WordPress Monthly Dev Digest #020
Tags: wordpress, webdev, php, css
Published: 2020-07-31 18:35:38

---
title: WordPress Monthly Dev Digest #020
published: true
description: A curated list of WordPress development related news articles, tutorials and other resources written or updated in July 2020.
canonical_url: https://since1979.dev/wordpress-monthly-dev-digest-020/
cover_image: https://since1979.dev/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/monthly-dev-digest-020.jpg
tags: wordpress, webdev, php, css
---
[Originally posted on my website on July 31th 2020](https://since1979.dev/wordpress-monthly-dev-digest-020/)

WordPress July in short.
------------------------

At the end of Juli we can almost taste the release of WordPress 5.5 scheduled for August 11, 2020. This update will be packed with developer goodies like [auto updates for themes and plugins](https://make.wordpress.org/core/2020/07/15/controlling-plugin-and-theme-auto-updates-ui-in-wordpress-5-5/), a new [filter for archive page headings](https://make.wordpress.org/core/2020/07/30/filtering-archive-pages-headings-in-wordpress-5-5/), new [block api's](https://make.wordpress.org/core/2020/07/30/block-api-updates-in-5-5/), some changes the [get_custom_logo function](https://make.wordpress.org/core/2020/07/30/block-api-updates-in-5-5/), [custom line-heights and units](https://make.wordpress.org/core/2020/07/27/new-block-tools-on-wordpress-5-5/) for core blocks, a new [wp_get_environment_type](https://make.wordpress.org/core/2020/07/24/new-wp_get_environment_type-function-in-wordpress-5-5/) function, the option to [pass arguments to template files](https://make.wordpress.org/core/2020/07/17/passing-arguments-to-template-files-in-wordpress-5-5/), changes to the [Wp Rest Api](https://make.wordpress.org/core/2020/07/22/rest-api-changes-in-wordpress-5-5/) including some [new endpoint](https://make.wordpress.org/core/2020/07/16/new-and-modified-rest-api-endpoints-in-wordpress-5-5/), an [updated jQuery version](https://make.wordpress.org/core/2020/06/29/updating-jquery-version-shipped-with-wordpress/), the new [block patterns concept](https://make.wordpress.org/core/2020/07/16/block-patterns-in-wordpress-5-5/), some new [dashicons](https://make.wordpress.org/core/2020/07/15/dashicons-in-wordpress-5-5-the-final-update/) and even more to check out [here](https://make.wordpress.org/core/2020/07/29/miscellaneous-developer-focused-changes-in-wordpress-5-5/) and [here](https://make.wordpress.org/core/2020/07/30/themes-field-guide-wordpress-5-5/).

This upcoming release will also feature [XML Sitemap functionality](https://make.wordpress.org/core/2020/07/22/new-xml-sitemaps-functionality-in-wordpress-5-5/) and native [lazy-loading of image](https://make.wordpress.org/core/2020/07/14/lazy-loading-images-in-5-5/) being pulled into core.

### WordPress:

-   [Frontity is React for WordPress](https://css-tricks.com/frontity-is-react-for-wordpress/) by [Chris Coyier](https://twitter.com/chriscoyier).
-   [Setting up your first Gutenberg project](https://leoloso.com/posts/setting-up-first-gutenberg-project/) by [Leonardo Losoviz](https://twitter.com/losoviz).
-   [Introducing headless WordPress with Gatsby cloud](https://www.gatsbyjs.org/blog/2020-07-07-wordpress-source-beta/) by [Hashim Warren](https://twitter.com/hashim_warren).
-   [Creating a Gatsby site with WordPress data](https://css-tricks.com/creating-a-gatsby-site-with-wordpress-data/) by [Ganesh Dahal](https://tinjurewp.com/).
-   [Essentials for building your first Gutenberg block](https://blog.logrocket.com/building-first-gutenberg-block/) by [Leonardo Losoviz](https://twitter.com/losoviz).
-   [Upcoming in WordPress 5.5: Features and changes theme authors should know about](https://wptavern.com/upcoming-in-wordpress-5-5-features-and-changes-theme-authors-should-know-about) by [Justin Tadlock](https://twitter.com/justintadlock).
-   [WordPress powered landing pages on a totally different site via Cloudflare workers](https://blog.codepen.io/2020/07/16/wordpress-powered-landing-pages-on-a-totally-different-site-via-cloudflare-workers/) by [Chris Coyier](https://twitter.com/chriscoyier).
-   [How to avoid technical debt in WordPress](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Mz-I29U704) by [WPCasts](https://twitter.com/_WPCasts_tv_).
-   [Post a lot of code? Try the code syntax block plugin for WordPress](https://wptavern.com/post-a-lot-of-code-try-the-code-syntax-block-plugin-for-wordpress) by [Justin Tadlock](https://twitter.com/justintadlock).

### Php:

-   [What's new in Php 8 and what does that mean](https://dev.to/jopacicdev/what-s-new-in-php-8-and-what-does-that-mean-4kdf) by [Josip Opačić](https://twitter.com/jopacicdev).
-   [Everything you need (and don't need) to know about Php's type system](https://thephp.website/en/issue/php-type-system/) by [Níckolas Da Silva](https://twitter.com/nawarian).
-   [Why we need named arguments in Php](https://stitcher.io/blog/why-we-need-named-params-in-php) by [Brent](https://twitter.com/brendt_gd).
-   [Php 8: before and after](https://stitcher.io/blog/php-8-before-and-after) by [Brent](https://twitter.com/brendt_gd).

### Javascript/React:

-   [Keen-slider](https://keen-slider.io/) is a free library agnostic touch slider.
-   [Vest](https://ealush.com/vest/#/) is a form validations library for JS apps that derives its syntax from modern JS frameworks by [Evyatar Alush](https://twitter.com/AlushEvyatar).
-   [A simple xxplanation of event delegation in Javascript](https://dmitripavlutin.com/javascript-event-delegation/) by [Dmitri Pavlutin](https://twitter.com/panzerdp).
-   [Memorize scroll position across page loads](https://css-tricks.com/memorize-scroll-position-across-page-loads/) by [Chris Coyier](https://twitter.com/chriscoyier).
-   [Debounce explained -- How to make your Javascript wait for your user to finish typing](https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/debounce-explained-how-to-make-your-javascript-wait-for-your-user-to-finish-typing-2/) by [Juan Vega](https://twitter.com/juanvega878).
-   [14 Javascript code optimization tips for front-end developers](https://blog.bitsrc.io/14-javascript-code-optimization-tips-for-front-end-developers-a44763d3a0da) by [Mahdhi Rezvi](https://twitter.com/MahdhiRezvi).
-   [A look at React Router 6](https://www.carlrippon.com/a-look-at-react-router-6/) by [Carl](https://twitter.com/carlrippon).
-   [How to set up a React app with Parcel](https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/how-to-up-a-react-app-with-parcel/) by [Bob Ziroll](https://twitter.com/bobziroll).
-   [Build and publish a custom React hook package on Npm](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWCrzUGkGKQ) by [Niall ‍Maher](https://twitter.com/nialljoemaher).

### Html/Css:

-   [Styling layout wrappers In Css](https://ishadeed.com/article/styling-wrappers-css/) by [Ahmad Shadeed](https://twitter.com/shadeed9).
-   [Modern Css techniques to improve legibility](https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2020/07/css-techniques-legibility/) by [Edo Cavazza](https://twitter.com/edocavazza).
-   [Mailgo](https://mailgo.dev/) a new concept of mailto and tel links.
-   [Simple wave pattern with CSS gradients](https://dev.to/rossangus/simple-wave-pattern-with-css-gradients-29g4) by [Ross Angus](https://dev.to/rossangus).
-   [CSS Vocabulary](http://apps.workflower.fi/vocabs/css/en) by [Ville V. Vanninen](https://twitter.com/sakamies) and [Workflower](https://twitter.com/workflower).
-   [Modern Css grid solutions to common layout problems](https://vycke.dev/blog/css-layout-patterns/) by [Kevin Pennekamp](https://twitter.com/vycke_).
-   [Make it blink Html tutorial -- How to use the blink tag, with code examples](https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/make-it-blink-html-tutorial-how-to-use-the-blink-tag-with-code-examples/) by [Colby Fayock](https://twitter.com/colbyfayock).
-   [Intermediate Css with Kyle from Web Dev Simplified (Flexbox, Grid, Custom Properties, and more!)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyYC-hSFEFQ) by [James Q Quick](https://twitter.com/jamesqquick).
-   [Four ways to align boxes horizontally, each in under three lines of Css](https://dev.to/rmion/four-ways-to-align-boxes-horizontally-each-in-under-three-lines-of-css-5goa) by [Robert Mion](https://dev.to/rmion)

### Misc:

-   [Secret to good programming? Documentation Driven Development](https://dev.to/stephenmiracle/secret-to-good-programming-documentation-driven-development-3l4d) by [Stephen Miracle](https://twitter.com/StephenMiracle).
-   [My tips on learning how to code](https://dev.to/vanaf1979/my-tips-on-learning-how-to-code-2ihg) by [Stephan Nijman](https://twitter.com/Vanaf1979).
-   [Concise code Isn't always clean code -- and here's why](https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/concise-code-isnt-always-clean-code/) by [Kenny Dubroff](https://twitter.com/KennyDubroff).
-   [How to gain experience as a web developer? Powerful ideas for code newbies](https://levelup.gitconnected.com/how-to-gain-experience-as-a-web-developer-powerful-ideas-for-code-newbies-25aa0abdc7f1) by [Nimrod Kramer](https://twitter.com/NimrodKramer).
-   [How to prepare for a technical interview](https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/how-to-prepare-for-a-technical-interview/) by [Opene Victoria](https://twitter.com/OpeneVictoria).
-   [Tips for writing a better Cv -- Web developer jobs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwEGOxHzE54) by [Niall ‍Maher](https://twitter.com/nialljoemaher).
-   [How to finish your side project](https://hugozap.com/posts/how-to-finish-your-side-project/) by [Hugo Zapata](https://twitter.com/hugozap).

### Suggestions?

**I**f you have any suggestions for good article or resources please do let me know! Follow me on twitter [@Vanaf1979](https://twitter.com/Vanaf1979) or on Dev.to [@Vanaf1979](https://dev.to/vanaf1979) to be notified about the next article in this series, and other WordPress development related stuff.

**Stay safe and have a great August.**