Andy of Eden in Babylon was asking the other day about alternatives to the block editor. I’ve lost traffic of the different names of editors and what exactly they’re getting rid of. I also realized I wasn’t sure how to access the classic block editor that WordPress says gives similar functionality to the editor they’re now in the process of get rid of.
There doesn’t seem to be a distinct classic block editor; rather, you can use the “classic block” type within the block editor. Let’s take a look at an example of what can be done in a single classic block, as shown in the screenshot below that runs between the teal lines.
Classic block starts below
Test 1: Heading 2 with colour
Test 2: indented x1
Test 3: horizontal line below this text
Test 4: 2 lines of white space below this line
- test 5: list
- test 5
Test 6 – link
Test 7: blockquote ( this is the last line of this classic block)
Standard block editor blocks start here
The following image is a screenshot from the toolbar that was displayed what I was editing the classic block above:
What you see above this teal line is a screenshot of the tool bar that was displayed while I was heading the classic block. The camera/music note icon lets you add media. The weird box with black dot thingy beside it toggles whether or not the bottom toolbar row is displayed or not.
When you click on the A that appears with an aqua underline in the screenshot, it shows the same colour selection there used to be in the old editorl.
Classic blocks used to ignore blank lines, but that doesn’t appear to be an issue anymore.
When you insert an image within a classic block (using the camera/music note button), you get the image adjustment setup from the old editor. This is shown in the screenshot below.
I think WordPress has really dropped the ball with this whole transition. From unclear naming to unclear descriptions of alternatives, it’s really been poorly done.
While I used a mix of new blocks and one classic block in this post, it seems like it should be doable to do a whole post, complete with images, within a single classic block.
Since it took me some fussing around to figure out the classic blocks, I wanted to do this post in case any of the folks thinking about leaving WordPress haven’t tried this out.
How are you feeling about the whole editor situation?
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I don’t like the new editor at all, apart from the easier way of shifting blocks of text around. I don’t know how much is just not being used to it yet, but I find the new system hard to use, without necessarily being able to put my finger on what exactly the problem is.
It’s certainly not very intuitive. It also requires more steps to do simple things.
I still have not been switched by WP to the block editor. I am using the same as I have done for the past couple of years. But it sounds as if one day I will wake up and it will just be there.
Yeah, probably.
I find that editing old posts still puts me into Classic, but new posts come up in the new editor.
I’ve noticed that too.
I never like when they change things because in my opinion it gets worse. I guess we have to get use to it 😂
Yeah, there really isn’t any choice.
So far, knock wood, I haven’t been forced to convert. I might just be using the old ‘new’ editor anyway as I blog through WP Admin on my dashboard in the first place. I have absolutely no interest in using ‘blocks’ because one of the hats I wore during my working life was assistant to a publisher and he had to use something extremely similar to that block crap. It was difficult and frustrating and even with experience it’s still a pain in the adipose. One will get used to the damned thing, but I cynically think the moment the wordpress blogging community does get used to it, they’ll foist some other piece o’ crap ‘new and improved’ one on us. What ever happened to “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” school of thought?
Apparently WordPress has no interest in that school of thought. 🙃
It takes a bit of getting used to. I don’t understand why we can’t go back to the days of Amstrad Word Processors and keep it simple, as far as simple text goes. Not being able to ‘select all’ and edit is such a pain!! Line by line, oh dear Lord.
If you do a post that’s written all within a single classic block and then you go select all, it will select every line that’s within that block.
I think I’ll switch to classic block 😅
🙂
As you know Ashley, I am done blogging here at WordPress, by the end of the year.
I am still in the dashboard that they want to get rid and not looking forward to when it disappears.
I have made several posts in advance in the event one day it happens. So when it arrives, I just won’t be writing.
New blog set up at blogger. I ocassionally post there, until I am there full time in the New Year.
I will only here to comment, when my blogging stops at WordPress now. WordPress can do what they like. I won’t be back blogging. I hate the happiness engineers.
It’s really unfortunate that they’ve handled this so poorly.
It is. Yes. They have certainly handled this poorly.
I guess I came in on the end of the Standard Editor. For this guy who doesn’t like sudden changes I have muddled my way in this new Block Editor. I am sorry for those who will be leaving WordPress. I once had Blogger, but I learned about WordPress and I just let the former go.
I wish somebody who is part of the decision making committee would read through the blogs and comment sections to see the negative thoughts about this change.
Yeah, that would be nice.
I’ve started using WP with the block editor!! I use the classic block, and it removes the plus signs that show up every time you hit enter. Those were bugging me to death!!
That’s good!
I switched recently and a finding it a little frustrating.
I think a lot of have people have.
I think I only every used the block editor since I began late last year? So I think I’m okay with it lol.
Yeah, they first introduced it last year, so anyone who’s started blogging since then had the block editor by default.
It would have driven me mad if I’d had to change to a different style of editor – I find it all so overwhelming!
I’m really not enjoying the block editor, as it changes the way my posts line themselves up, and makes formatting more irritating.
It definitely creates more work.
Yup.