[wp-trac] [WordPress Trac] #61280: Block Variations: Allow server-side registration via variations.php or .json

[WordPress Trac]

#61280: Block Variations: Allow server-side registration via variations.php or
.json
-----------------------------+--------------------
 Reporter:  Bernhard Reiter  |      Owner:  (none)
     Type:  enhancement      |     Status:  new
 Priority:  normal           |  Milestone:  6.6
Component:  General          |    Version:
 Severity:  normal           |   Keywords:
  Focuses:                   |
-----------------------------+--------------------
 As of WordPress 6.5, the [https://make.wordpress.org/core/2024/02/29
 /performance-improvements-for-registering-block-variations-with-callbacks/
 recommended way to register Block Variations for a given block] is via its
 `variations_callback`:

 {{{
 register_block_type_from_metadata(
     __DIR__ . '/template-part',
     array(
         'render_callback'    => 'render_block_core_template_part',
         'variation_callback' => 'build_template_part_block_variations',
     )
 );
 }}}

 As the above example shows, this is somewhat similar to adding a
 `render_callback` for a dynamic block. The latter can alternatively be
 provided via a single PHP file -- typically called `render.php` -- that is
 [https://make.wordpress.org/core/2022/10/12/block-api-changes-in-
 wordpress-6-1/ specified via the `render` field in `block.json`].

 === `variations.php`

 For developer experience, it would thus be beneficial to add a
 `variations` field to `block.json` that can be set to point to a PHP file
 that registers all known variations of that block.

 === `variations.json`

 As a potential stretch goal, it might be possible to point it to a JSON
 file instead, as some variations are statically defined (and don't need to
 run any PHP code). In those cases, they are currently often defined on the
 client side (see e.g.
 [https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/blob/f49e0b5958adad9fbd211d5ded07b4cabf5bfec3/packages
 /block-library/src/social-link/variations.js Social Icon block
 variations]).

 As we're working to expand Block Variations to be better integrated and
 supported on the server side (e.g. [https://github.com/WordPress
 /wordpress-develop/pull/6602 automatic class name generation for block
 variations]), they will need to be registered there to fully benefit from
 those new, server-side, features. Allowing a JSON format will enable block
 authors to migrate existing ("static") JS files that they use for
 variation registration more easily.

-- 
Ticket URL: <https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/61280>
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