On Tuesday, November 7, WordPress unveiled version 6.4 of its famous CMS, marking its third major annual release. As usual, this update pays tribute to a notable personality. This time, it's the iconic Shirley Horn, the renowned jazz singer and pianist.
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Beyond its new default theme, this update stands out for the addition of enriching new features and various fixes, further strengthening the tool's performance. Here are the main new features of WordPress 6.4!
WordPress 6.4: an enhanced update thanks to 284 contributions
The team behind the "Shirley" update relied on 284 contributions and suggestions, including:
- 113 tickets dedicated to new features.
- 134 devoted to bug fixes.
- 21 varied tasks for CMS optimization.
In addition, this version implements 64 tickets targeting performance, 17 dedicated to accessibility, and 33 aimed at modernizing the code.
So, what are the most significant changes in WordPress 6.4?
Overview of the major new features in WordPress 6.4
WordPress 6.4 enhances the experience for users and developers with the launch of Block Hooks, improved template management, an optimized command palette, a new default theme, and much more!
Twenty Twenty-Four: a new, highly flexible theme
The new default theme, Twenty Twenty-Four, is designed to adapt to every use. Whether for writers, artists, or entrepreneurs, this flexible template includes more than 35 section-specific templates and patterns (testimonials, teams, pricing…) to customize your websites as much as possible.
Based on a set of blocks, it makes page creation easier for experienced developers as well as beginner users!
The arrival of Block Hooks
A flagship feature of WordPress 6.4, Block Hooks allow developers to automatically insert blocks into chosen content locations, thereby enriching the extensibility of block themes.
Thanks to the well-known concept of hooks, the user can extend the functionality of classic themes with filters and actions.
Moreover, Block Hooks align only with dynamic blocks, thus avoiding validation errors on blocks that require saving.
Below is an example of a "Like" button Block Hook, linked to the "lastChild" position of the "Comment Template" block. This allows adding a like option under each comment.
An improved content editor
The editing tool also gets a facelift and a few notable changes that help streamline content creation:
- Writing improvements New keyboard shortcuts have been added to improve content editing, with smarter list merging and better control over link settings.
- Improved command palette Introduced in WordPress 6.3, the command palette has been updated with a refreshed design and new commands for block-specific actions.
- Pattern organization and filtering You can now organize patterns with custom categories and use an advanced filtering system to find them more easily. In addition, custom patterns can be imported and exported as JSON files, making them easier to use across different sites.
- Extended design tools An expanded set of design tools is available, allowing you to add background images to group blocks or embed buttons in the navigation block, for example, without needing to code.
- Image management : The lightbox feature has been integrated to allow interactive full-screen viewing of images, and it is now possible to preview images in List View.
Boosted performance
Performance optimizations were at the heart of WordPress 6.4's advances, with particular attention paid to object cache management to increase the CMS's efficiency:
- Options management : New functions such as get_options(), Prime option caches (wp_prime_option_caches()), and Set option autoload values (wp_set_option_autoload_values()) have been introduced for more efficient retrieval of options from the database.
- Template loading : The process for loading template files has been optimized.
- Image optimization : The function Get loading optimization attributes (wp_get_loading_optimization_attributes()) has been improved to centralize management of loading optimization for images and iframes.
- Script loading strategies : WordPress 6.4 adopts an approach defer for scripts, favoring consistent loading behavior and moving them into the tag <head>, for faster identification and application of resources during page load.
These improvements aim to make WordPress faster and more responsive, both for site administrators and for visitors.
How to update to WordPress 6.4?
To update to WordPress 6.4, here are the steps to follow:
- Backup : Before updating, back up all your files and databases. This will allow you to restore your site in case of a problem.
- Themes and plugins check : Check with developers that your themes and plugins are compatible with this version. Some may require an update before proceeding.
- The actual update : You can download WordPress 6.4 from WordPress.org or go to your WordPress dashboard, click on "Updates", then "Update Now".
- Plugin updates : After installing WordPress 6.4, don't forget to update your plugins.
Our tip for updating WordPress to version 6.4
Updating to WordPress 6.4 is an almost necessary step to benefit from the new features and security enhancements. However, waiting a few days can be wise to avoid the turbulence associated with potential initial bugs...
If you want a smooth and reliable update, consider hiring a freelance WordPress developer on Codeur.com!
