UW Theme release v2.11.0
Release date:
UW Theme v2.11.0 focuses on WordPress 7.0 compatibility. This release updates how the theme supports new WordPress features and core blocks so editors have a more consistent, accessible, and UW-branded editing experience.
Version updates in this release
- UW Theme v2.11.0
- UW Blocks plugin v2.11.0
- UW Events plugin v2.5.0
- UW People plugin v.2.9.0
Table of contents
WordPress 7.0 – Release highlights
WordPress 7.0 includes updates to some WordPress-made blocks and the admin interface. Below highlights some of the more useful changes for UW Theme users. Visit the WordPress 7.0 release post for more information about the release.
If your UW Theme site is hosted in the WiscWeb WordPress Service, not all WordPress 7.0 updates will be enabled.
Watch the June 11 WiscWeb Lunch & Learn recording for a recap of the changes below.
Gallery block lightbox update
When Enlarge on click is enabled for a Gallery block, visitors can open an image in a larger lightbox view and move forward or backward through all images in that gallery. Previously, visitors could enlarge individual images, but could not move through the full gallery set from the lightbox.
Learn more:
Image block focal point picker
Like the Cover block, if an aspect ratio is chosen for the Image block, you can now select a focal point in the block settings. This allows you to choose which part of the image stays in view when an aspect ratio is set.
Learn more:
New blue in WordPress Admin
WordPress 7.0 updated the color palette of WordPress admin to use a brighter blue color for buttons, links, and prominent calls to action.
If you prefer the previous blue, you can change the color palette in Users > Profile > Administration Color Scheme. Select the color palette “Fresh” to use the old blue.
Learn more about the User > Profile screen.
Visual update to Revisions screen
When reviewing revisions to a page or post, you can now visually compare two versions directly in the editor using a slider. Colors help indicate where the changes were made and what they are (added, deleted, or changed content).
Visit the WordPress Revisions documentation for examples and to learn more.
WordPress 7.0 – Theme updates
Visit the UW Theme v2.10.0 changelog for additional updates made to the theme in preparation for WordPress 7.0.
Features removed or disabled
- Disabled the ability to embed an external video URL to the Cover block due to accessibility concerns. We are testing other, more accessible ways to accomplish this in the future.
- Removed titles that overlay images in the Media Library to prevent visual clutter that hinders navigation.
- Removed the Border style settings from the Math block, and updated it to use the theme’s text color palette.
- Removed outdated WordPress component settings from several editor controls in the UW Theme and UW Events plugin to keep the theme aligned with WordPress 7.0.
Gallery block lightbox accessibility
We’ve increased the icon and text label size of the lightbox button controls (previous, next, close) so they are easier to read on desktop and have a larger tap area on smaller screens.
We have also submitted an issue to WordPress Core for additional improvements to lightbox controls in a future release.
View and comment on the open GitHub issue to support these changes.
Fixed arrow style controls
Fixed an issue introduced in WordPress 7.0 that broke the styles for the UI controls in the UW Single Link and UW Group of Links blocks. These controls allow users to switch between different link styles.
Accessibility updates
Two accessibility updates were made to the UW People plugin:
- Open the person’s website link in the same window to follow accessibility best practices. Visit feature request #205 for more details.
- Add an HTML aria-label to the Linkedin icon in the UW People Listing block so that it’s not missing link text for screen reader users.
Minor style updates
- In the UW Theme and UW Events plugin, the default top margin on the Title block was increased for archive pages (e.g. categories, tags) to match the spacing of the Title block on new pages and posts.
- In the UW Group of Links and UW Single Link blocks, added left-margin to the “Arrow” style so the arrow icon does not run into the link text in narrow content widths.
Updated the “Intro with jumplinks” pattern
The “Intro with jumplinks” pattern in the UW Theme was updated based on user feedback to make the pattern easier to understand and use. Changes include:
- Replaced placeholder text with helper text that explains how to use the pattern.
- Removed arrow styles from jump links so they are less likely to be mistaken for external links.
- Applied condensed spacing as the default to better support longer lists of jump links.
Fixed ability to hide hero carousel slides
When using the UW Hero Carousel block, as long as the slides inside are using the Cover block, they can be hidden from the published page. Previously, this did not work as expected and had inconsistent results.
General bugfixes and maintenance
This update also includes bug fixes and maintenance updates for blocks, plugins, and patterns.
- Added “No matching events found.” text to the today.wisc.edu block when no events are found for a selected feed. Visit feature request #223 for more information.
- Fixed an incorrect PHP class name in the UW Events plugin that caused a fatal PHP error when visiting the
/uw-eventsURL. - Fixed a bug that duplicated the Title block when placed inside a synced pattern.
- Fixed breadcrumb behavior so breadcrumbs no longer appear on search results pages or 404 pages when breadcrumbs are disabled in Theme Settings.
- Fixed HTML markup for the “Hero slide with content on left” pattern so console errors no longer appear.