Simplify block registration?

[turtlepod]

It's already simple, but would be nice to make it simpler.

right now:

• update package.json for webpack entry.
• creating dir and files "includes/blocks/{block name}" and update blocks.json. register.php, markup.php (start the block dev)
• load register.php file and call function in "blocks.php" register_theme_blocks()

if possible, I think the ideal steps (for me) would be:

• creating dir and files "includes/blocks/{block name}" ...

maybe:

• webpack to automatically compile js from the blocks/* dir to /dist/*
• auto register all register.php found in blocks/{ dir }"

[fabiankaegy]

These are great ideas :) And I agree we should make it much much simpler to register blocks.

I've actually been working on that for a while now and have two relevant issues here:

• Scan block.json files to auto detect entry points for the build process 10up-toolkit#130

• Simplify & standardize how to add custom blocks to the theme scaffold wp-scaffold#62

The one in the wp-scaffold already got merged and does what you suggest. Just also removes the register.php file alltogether :) so only one of them is left to get us to the state where a block is entirely self-contained in a single folder with all the registration happening through the block.json file.

[turtlepod]

that is nice.
one other thing that we can simplify is the usage of editorScript and editorStyle in the block.json

Considering we use glob() to automatically register, we can also simplify by automatically set editor style and script via editor_script and editor_style in register_block_type().

• use the same file parser (glob)
• automatically add 'editor_script' handle to register_block_type.
• wp_register_script all the script needed.

This will eliminate the need to add the right file path in block.json. (and use hacky method to filter plugin_url)

Note: I prefer to simply use register_block_type() instead of register_block_from_metadata(), because register_block_type() now also support JSON file/dir
https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/register_block_type/