--- title: "OpenAI Block, WooCommerce 7.5, Patterns and Flexible Table Block —Weekend Edition #247" date: "2023-03-18" author: "Birgit Pauli-Haack" url: "https://gutenbergtimes.com/openai-block-woocommerce-7-5-patterns-and-flexible-table-block-weekend-edition-247/" categories: ["For Developers", "Full-Site Editing", "Themes", "Updates", "Weekend Edition"] --- Howdy, Containers are on my mind. In one of those, our household will be shipped next week. 🚚 We will be AirBnB-ing for a few weeks. Exciting times. I need to sort through some paperwork and create the inventory for the insurance. Sorry for the short intro, today. Wish me luck! Yours, 💕 *Birgit* **Table of Contents** - Developing Gutenberg and WordPress - Plugins, Themes, and Tools for #nocode site builders and owners - Theme Development for Full Site Editing and Blocks - Building Blocks and Tools for the Block editor. **Josepha Haden Chomphosy** joined **DocPop** on the *Torque Social Hour*. They discussed WordPress 20-year Anniversary celebration, WordPress 6.2 – Phase 2 to Phase 3. [Torque Social Hour: Preparing for WP20 Celebrations](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9T0LgQP7M4A). In this episode, Haden Chomphosy told us about the upcoming plans for WordPress’s 20th Anniversary. They also talked about WP version 6.2, the recent acquisition of the ActivityPub plugin for WordPress, and Plugin Madness 2023. ## Developing Gutenberg and WordPress It’s release candidate week in WordPress land: [WordPress 6.2 RC 2](https://wordpress.org/news/2023/03/wordpress-6-2-release-candidate-2/) was released on March 14, 2023, and [Gutenberg 15.4 RC 1](https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/releases/tag/v15.4.0-rc.1) is also available for testing. --- WordPress 6.2 comes with a browse mode of the Site Editor. This includes a black left menu bar that blends in and out depending on if you are editing a template or browsing the menu. Until RC 2, “Navigation” was one of the menu items on the left admin menu, it was, however, pulled before this week’s RC 2. **Anne McCarthy** summarized the discussion around this issue in their post: [FYI: Navigation section of new Site Editor experienced removed for 6.2 RC 2](https://make.wordpress.org/core/2023/03/14/fyi-navigation-section-of-new-site-editor-experienced-removed-for-6-2-rc-2/) and shared also the list of issues this feature has. Each one a minor item in the sum it wasn’t up to the quality contributors aimed for. 🎙️ The latest episode is [Gutenberg Changelog #130 – WordPress 7.0, Gutenberg 22.9 and 23.0, WordCamp Europe, Block Themes and More](https://gutenbergtimes.com/podcast/gutenberg-changelog-130/) with **Tammie Lister**, Chief Product Officer at Convesio ![](https://i0.wp.com/gutenbergtimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Screenshot-2026-04-25-at-15.01.45.png?resize=652%2C185&ssl=1) WPEngine’s one-day virtual developer conference DE{CODE} will take place next week **March 21 through 23rd, 2023. DE{CODE} **will be broadcast in three global time zones and anticipates over 5,000 attendees in its fourth year, launching in 2020. **Matt Mullenweg** and **Matias Ventura** will discuss the future of WordPress and the rapid innovations in the block editor relied upon by millions of WordPress developers worldwide. It’s also part of the 20-year anniversary celebration of WordPress . Have a look at the [schedule of all the great sessions at DE{CODE} 2023](https://events.wpengine.com/event/b1c1e30f-2c73-4abb-a609-52afaed68717/websitePage:289e81f7-3e30-49de-9510-696ad303d192) ![](https://i0.wp.com/gutenbergtimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/WPEngine-Decode-2023.jpeg?resize=652%2C341&ssl=1) **Anne McCarthy** was a guest of **Rob Cairns** for the latest episode. They talk All about 6.2 on [Stunning Digital Marketing](https://stunningdigitalmarketing.com/episode-307-wordpress-6-2-with-anne-mccarthy/) podcast. Highlights of the show: - What is coming in WordPress 6.2 . -  The coolest features in WordPress 6.2 -  When are we going to update the WordPress Admin Dashboard? -  When are we going to fix the Media Library? ## Plugins, Themes, and Tools for #nocode site builders and owners **Jamie Marsland**, shows off the [Side Editor and Block Themes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERIz3diT9Sk) again via YouTube. He uses both to rebuild Austin Kleon’s website, using the newest WordPress version. *Austin Kleon is the New York Times bestselling author of a trilogy of illustrated books about creativity in the digital age: Steal Like An Artist, Show Your Work!, and Keep Going.* --- **[WooCommerce 7.5](https://developer.woocommerce.com/2023/03/14/woocommerce-7-5-released/)** has been released, and the post highlights that Woo Blocks are ready for the new feature of the StyleBook coming in WordPress 6.2, Blocks have been rewritten, so users can use the core design tools for changing the look and feel, the block can be easier styled by block themes, and new blocks to manage the store can now be found in the inserter of the block editor. **Sarah Gooding** of WPTavern has more details: [WooCommerce 7.5.0 Introduces 3 New Blocks, Expands Support for Global Styles](https://wptavern.com/woocommerce-7-5-0-introduces-3-new-blocks-expands-support-for-global-styles) --- Learn.WordPress Tutorial: [Displaying testimonials on your website](https://learn.wordpress.org/tutorial/displaying-testimonials-on-your-website/) with** Wes Theron**. This tutorial will look at adding a testimonial pattern and installing a new block from the Block Directory to your site. --- **[Aki Hamano](https://twitter.com/tetsuaki_hamano)**, a Gutenberg contributor from Japan, released a new version of his [Flexible Table Block plugin](https://wordpress.org/plugins/flexible-table-block/), with the main changes - Tested on WordPress6.2 - Redesigned global settings modal - apply stripe color to tbody only - Preserve rowspan/colspan when converting to/from core table blocks ## Theme Development for Full Site Editing and Blocks **Mike McAliste**r acclaims: [Patterns are gonna be a game changer for WordPress](https://olliewp.com/patterns-are-gonna-be-a-game-changer-for-wordpress/), and he tells you why, after a recap of the genesis of Block Patterns: ” instead of designing a page from scratch, WordPress creators can now lean on patterns to quickly prototype or design their full website in the new WordPress Site Editor with little or no code involved.” McAlister also has concrete vision on how patterns could be a bit more intelligent: - Go global: change once, update to all places where patterns were added. - Pattern locking features - Light/dark version of the same pattern. --- If that topic interests you more, **Justin Tadlock** wrote a post on the Developer Blog, introducing [Creating Themes from a Pattern-first mindset](https://developer.wordpress.org/news/2022/11/creating-themes-from-a-pattern-first-mindset/) --- **Ganesh Dahal** wrote on CSS Tricks on [Managing Fonts in WordPress Block Themes](https://css-tricks.com/managing-fonts-in-wordpress-block-themes/). “Block themes can indeed use Google Fonts, but the process for registering them is way different from what you might have done before in classic themes.” he explained. --- ** [“Keeping up with Gutenberg – Index 2022”](https://make.wordpress.org/core/handbook/references/keeping-up-with-gutenberg-index/) ** A chronological list of the WordPress Make Blog posts from various teams involved in Gutenberg development: Design, Theme Review Team, Core Editor, Core JS, Core CSS, Test, and Meta team from Jan. 2021 on. Updated by yours truly. [The index 2020 is here](https://make.wordpress.org/core/handbook/references/keeping-up-with-gutenberg-index/keeping-up-with-gutenberg-index-2020/) On the WordPress Developer Blog, **Daisy Olse**n takes you along when she shows you [Block theme templates: the easy way to build an elegant grid of posts](https://developer.wordpress.org/news/2023/03/block-theme-templates-the-easy-way-to-build-an-elegant-grid-of-posts/). *“WordPress block themes let you lay out your home page in countless ways, with endless flexibility. To get you started and show you just a few of the possibilities, this tutorial will help you build a magazine-style home page that shows several recent posts and then a traditional post list for inner pages.*“Olsen summarized. Olsen also live-streams regularly [on Twitch](httpa://twitch.com/daisyonwp): Next event: Friday, March 31, 2023 7:30 AM to 9:00 AM Topic: [Block Themes and WordPress: Exploring WordPress 6.2](http://clicks.meetup.com/ls/click?upn=XbaZ37larFA-2FuV5MohrYpdrra25MtI4CzodbRR1Rd1lcKVfFkaiAkMoxUvY-2FRvTYasrl05OpUEx72RVyvunbnfpl8aYBoogyprZFTIpUpo22NL-2FoQHUOrtYIfxI6PjJVQFCmp-2B2S-2Fq4FTLYKBM-2BmtFcLYWugMTX9zP0bhY6zZ3DLzmpF0KtJjZgT2sqIJWMLmpmnqQgZd0lq2xEArTmYCpw3GjujFvusA8j5HeNyemAoWMY12BDWC9aKbhEdL43wbmWxsdhlCn-2BVgCcoZjW3jRMKI9i3RSODpkr-2BEywOkyA-3DTYl__J40Cm482JAfcu64pauD5epBU-2Bh0Rd-2FPWHzdxWXz1rewkAa1qNT6zJlNeHNYZFAj0LnD-2Bb1AhQQSz4XVimu5ikL4v4OY5PmVLKfMIPDvE6BMosM9bkdqfAXKOIvxARLwcEaswvLfrjbcOYXZ6C3kRPGZOIfCYy917Fg5QeBskFMUyf3q4tnOMOPPjOqOaBMCUzD1FgXVOIMNE3e3r-2BhQukqfMyS-2FyScFE4d0bJew1heuXhcM4totKIVcUclpyh59sJALeLnEd7rm1-2Fqjh48JlQHN5Mu3Av-2FsH9ygknQvsc5x0A0KIrnZTxG3h2GrtpO7CVUdQl4Bc6wM2zHjt9-2B787S0FNwx7tr-2BI0gnbVhh3msWhB3gwO8L9YvSr-2BK297Bd2xRLzyP5phQS6MLNc8DjP1QvXnZNFPgnkJBi01ij4rj1YPcsSY-2Fo0gaDXyr-2FQVIUGP-2FQRg-2BDysOhbjHIF9IWpTizgKY1H8lY112ok0qu4wmRXXbjeFAqRqDstHdKbn1To22RrqAWiHnuz8gFPcdlUc2AGP-2BiO7jlJY-2BMMFkuaCYYcqV97OLC4u05JDD2KYzbB3loEraPvrnPo83nKJ4w-2B4GQleteGxeO-2BNZkBi5jVzF93Gz-2FQ41-2FqSCjNgHh46QPbQonA1BfYS3KYXiaPoCQTtqTjxDRRvuZOgrx6MeiNm0WMa-2BvS3qV0FFYDI54etDZF01xqafJyfVV0kXDBt7dNp0zsnZNMsTYIVXwErz8HEozy6mQquv99qo2jE-2FsMC7WE) --- ## Building Blocks and Tools for the Block editor. In his latest recording, **Ryan Welcher** wrapped up [building an OpenAI block for WordPress](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88c6z1XEvG0). In a previous edition, Welcher built an OpenAI integrated block that can generate images for use in our content. In this show, he turned it into a plugin that is part of the editor interface and inserted image blocks automatically after uploading the selected image. If you missed the earlier parts of this series, they are also available on YouTube - Integrating OpenAI with a custom block. Part One - Integrating OpenAI with a custom block. Part Two --- Using the WordPress REST API is how block editor development interacts with data. **Jonathan Bossenger** created a series of Workshops on how to use the API. - Using the WP REST API: Learn how to use the WP REST API to interact with existing WordPress data. - Interacting with the WP REST API: Learn how to interact add and delete data. The tutorial also looks at a useful developer tool for testing endpoints. - WP REST API updates, custom fields, and authentication: Learn how to use the REST API and Backbone.js to make update requests, add/update custom fields, and authenticate requests when logged out.  - WP REST API – modifying responses: Learn one of the ways to extend the REST API by modifying responses. - WP REST API – custom routes and endpoints: Learn how to create custom routes and endpoints and test them with Postman. I also highly recommend watching **K. Adam White**‘s talk at WordCamp Asia on [Getting the most out of the REST API](https://asia.wordcamp.org/2023/session/getting-the-most-out-of-the-rest-api/). During the talk, White renamed it to *“Getting the most out of WordPress when you’re writing Block Editor code”.* ([Recording](https://www.youtube.com/live/vrDwB7iuHL8?t=2299)) ([Slidedeck](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1PQVcTzcUP2xRbwjEjqo8VENxU7fiDBtz8U7R4cA0-IE/edit#slide=id.g1f27001dabd_0_8)) --- **[Need a plugin .zip from Gutenberg’s master branch?](https://gutenbergtimes.com/need-a-zip-from-master/)** Gutenberg Times provides daily build for testing and review. Have you been using it? Hit reply and let me know. ![](https://img.shields.io/github/downloads/bph/gutenberg/total?style=for-the-badge) *Questions? Suggestions? Ideas? Don’t hesitate to send [them via email](mailto:pauli@gutenbergtimes.com) or send me a message on WordPress Slack or Twitter @bph*. For questions to be answered on the [Gutenberg Changelog](http://gutenbergtimes.com/podcast), send them to [changelog@gutenbergtimes.com](mailto:changelog@gutenbergtimes.com) --- Featured Image: “Container” by Izabela Reimers is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0. --- **Don’t want to miss the next Weekend Edition? ** Type in your Email address to subscribe.Subscribe We hate spam, too and won’t give your email address to anyone except Mailchimp to send out our Weekend Edition Thanks for subscribing. ---