Introduction to ABC (Advanced Block Controls) #

ABC, short for Advanced Block Controls, is an innovative WordPress plugin designed to expand the capabilities of Gutenberg blocks. It offers advanced styling and customization options that integrate smoothly with both core and custom blocks. With ABC, WordPress professionals can reach new heights of design and functionality, similar to those provided by full-featured page builders, but directly within core blocks, reducing the need to depend on third-party blocks for advanced settings.

What ABC Includes #

Here’s an overview of the features ABC provides:

• Advanced Controls: ABC enhances your blocks with sophisticated styling options, including improved typography, advanced shadow and border settings, and comprehensive background options. These controls enable precise adjustments and include features missing from the core, such as hover settings and responsive breakpoints.
• Controls Manager: This intuitive interface allows users to toggle specific controls on or off according to their workflow preferences. Settings for each block can be individually adjusted, including renaming titles and reordering controls for optimized usability.
• Responsive Options: ABC allows users to modify settings for different screen sizes, ensuring that designs remain effective and visually appealing across all devices.
• CSS Settings: To ensure that the controls are applied universally across blocks, ABC includes options to enforce CSS rules and adjust specificity. This ensures that the CSS is effective and consistent, regardless of the block type.
• Custom Targeting: While default settings affect the block container, ABC offers the flexibility to target specific elements within the block. This versatility ensures compatibility and enhanced functionality with any block type.

What ABC Does Not Include #

While ABC significantly enhances the Gutenberg editor, there are a few things it does not do:

• It does not introduce new blocks: Instead of creating new blocks, ABC focuses on enhancing the customization settings of existing blocks to match the level of modern page builders features.
• It does not create content: ABC provides the tools to style and manage blocks but does not supply actual content or automate content creation.
• Limited support for certain third-party blocks: ABC is compatible with any Gutenberg block; however, its compatibility is limited to blocks that support attributes and adhere to standard WordPress practices. Blocks that do not meet these criteria may not fully benefit from ABC’s features.

Why Choose ABC? #

Choosing ABC means opting for an enhancement toolkit that:

• Introduces efficiency and creativity to your block editing experience.
• Provides seamless integration with existing WordPress blocks.
• Continuously evolves based on community feedback and the latest web standards.

Limitations #

Not all blocks within the Gutenberg editor support the addition of CSS classes, which poses a limitation for the application of our customization controls. Notably, blocks like the Shortcode and HTML blocks do not accommodate external CSS classes. Since our controls function by appending a className to the blocks to apply various customizations, these specific blocks do not benefit from our Controls due to their inherent structure that restricts the use of additional class attributes.