Site Editing Infrastructure and UI: Part 2

[youknowriad]

The #20791 served as the initial issue to track the initial work to build the Site Editing Infrastructure. That milestone is complete but there are still some pending tasks related to the infrastructure and the current issue is used to track those.

High

• Incorporate template area in document header: Site Editing: Expose the template and template part names in the top bar. #25085 Rethinking the "Current Document" display and settings #20877
• Browse templates and template parts in sidebar (navigation pattern) Full Site Editing: Add new sidebar for navigating between templates, posts, and pages without leaving the editor #23939 (Has its own milestone in Site Editor Browsing / Navigation: Tracking #24552)
• Template Parts with HTML tags: Template Parts should allow setting HTML tag #20997
• Define template part interactions. Site editing: Template part interactions #25452
• Add convert to template part flow. Edit Site: Add convert to template part flow. #20445
• Introduce semantic templates parts and distinguish them in block tree. Semantic Template Parts #27337 Site Editor: Distinguish Template Parts #26599
  • Template part toolbars and switching. Site Editing: Simplify template part toolbar #27397
  • Define header, footer, and sidebar terms Add an 'area' term for Template Parts. #28410
  • Register variations of template parts for easier control flow and hide the variations in the inserter. Template part block: Add variations based on areas #29122
  • Apply specific icons to those variations. Color template parts and selection state in the block tree and icon in block description. Site Editing: Contextual template part icon and name #27876
  • Ensure we list these template parts more prominently in the W sidebar. Site Editing: In the W navigation, utilise drilldown pattern to organise semantic template parts #27877
  • Include specific descriptions in the sidebar inspector and "current template dropdown" for header, footer, sidebar to give context. Allow switching a template part context from the inspector. Site Editing: Display contextual description, name and category switching for selected template part #27875
  • Figure out how to connect template part terms with specific block pattern categories. Connecting patterns with specific contexts & transforms #27575
• Remove templates and template parts syncing (or not). Full Site Editing: Avoid using the templates and template parts CPTs for theme provided templates #27321
• Add focus / hover indications on the canvas when traversing block list view. Site Editing: Persistent block navigator and hover indications on the Canvas #27395
• Explore zooming-out to the template level. Full Site Editing: Introduce a template editing mode inside the post editor #26355
• Simplify template part toolbar and align with reusable blocks Simplify template part toolbar and align with reusable blocks #28659
• Reusable blocks and Template parts – try a click-through-to-edit-children UX pattern Reusable blocks and Template parts – try a click-through-to-edit-children UX pattern #29337

Normal

• Support dynamic values in block-based templates. Block Based Themes: Dynamic values in static HTML theme files #20966 (Try) Template Loader: Allow PHP in block templates and parts #25316
• Add a Grid block and use it as a starting point for blank templates [Explore] Site Block #16998
• UI to create variations of existing templates Edit Site: Spinning up a variation on any given template #19259 The "Update" flow for entities and templates should allow creating variations #20474
• Add a "Revert to default" option for templates and template parts Edit Site: Add a "Revert to default" option for templates and template parts. #23421
• Mosaic View of Theme Templates. Mosaic View of Theme Templates #20477
• Audit template resolution and rendering performance.
• Audit loading performance of the site editor and improve the "preloaded REST API" list.

[youknowriad]

I just added a new top priority item here about the potential removal of the templates and template parts syncing #27321

[mtias]

Also included #26599 as a task.

[youknowriad]

We just landed the template mode for the post editor #26355
This highlighted some required refactorings and follow-ups that I'll be working on. (Refactoring EntitiesSavedState, Refactoring the editor provider, Support for showing outlines in the template mode)

[mtias]

Broke down the tasks for "semantic template parts" a little further.

[youknowriad]

We landed the removal of the template syncing behavior in #27910

[priethor]

Added #29337 to the list.

[Copons]

A bit late, but we closed #27395 by merging #28637 and several follow ups, which made the List View persistent in the Site Editor, pending user testing to determine if it's worthy to be moved to the Post Editor as well.

[mtias]

Mentioning that List View was turned into its own smaller project at #29736

[Addison-Stavlo]

The semantic template parts bullets here seem complete now. Checking off the remaining item:

Figure out how to connect template part terms with specific block pattern categories.

As this is now being done with the blockTypes array in pattern registration.

[mtias]

With #29337 closed all the main work is completed. There's still the question of dynamic values that is yet to be answered in a satisfactory way.

[mtias]

Marking this milestone as completed, will write a followup with some of the lower priority tasks and some new that have since surfaced.