v21.8.0-rc.1

Changelog

Features

Block Editor

• Section block multi-selection: Disable transforms and inspector controls. (71708)

Enhancements

Block Comments

• Improve comments panel close icon label. (71701)
• Add Discussion Field with tracksback and comment status agreagetd on Post/Page Quick Edit. (71949)
• Fields package: Add Storybook examples. (71864)
• Block Comment: Display message when there is no related block. (71968)
• Block Comment: Improve comment thread outline. (71961)
• Block Comment: Improve related block highlighting. (71932)
• Block Commenting: Add block-comments as a new post type support. (71682)
• Block Commenting: Change date format depending on comment date. (71835)
• Block Commenting: Show date or human-readable time diff code. (71667)
• Block Comments: Apply border color to avatar. (71917)
• Block Comments: Highlight the related block. (71308)
• Block Comments: Match the comment form UI to the design. (71898)
• Block Comments: Match the show more replies button UI to the design. (71884)
• Block Comments: Simplify action callbacks. (71892)
• Block Comments: Update 'Actions' menu design. (71877)
• Block Comments: Update editing flow. (71889)

Block Library

• Accordion Blocks: Organize block supports. (71823)
• Accordion Header: Add content role to title attribute. (71762)
• Accordion Header: Remove textAlignment and textAlign. (71875)
• Accordion Header: Use withoutInteractiveFormatting instead of hardcoded formats. (71745)
• Accordion: Add example block preview. (71365)
• Accordion: Rename block names. (71978)
• Add paragraph level option to post type label block. (71947)
• Enhance Term Description Block with Context Support. (71525)
• Terms Query inspector controls revamp + add subterms option. (71633)
• Time To Read: Add a range option. (71606)
• Time To Read: Add a word count option. (71841)
• Time To Read: Make display as range the default, and allow older blocks to migrate to this setting. (71842)
• Time to Read: Replace toggles with block variations. (71897)
• Navigation Link: Use block bindings to dynamically fetch the URL in the editor and on front end. (71630)

DataViews

• Add number field. (71797)
• Add support for elements validation in DataForm's array fields. (71194)
• Export DataViewsPicker from dataviews package. (71836)
• Prevent hiding the last visible field. (71625)
• DataViews: Expose FiltersToggled subcomponent. (71907)

Block Editor

• Add configurable timeout parameter to flashBlock. (71752)
• Link Control: Update button text from Save to Apply. (72005)

Global Styles

• Add reset button to BackgroundControlsPanel. (71928)
• Site Editor: Make less prominent Addtional CSS UI. (71550)

Block bindings

• Communicate supported block attributes from server side. (71820)

Write mode

• Try adding content roles to navigation blocks. (71747)

Components

• Textarea Component: Add default resize vertical rule. (71736)

Post Editor

• PostTypeSupportCheck: Handle support keys sub-features. (71723)
• Post Editor: Add the back button animation similar to the site editor. (71929)

Patterns

• Block Inspector: Add content tab for section blocks. (71714)

Icons

• Add gift Icon. (71705)

Interactivity API

• iAPI Router: Update router regions inside elements with data-wp-interactive. (71635)

Meta Boxes

• Add ability to toggle meta box pane open and closed. (71623)

New APIs

Block API

• Add block visibility control support and UI. (71203)

Bug Fixes

• Add decodeEntities for CollabSideBarContent errors. (71909)
• Block Comment: Make blockCommentId as part of the metadata. (71921)
• Block Commenting: Don't show unpinnable sidebar on mobile viewports. (71834)
• Block Comments: Fix canceling the form for a selected block. (71862)
• Block Comments: Fix translation comments to say participants in toolbar indicator. (71890)
• Consistently show (no title) as a fallback for pages and templates with empty titles. (71945)
• Filter comment clause based on current query. (71712)
• Fix comment counts with filter. (71874)
• Template activation: Don't set site option on edit. (71811)
• Template activation: Fix saveEntityRecord with theme ID. (71798)
• Template activation: redirect theme templates urls to wp_registered_template (72003
• Template activation: add meta to all newly created templates (72156
• Template activation: reduce templates listed as options for post/page (72141
• Template activation: call get_block_templates filter when short-circuiting (71840
• Template activation: allow empty array to be set (72011
• Template activation: fix /lookup endpoint to use custom resolve function (72049
• Template activation: ignore templates not associated with active theme (72029

Block Library

• Accordion Block: Hide "Add" button when multiple blocks are selected. (71750)
• Accordion Header: Fix toggle icon position in the editor. (71859)
• Accordion Header: Skip serialization correctly. (71804)
• Accordion Panel: Add role=region. (71902)
• Accordion Panel: Fixes block visibility when the panel is collapsed. (71866)
• Fix Navigation Block default link consistency across all insertion methods. (71899)
• Fix accordion gradient background. (71802)
• Fixes Accordion block width issue when applying padding. (71809)
• Post Author Block: Add default avatar fallback for editor display outside postId context. (71775)
• Table of Contents: Add aria label to the nav element. (71586)
• Terms Query: Fix console errors. (71795)
• Time to Read: Change word count character based on word count type. (71920)
• fix: Hide accordion icon position setting when show icon is disabled. (71748)

Patterns

• Fix incorrect block editing mode assigned in some cases. (71970)
• contentOnly unsynced patterns experiment: Ensure a tab is selected when clicking Edit contents. (71987)

DataViews

• DataViewsPicker Grid layout: Support hiding the title. (71865)
• Fix: Exclude non-hideable fields from the Properties list in the view configuration. (71729)

Site Editor

• Fix creating templates for posts with long slugs. (71838)
• Fix the PHP warning for the URL query. (71753)

Write mode

• Accordion Block: Hide Add button in write mode. (71941)

Interactivity API

• iAPI: Fix nested data-wp-each directives using the same items key. (71870)

Block bindings

• Fix pattern override bug, editing was allowed on non enabled overrides blocks. (71813)

Components

• Button: Fix incorrect padding with text and right icon. (71464)

Accessibility

• Block Comments: Improve input labels. (71843)
• Block Comments: Make comment thread focusable and improve keyboard navigation. (71883)

Block Library

• Accordion Block: Add additional keypress handlers for navigation. (71786)
• Accordion: Remove label from Add button. (71756)
• Added default focus and hover states to accordion header. (71937)
• Fix: Add aria-hidden to accordion toggle icon. (71783)
• Update: Accordion heading level synchronization. (71895)

Performance

• Block Comments: New 'useBlockComments' hook and perf improvements. (71869)

Experiments

Block API

• Allow registering PHP-only blocks. (71794)

Documentation

• DataForm: Update visibility example in storybook. (71771)
• Docs: Use gutenberg instead of Gutenberg in package name. (71790)
• Fix examples with elements in field type story. (71971)
• Update validation story to cover number field type. (71980)

Code Quality

• Backport changelog: Update for 9702 (to 9949). (71849)
• Block Comments: Unfold custom styles. (71766)
• Create an AGENTS.md file. (71796)
• JSON Schema: Update block.json apiVersion to 3. (71852)
• Refactor block-inspector: Improve maintainability and readability. (71608)

Block Library

• Accordion Block: Simplify script module enqueueing. (71742)
• Accordion Blocks: Standardize CSS class names. (71785)
• Accordion Header: Don't use flex-direction:Reverse. (71737)
• Accordion Header: Remove hardcoded inline styles and unused CSS class. (71731)
• Comments: Fix potential PHP warning. (71860)
• Extract shared Controls component for Navigation Link and Submenu blocks. (71994)
• Navigation Block: Use path for all navigation toogle icons. (71829)
• Post Date: Combine 'core-data' store selectors. (71846)
• Social Icon: Removed extra spaces in color styles. (71900)
• Time to Read: Simplify edit function. (71965)

Block Variations

• Group block: Simplify variations' isActive fields. (63100)

Tools

Testing

• Block Comments: Add general end-to-end test coverage. (71844)

First-time contributors

The following PRs were merged by first-time contributors:

• @Drivingralle: Navigation Block: Use path for all navigation toogle icons. (71829)
• @epeicher: Button: Fix incorrect padding with text and right icon. (71464)
• @ritoban23: Accordion Blocks: Organize block supports. (71823)
• @theaminuli: Post Author Block: Add default avatar fallback for editor display outside postId context. (71775)
• @Utsav-Ladani: Add paragraph level option to post type label block. (71947)

Contributors

The following contributors merged PRs in this release:

@aaronrobertshaw @adamsilverstein @Adi-ty @andrewserong @cbravobernal @DAreRodz @dinhtungdu @Drivingralle @elazzabi @ellatrix @epeicher @getdave @himanshupathak95 @jorgefilipecosta @jsnajdr @juanfra @karthick-murugan @kmanijak @levinbaria @MaggieCabrera @Mamaduka @mikachan @n2erjo00 @nani-samireddy @nerrad @ntsekouras @oandregal @ockham @peterwilsoncc @priethor @R1shabh-Gupta @ramonjd @ritoban23 @scruffian @shail-mehta @shimotmk @sirreal @stokesman @sunyatasattva @t-hamano @talldan @tellthemachines @theaminuli @theminaldiwan @Utsav-Ladani @yashjawale @youknowriad