Block Bindings API (part 1) and connecting custom fields

[justintadlock]

Discussed in #219

^{Originally posted by justintadlock February 5, 2024}
WordPress 6.5 will ship with a Block Bindings API and the ability to connect custom fields to block attributes. The feature will be in a limited form, but it is a major first step toward handling a feature that extenders have needed for years. In many cases, it will mean that theme authors and plugin devs will be able to use the existing Core blocks to output dynamic data.

Resources:

• Connecting block attributes and custom fields
• Block Bindings API

I'm thinking the tutorial should at least cover which blocks and attributes can be connected to custom fields and show some examples.

A second part of this (though, it may be a separate tutorial) is to show how to register custom binding sources. WP 6.5 should ship with core/post-meta and core/pattern-overrides, but devs can also build custom sources.

To test

Add a mood and weather custom field key in your Custom Fields panel. Add any text to the fields. Then, add these blocks to your editor:

<!-- wp:paragraph {"metadata":{"bindings":{"content":{"source":"core/post-meta","args":{"key":"mood"}}}}} -->
<p></p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

<!-- wp:paragraph {"metadata":{"bindings":{"content":{"source":"core/post-meta","args":{"key":"weather"}}}}} -->
<p></p>
<!-- /wp:paragraph -->

This is a really basic example, and the post should walk devs through the basics to a more advanced example.

[justintadlock]

This is currently being drafted here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LAwj_Gynb_zlvQ_eOMSXriN0gZVJrh6OghjJuBdehms/edit?usp=sharing

[justintadlock]

First review handled by @ndiego.

[justintadlock]

And it's live! Thanks to everyone for getting this post ready.

Social copy:

In WordPress 6.5, plugin and theme developers can bind custom fields to some Core blocks. Learn how in this first post of a two-part series on the Block Bindings API:

https://developer.wordpress.org/news/2024/02/20/introducing-block-bindings-part-1-connecting-custom-fields/