The name of the latest version of WordPress 6.5 is inspired by the famous jazz violinist Regina Carter, who transcended all boundaries of the violin with her correct technique and great understanding of jazz. Her versatility, along with subtle changes in genre, symbolize the new changes in WordPress, which we’ll look at in detail below.
This is a major update that, in addition to several enhancements, offers things like a new way to manage typography, more comprehensive revisions, a collection of editor updates, as well as performance improvements that will make WordPress faster and smoother.
WordPress 6.5 is available for download here.
Summary of new features in WordPress 6.5
Adding and managing webfont
One of the biggest new features is the ability to easily add and manage fonts, which has been one of WordPress’ biggest shortcomings so far.
To manage fonts, we go to the site editor, and in the top right corner we find the “styles” option:
After clicking the typography, we can freely install our own fonts or use some of the default ones:
More extensive revisions
Thanks to revisions, it was previously possible to browse backwards or revert changes made to pages and posts. The current update brings a more comprehensive solution that will allow us to manage revisions on templates, stylebooks and make it easier to track changes over time.
Improved tools for backgrounds and shadows
This is a somewhat large topic, and the following options have been added for certain blocks:
- Repeat settings and focus options for background images in group blocks.
- Setting aspect ratios for image blocks.
- The ability to add color overlays that automatically get the color from the image we select.
- Advanced shading settings for certain types of blocks.
A new way of displaying data
The library can now filter and search data more efficiently. Bulk editing of data can also be an additional help.
Smoother block drag-and-drop
Dragging and dropping Gutenberg blocks is now much faster and smoother.
Smoother block dragging is also responsible for the faster loading speed of Gutenberg, which should be noticeable compared to the previous version (6.4).
Better handling of links
Changes have also affected links and their options. The new and more user-friendly environment allows for more efficient handling.
Increased Gutenberg speed
Since this release includes more than 110 performance updates, loading is more than twice as fast as version 6.4 and input processing speed is up to five times faster than the previous version of WordPress.
Translated pages (using Performant Translations) have seen a reduction in loading time of up to 25%. Other performance highlights include support for AVIF format.
WordPress 6.5 News Summary – for Developers
Even from a developer’s perspective, we can rejoice in the new changes that bring a wide range of new possibilities.
Transferring interactions to blocks using the Interactivity API
The Interactivity API offers developers a method for creating interactive front-end environments with blocks. Using the method will simplify the process and make it less dependent on external tools.
Linking blocks to custom fields or other dynamic content
We can now link basic block attributes to custom fields and use the value of custom fields without having to create custom blocks. With the Block Bindings API technology, developers can extend this capability further and bind blocks to any dynamic content (even outside of custom fields). If the data is stored elsewhere, it is easy to point blocks to this new resource with a few lines of code.
Add appearance tools to classic themes
For designers and creators using classic themes, we can grant access to an enhanced design method. Once support is enabled, additional tools will be automatically added (as they become available).
New header for plugins
WordPress plugin authors can add a new “Requires Plugins” header to their extension, with a comma-separated list of required plugins that will provide users with links to install and activate those required plugins.
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