WordPress 5.0 is coming in style with a series of changes we are anxiously waiting for. Below are few words about this version.
Although versions 4.8 and 4.9 pushed the platform forward in widget management or implemented WordPress Customizer, the new version - 5.0 arouses most interest... Mainly by the new Gutenberg’s editor. 5 ahead is indeed an obligation!
What Gutenberg is about?
Above all, we should treat the new editor as an attempt to create a more intuitive tool for a CMS user. It addresses the beginners who will be able to easier create layouts for pages with static content. We should not, however, doubt that the team of Matt Mullenweg wants to attract to WordPress the users of WIX or Squarespace platform. And it’s right!
Building content in the new editor will be based on the blocks. With them, a Gutenberg’s user will be able to design the site website with adding multimedia basically without any programming knowledge.
It’s definitely the bright side of that. Unfortunately, it’s the only one. For many, it may be an issue that Gutenberg will negatively affect builder page widgets. And it’s true. We also need to say that in the further perspective, it may turn out that Gutenberg is a competition for these widgets that they could never challenge.
We are obviously not obliged to use Gutenberg. Despite the updated version to 5.0, you can still use the old editor which will not be removed by WordPress for now.
Changes to WordPress API
Apart from Gutenberg, we can expect improvements of WordPress API interface which will facilitate the work with WordPress as a framework. It is to make data export and import between WordPress and created application simpler. WordPress API development and its possibilities will be the issues we are going to hear about many times in the future. But it’s a broad issue for another article.
Changes in planning updates
It also needs to be mentioned that the new WordPress version begins a change in how the platform will be able to support the next issues. We are accustomed to two large updates a year with few (or several) small modifications. Since now, WordPress team plans to move from this model to reduce their pressure of time and deadlines (tell me why not?). WordPress team will be able to do more important leaps so we do not get a version that gives an impression that something is missing.
WooCommerce and WordPress 5.0
Automattic team strongly encourages to update WooCommerce to v. 3.5.1 prior to updating WordPress. This results mainly from good practice and not requirements that WooCommerce must meet to adjust to the new version of WordPress.
If you want to find out more, read there.
When WordPress 5.0 is going to be issued?
It is going to be released on 27 Nov 2018. But the creators admit that due to the number of changes, the release date may be postponed by even 8 days… But even this may be too short. At worst, we may expect it to be released even in January 2019.
WordPress 5.0 plugin compatibility
Some of our plugins needed update. Now, all of our plugins are compatible with WordPress 5.0.
