WordPress launched “Eckstine” on August 12, and this new release adds major improvements for the block editor and tightens the security of WordPress.
Amidst the sea of new additions and changes, the most notable ones include inline image editing, device previews, and smoother block movement with better drag-and-drop, block movers, block selection, and block relocation.
One of the most important changes would be the addition of Block Patterns which will allow its users to build pages faster by placing sets of blocks instantly. WordPress had been in talks for a long time especially regarding the Block Patterns, and this new addition should make the developers elated.
With Block, Patterns comes the block directory for single-block plugins and now users can search for and install blocks directly inside the editor. The blocks selected are automatically downloaded in the background and activated and placed in the content automatically. If the user wishes to uninstall the blocks installed through the editor, they can do so from the plugins page in the admin.
The new Version of WordPress 5.5 introduces a new UI, bringing in a new level of website security while taking a load off from the user as it requires less effort on the user’s side.
The automatic update train will make sure it gets updated on the day that the user is available, discarding with the previous frequent check-ins with WordPress. On the bright side, the sites are better protected from exploiting plugin and theme vulnerabilities.
WordPress uses wp-cron to fetch updates for plugins and themes twice per day. The users, moreover, will not need to go to the theme and plugin pages in order to enable automatic updates.
Among other important new features, the inclusion of extensible core sitemaps is also a major one since the users will no longer need a plugin for this functionality.
Furthermore, WordPress images will now wait to load until users across them into view, making WordPress run faster on mobiles. Additionally, the ner version comes with improved accessibility. Now users can update plugins and themes by uploading a ZIP file. Finally, the Dash icons project has been discontinued and a new Icon Component has been ushered in.
