there, you can sit back with a beverage and pat yourself on the back for a job well done!
The post How to Help Your Clients Overcome Fear of Commitment appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.
Longtime users of WordPress have seen lots of UI changes over the years. It’s become sleeker, more accessible, and consistent. You can see the difference on virtually every screen.
Yet, one area that had seen surprisingly little change in recent years is the Widgets screen. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, as its drag-and-drop functionality was probably ahead of its time. And there’s some comfort in knowing what to expect, even as other UI elements evolve.
Well, the time has finally come for a change – and it’s a big one. As of WordPress 5.8, the Widgets screen will take on the same look as the Gutenberg block editor. But even that brings a feeling of familiarity to anyone who uses the newfangled editor.
Here’s a quick look at the new world of block-based widgets.
Blurring the Line between Blocks and Widgets
The first thing you’ll encounter on the revamped Widgets screen is a short onboarding carousel. This is very similar to the one used to introduce users to Gutenberg.
Once you get past the introductions, you’ll find a very minimal UI. Your theme’s defined widget areas (our example has just one) take center stage, while a large “plus” icon dominates the upper left of the screen.
Just as with the block editor, clicking the icon opens up a listing of all the blocks installed on your website. You’ll find the basics like images and headings, along with the ability to embed media from outside sources such as YouTube. In practice, anything you can add to a page can also be added as a widget.
This brings a lot of flexibility to the traditional sidebar. In the past, the types of content that could be added via widgets was somewhat limited – at least without the help of widget plugins. Now, pretty much everything is fair game.
New Blocks to Enhance Your Sidebar and More
Looking beyond the revamped UI of the Widgets screen, there are also some new blocks to experiment with. They combine the functionality you’d expect of a widget with the convenience of a block.
Among the new selections, you’ll find:
Query Loop
The Query Loop block allows you to craft a customized post listing. Choose your preferred layout and filter the results to meet your needs. Settings can be tweaked in a couple of places: the Settings panel on the right of the screen and by clicking the Display Settings button right above the block itself.
Note that this block is also intended to work with the new Template Editor, part of the Full Site Editing (FSE) feature.
Navigation (vertical)
Adding a menu is a breeze with the Navigation (vertical) block. This is great for situations where you want to display a primary or secondary menu in a sidebar. Menus can be lightly styled and even set to be responsive.
Site Logo
While basic in premise, the Site Logo block allows you to define and place a logo anywhere. This is especially handy for themes that support FSE. But it could benefit anyone who wants to use their logo in multiple spots without having to search for it in the Media Library each time.
Site Title / Site Tagline
Much like the Site Logo block, these new selections allow you to reuse predefined data in multiple places. If, for example, you’d like to place your site’s tagline (defined in Settings > General) within your sidebar, all it takes is placing the block in the desired location. In addition, you can also style these items to match your site.
Don’t Forget Existing Blocks
There are plenty of existing blocks that are a perfect fit for your sidebar. Among them are the Image, Posts List, Post Categories, Post Tags and Login/out blocks. Each one mimics or expands upon legacy widgets included with WordPress core.
You Can Still Use Your Old Widgets
It’s also important to point out that any existing custom widgets you have installed will still work. The Legacy Widgets block lets you place a widget that isn’t native to the new block-based setup. Add the block to your sidebar and select the desired widget from the dropdown menu.
Answering the question of how long these old-school widgets will be supported isn’t so clear. Much like the fate of WordPress Shortcodes, their fate is up in the air.
The software is clearly moving on from these items. However, WordPress tends to favor backward compatibility. Therefore, it’s likely that legacy widgets will keep on working as long as people continue to utilize them – no need to panic just yet.
Go Back to the Classic Widgets Screen
We get it – this new Widgets screen isn’t for everyone. Particularly those who eschew Gutenberg in favor of the Classic Editor.
Thankfully, the WordPress core team has provided an alternative. If you like things the way they were, install and activate the Classic Widgets plugin. You’ll immediately have the cherished UI back on your website.
Redefining the WordPress Sidebar
As the Gutenberg block editor continues to worm its way into other areas of the WordPress back end, we’re seeing the end of an era. A lot of the features we’ve come to take for granted are becoming vastly different.
On the one hand, it’s understandable why users may mourn the loss. The Widgets screen is but one example of a comfortable workflow. It was something you didn’t need to worry about – it just worked.
But there are plenty of positives to this change. For one, a unified UI is going to make WordPress much easier for new users to navigate. Having separate, bolted-on interfaces for different screens was more about necessity than solid design.
And the expanded functionality of blocks means that sidebars are no longer restrained to a few types of content. It allows us to express our creativity and serve users without a lot of custom work.
The result is that adding widgets will be a more streamlined and customizable experience. That’s a big step in the right direction.
The post The WordPress Widgets Screen Joins the Gutenberg Era appeared first on Speckyboy Design Magazine.
