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About the Book

WordPress Editor and Blocks: A Comprehensive Guide is a project-based journey that takes you from the fundamentals of block creation to the enterprise-level practices required to build sophisticated, secure, and performant WordPress solutions. This WordPress 6.8 edition is meticulously updated to cover the latest standards, including the stable Interactivity API, the powerful Block Bindings API, and the professional tooling that defines modern development workflows.

This guide elevates your expertise beyond basic coding to strategic architecture. You'll master the decision-making frameworks that define professional WordPress development, from data persistence design to accessibility best practices and performance optimization.

What you will find?

The book covers the complete spectrum of WordPress block development, structured across 14 detailed chapters.

Foundation and Core Concepts:

• Understanding the WordPress Block Editor Ecosystem
• The Core Workflow: Building Your First Block
• Expanding Your Block: Attributes, Controls, and InnerBlocks

Advanced Development Techniques:

• Dynamic Content and Server-Side Rendering
• Extending and Customizing Core Blocks
• Block Patterns and Reusable Components
• Block Themes and Full Site Editing

Modern WordPress APIs:

• The Interactivity API and the Block Bindings API
• Building Complete Interactive Applications
• Data Persistence and Security

Professional Best Practices:

• Performance Optimization
• Accessibility (A11y): Building for Everyone
• Professional Tooling and Workflow
• The Future of WordPress Block Development

Who is this book for?

• Intermediate WordPress Developers ready to transition from classic PHP themes to the modern block paradigm.
• JavaScript Developers who want to apply their skills to the world's most popular CMS.
• Agency Developers looking to standardize their team's workflow and build high-quality, maintainable client sites.
• Plugin and Theme Authors aiming to create powerful, block-first products that integrate seamlessly with the WordPress core.

What you will build and master:

• A Professional Workflow: Go beyond npm start. Set up isolated development environments with Docker and wp-env, enforce code quality with ESLint and Prettier.
• Complete Interactive Applications: Learn the Interactivity API from the ground up by building a progressive TODO application, complete with optimistic updates and secure REST API communication.
• Advanced Block Architecture: Understand when to use static vs. dynamic blocks, how to extend core blocks with custom styles and variations, and how to design scalable block patterns.
• Robust Data & Security: Master data persistence with Post Meta, Custom Post Types, and the Block Bindings API. Learn to secure your applications with proper validation, nonces, and rate limiting.
• Performance and Accessibility: Write code that not only functions flawlessly but also achieves excellent Core Web Vitals and meets WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standards.

By the end of this book, you'll have the skills and confidence to lead complex projects, contribute to enterprise-level applications, and position yourself at the forefront of the WordPress development industry.

About the Author

Paulo Carvajal

@paulocarvajal_

Paulo Carvajal is a senior web developer and WordPress specialist who has been shaping digital experiences for over two decades. Based in Bilbao, Spain, he brings a unique blend of technical expertise and creative vision to modern web development, with the past 20 years dedicated to advancing custom WordPress solutions and pioneering component-based development approaches.

As the founder and lead developer of Vudumedia for twenty years, Paulo built a reputation for delivering innovative websites and applications across diverse industries. His technical arsenal spans modern JavaScript frameworks, advanced PHP development, and sophisticated RESTful API design, enabling him to create solutions that are both powerful and elegant.

Paulo's recent work as a senior developer at leading digital consultancies—including Flat 101 and VML-The Cocktail—has focused on architecting enterprise-scale WordPress platforms that push the boundaries of what's possible with the platform. His expertise encompasses headless WordPress implementations using cutting-edge technologies like Vue.js and Next.js, complex multisite environments, and performance-optimized solutions that serve thousands of users.

What sets Paulo apart is his educational background: a bachelor's degree in Fine Arts with a specialization in Audiovisual Media from the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU). This artistic foundation deeply informs his approach to development, bringing exceptional design sensibility, meticulous attention to accessibility, and an unwavering commitment to user-centered design principles to every technical solution.

Beyond his technical contributions, Paulo is passionate about knowledge sharing and community building, believing that the best solutions emerge when developers collaborate and learn from each other's experiences.