Stop using __DIR__ to load block pattern files

[desrosj]

When reviewing the theme for merge into Core, I noticed that block patterns are being included using require __DIR__ . '/patterns/' . $block_pattern . '.php'.

I was curious if there was a reason for this. If this gets switched to using something like get_stylesheet_directory(), or get_template_directory() (these may not do exactly what we need), it could become possible for a child theme to include one pattern override file in patterns directory.

[MaggieCabrera]

I tried this and it doesn't work as you described. Using get_template_directory() will always return the parent's pattern, even if the same file exists on the child theme. Using get_stylesheet_directory() fails if the child theme doesn't have a replacement for each and every one of the patterns.

At the very least a child theme could override twentytwentytwo_register_block_patterns directly if they need to.

[desrosj]

Thanks for looking into it @MaggieCabrera!

I think the function that we'd want to use here would be locate_template(). But could not use it in just one line.

foreach ( $block_patterns as $block_pattern ) {
	$pattern_file = locate_template( array( 'patterns/' . $block_pattern . '.php' ) );

	register_block_pattern(
		'twentytwentytwo/' . $block_pattern,
		require $pattern_file
	);
}

I don't feel strongly about this and happy to be overruled in favor of better practices for modifying patterns. But here is the scenario I would like to protect against:

• Someone creates a child theme.
• They don't like how one or two block templates are set up.
• They override the entire twentytwentytwo_register_block_patterns() function.
• Any future updates to this function to add new patterns or categories in the theme won't be seen by those sites.

[jffng]

@desrosj is the scenario you describe solved by the addition of a filter #238?

[desrosj]

The filters would allow a pattern to be removed and re-added elsewhere. But it would not allow a child theme to supply a customized block pattern by including their own version of a pattern in their patterns directory.

[justintadlock]

Since these are not templates, I'd use get_theme_file_path() over locate_template(): https://developer.wordpress.org/reference/functions/get_theme_file_path/