Welcome to the WordPress Roundup, a monthly digest of the latest news and updates from the WordPress community.
Each month, we’ll bring you a curated selection of the most important developments affecting all WordPress users, regardless of your experience level. Whether you’re a seasoned developer, a dedicated site owner, or just starting your first WordPress site, you’re an integral part of our community.
We aim to keep you informed of the most recent WordPress core developments and upcoming releases that promise to make your site-building experience even more seamless and powerful.
We’ll also highlight plugins and themes that can help elevate your site, important community events and notable contributions from WordPress developers, and tips to help you stay ahead of the curve in this ever-evolving ecosystem.
This month’s edition looks closely at the WordPress 6.6 Release, Section Styles, WordCamp Europe and US, and everything you need to know about WordCamps. Let’s dive in!
WordPress 6.6 Release
Last month’s roundup provided an overview of WordPress 6.6, which should arrive on July 16th, 2024. Among its main features are advanced design tools, unified publish flow, and the ability for users to mix and match typography and colors.
We did not highlight Section Styles in the roundup, but they have quickly emerged as a standout feature. Section Styles streamline the design process, making it more efficient and user-friendly, enhancing the web development experience. Enabling users to apply curated styles with a single click removes the necessity for tedious manual adjustments.
This feature has plenty of use cases, ranging from users experimenting with design via the block and site editors to sophisticated agencies leveraging it for client websites.
Rich Tabor, Product Designer at Automattic, wrote an article titled I made 720 WordPress theme styles, which showcases the power of Section Styles through his work on the Assembler theme.
What’s next for Section Styles?
The Global Styles UI for block style variations will undergo significant enhancements, making it easier to customize styles for all inner elements and block types. These improvements streamline the design process and provide a more intuitive and efficient way to apply and modify styles across your site.
This update may also include improvements to the Style Book, which would allow it to support block style variations more effectively.
Additionally, a potential future enhancement would enable setting customization for each block style variation, further expanding users’ flexibility and control.
The GitHub tracking issue provides a comprehensive overview of the discussions and developments regarding Section Styles.
Earlier this week, WordPress 6.6 RC2 became available for download and testing. You can test this exciting release in four convenient ways: via Plugin, Direct Download, Command Line, and WordPress Playground. Get involved and help shape the future of WordPress!
WordCamp Europe
From June 13-15, 2024, enthusiasts from across the globe gathered in Torino, Italy, to explore and celebrate WordPress at WordCamp Europe. The 12th annual WordPress event in Europe, held at the prestigious Lingotto Conference and Exhibition Centre, drew 2,584 attendees. Organized by a dedicated team of 250 volunteers, led by WordCamp veterans Wendie Huis in ’t Veld, Juan Hernando, and Takis Bouyouris, the event ran smoothly and efficiently.
The conference featured diverse sessions covering the latest trends, best practices, and innovative solutions within the WordPress ecosystem. Attendees enjoyed insightful talks, workshops, and networking opportunities, fostering a spirit of collaboration and community.
With its vibrant atmosphere and engaging content, the event offered a unique platform for participants to connect, collaborate, and enhance their skills. Everyone left the conference with fresh ideas and new connections, ready to advance their WordPress projects.
Contributor Day brought together 726 dedicated individuals across 25 teams to advance the WordPress project. They achieved impressive milestones, including translating 79,059 interface strings into 29 languages, updating documentation for the upcoming 6.6 release, onboarding new members to the support and testing teams, and identifying improvements for plugin security.
WordCamp US
Excitement is building for WordCamp US, which will occur in Portland at the Oregon Convention Center from September 17-20, 2024. This event will bring WordPress enthusiasts, developers, and industry leaders together for another inspiring and collaborative gathering.
WordCamp US offers a four-day immersion in the ecosystem, featuring sessions on the latest trends in web development and blogging. Contributor Day invites all skill levels to help improve WordPress, while Showcase Day presents innovative uses of the platform.
The new Showcase Day will debut on Wednesday, September 18th, the second day of WordCamp US. This addition allows attendees to explore WordPress’s most innovative and exciting uses, highlight its cutting-edge potential, and inspire future projects.
The event also provides excellent networking opportunities with influential community members, exquisite lunches, and a social event. Attending WordCamp US enhances your skills and contributes to shaping the future of WordPress. Get your tickets now!
WordCamp Central
Explore other upcoming WordCamp events and join WordPress enthusiasts and experts for unforgettable experiences worldwide. Click here to access the full WordCamp schedule.
Ready for your first WordCamp adventure? Tune in to “It’s your first WordCamp? Welcome!” on the WordPress Briefing podcast with Josepha Haden Chomphosy and discover everything you need to know, from exciting sessions to expert networking tips!
That’s it for this month. Stay tuned as we approach the official release of WordPress 6.6 and more exciting developments!
