The official version of WordPress 5.6 "Simone" is released. The official said that WordPress 5.6 is the final major version planned to be released this year, named after the legendary performer Nina Simone (Nina Simone). It includes some major features and updates, as well as a large number of minor enhancements and bug fixes. .
The focus of WordPress 5.6 is to improve the WordPress block editor and enhance security (especially the automatic update of extensions). Some changes have a direct impact on security and compatibility. The main feature updates and improvements include:
- WordPress Core version is automatically updated
- Gutenberg plugin adds block editor
- Update more block modes
- New default 2021 theme
- Add cover video position control
- Users can view the number of characters in a post or page in the information panel.
- Added background pattern for cover block
- Convert multiple blocks to column blocks
- Support video subtitles
- Add new settings in preference mode
- Add site health check improvements
Improvements for developers
- REST API authentication and application password
- jQuery update
- Compatible with PHP 8
- REST API update
- New Block API, version 2
The following are some of the highlights of the update:
WordPress Core version is automatically updated
WordPress 5.6 now provides a new UI that can automatically update the WordPress Core version. Although the automatic update function of WordPress Core has existed in WordPress for many years, WP 5.6 introduced a new user interface for the first time to make the automatic update operation easier for users.
Now, WordPress allows users to automatically update in the console> update page of the website background. After enabling automatic updates, users no longer need to manually update on the "Update" page of the WordPress management console.
Updates to the block editor in the Gutenberg plugin
The WordPress block mode (also known as Gutenberg) is a plug-and-play predefined WordPress block layout that allows users to create any number of complex layouts by clicking a few buttons. The WordPress block editor has been improved in WordPress 5.6.
WordPress 5.6 integrates the seven latest versions of WordPress Gutenberg plugins (8.6 to 9.2). Examples of block editor improvements included in WordPress 5.6 include:
- Greater layout flexibility provides more tools for users to edit the layout with or without code.
- More block modes.
- More blocking modes . In the selected theme, the pre-configured blocking mode makes it easy for users to easily set up standard pages on the site.
- Upload video subtitles directly in the block editor. Now users can upload subtitles in posts or pages.
jQuery update
The update of jQuery in WordPress covers three versions: 5.5, 5.6 and 5.7. The jQuery Migrate script was removed from WordPress 5.5 released in August 2020. This causes problems for many websites that use plugins that rely on older versions of jQuery.
If you are currently using the Enable jQuery Migrate Helper plug-in to solve these problems, you need to make sure that the website without it can work normally before updating to WordPress 5.6. This is because WordPress 5.6 will update to the latest version of jQuery and add jQuery Migrate 3.3.2, which may conflict with the re-enabled version of the Enable jQuery Migrate Helper plugin (ie jQuery Migrate 1.4.1).
Support PHP 8
WordPress 5.6 marks the first step towards PHP 8’s core support for WordPress. Although it is still very new, PHP 8.0 is the major update of the PHP language. It contains many new features and optimizations.
WordPress 5.6 is designed to be "beta compatible" with PHP 8. This means that under normal use, a website running WordPress 5.6 on PHP 8 with the default theme and no plugins is unlikely to experience any problems.
The official reminder, if you use a lot of plugins on your website, it may take a while to safely update to PHP 8. It is also recommended that new users directly use the latest version of PHP 8 and WordPress 5.6 to build their website.
REST API authentication and application password
With the new application password authorization function of the API, third-party applications can connect to the user’s website seamlessly and securely. This new REST API feature allows you to view which applications are connecting to your website and control their work.
WordPress 5.6 also contains many changes and bug fixes. For details, please check: https://wordpress.org/news/2020/12/simone/