I have previously always used Classic Editor/Classic Themes but after a break I am giving Block Themes and the Block Editor a go.
So far I’m not having a great time.
It feels like WordPress is leaning in to users/clients being able to change the look and feel of a page themselves rather than a theme developer having an element of control over how the site looks. Instead, it feels like the WordPress Theme Developer role has become focusing on what design options are available to the end user, and modifying settings to brand guidelines?
For example, I have made a series of Blocks. I’d like the heading and the paragraph in this series (I guess it’s a Pattern) to have a margin-left to offset them in the design. I’m unsure how/if WordPress wants me to have this granular control over the design of the Pattern. Sure, I can add some styles to styles.css and editor.css but…. Is that the right way? It feels wrong somehow? Do I give the Pattern some kind of ID or class? So far I’ve been using empty Column blocks but that also feels ugly.
I don’t know what I’m asking exactly. Basically I’d just like to be able to style a Pattern consistently and not have to have it saved in the database in order to be able to sync it… And have more control over what the user can and can’t edit? The whole thing just feels very inconvenient and unintuitive for developers. I don’t feel like I’m implementing a design. I feel like I’m giving someone else tools to (probably badly and inconsistently) implement a design.
Edit: and don’t even get me started on controlling CSS at different breakpoints.
I’m still new to it all so I’m hoping I’m just missing something (lots).
[ad_2]