WordPress users have been keen to check out the new enhancements of the Gutenberg 7.1, after it was officially announced earlier this month, and they have not been disappointed by the numerous improvements. Whilst there has been a miniscule slowdown in performance this has been offset by the range of improved features. One major addition is the UI screen, and this allows new users to become familiar with the block editing functionality of the Gutenberg software. The screen is easy to use and intuitive and guides users through each feature of editing in concise language with visual aids. This means that new users can get to grips with the many features available for editing separate blocks of content.
New Table Captions
Invaluable for writers and editors across the board, this feature enables users to add captions at the foot of tables and has a UI toggle so that it is easy to swap between selection and editing modes. When in editing mode you can edit within the table and the selection option enables a user to focus on one element within a table. The beauty of this feature is that it means users don’t have to download plugins, although for those who need advanced options plugins can still be used.
Bug Fixes
For regular users of WordPress who are familiar with certain glitches, the announcement was particularly welcome due to the bug fixes that have been carried out on the Gutenberg 7.1 – 24 bugs have been corrected including CSS styles within the ColourPicker component.
Fixed-Mobile Toolbar
Two upgrades lead to smoother and quicker editing, and the fixed-mobile toolbar is perfect for selecting particular elements of narrative such as links and paragraphs. It is also possible to choose multiple blocks to edit whilst in the mobile edit option. However, it’s important for those who use WordPress to make sure they are using the most up-to-date version of PHP – the 7.x version and this not only allows faster performance on your site but can guard against hackers too.
Performance Metrics
Performance benchmarks suggest that Guttenberg 7.1 has become very slightly slower with a loading time of 7.45s as opposed to Gutenberg 7.0 at 6.84s, however at just under one second the difference is negligible. The keypress event metric does show some improvement in typing speeds at 88.56ms for the 7.1 as opposed to the slower time of 94ms for the Gutenberg 7.0.
Final Word
The many new features and user friendly tools, particularly the mobile toolbar, not to mention the many bug fixes compensate for the very small reduction in performance times. Overall the Gutenberg 7.1 promises exciting times ahead for users everywhere including those who are new to WordPress.
