[wp-trac] [WordPress Trac] #63580: render_block does not render innerblocks when used explicitly

[WordPress Trac]

#63580: render_block does not render innerblocks when used explicitly
--------------------------+------------------------------
 Reporter:  yashjawale    |       Owner:  (none)
     Type:  defect (bug)  |      Status:  new
 Priority:  normal        |   Milestone:  Awaiting Review
Component:  Editor        |     Version:  trunk
 Severity:  normal        |  Resolution:
 Keywords:  2nd-opinion   |     Focuses:
--------------------------+------------------------------

Comment (by lakshyajeet):

 == Reproduction Report
 === Description
 This report validates whether the issue can be reproduced.

 === Environment
 - WordPress: 6.9-alpha-60093-src
 - PHP: 8.2.29
 - Server: nginx/1.29.0
 - Database: mysqli (Server: 8.4.5 / Client: mysqlnd 8.2.29)
 - Browser: Chrome 137.0.0.0
 - OS: macOS
 - Theme: Twenty Twenty-Five 1.3
 - MU Plugins: None activated
 - Plugins:
   * Test Reports 1.2.0

 === Actual Results
 1.  ✅ Error condition occurs, the bug can be reproduced.

 === Additional Notes
 When programmatically defining WordPress block structures and rendering
 them using `render_block()`, inner blocks (nested blocks) are not rendered
 if their direct parent block (or any ancestor in the block tree) is
 missing the `innerContent` array in its block definition.

 Specifically, if a block array has `innerBlocks` populated but lacks an
 `innerContent` array (or if the `innerContent` array does not contain the
 correct integer indices corresponding to its `innerBlocks`), the children
 blocks will not appear in the final rendered output.

 This behavior was observed with `core/group`, and `core/column` blocks.

 === Supplemental Artifacts
 Code that reproduces the issue (blocks **not** rendered):

 {{{#!php
 <?php

 $first_column_blocks = [
         'blockName' => 'core/paragraph',
         'attrs' => [],
         'innerBlocks' => [],
         'innerHTML' => '<p>First Global HTML</p>',
         'innerContent' => [
                 '<p>First Global HTML</p>',
         ],
 ];

 $second_column_blocks = [
         'blockName' => 'core/paragraph',
         'attrs' => [],
         'innerBlocks' => [],
         'innerHTML' => '<p>Second Global HTML</p>',
         'innerContent' => [
                 '<p>Second Global HTML</p>',
         ],
 ];

 $column_layout_block = [
         'blockName' => 'core/columns',
         'attrs' => [],
         'innerBlocks' => [
                 [
                         'blockName' => 'core/group',
                         'attrs' => [],
                         'innerBlocks' => [$first_column_blocks],
                 ],
                 [
                         'blockName' => 'core/group',
                         'attrs' => [],
                         'innerBlocks' => [$second_column_blocks],
                 ],
         ],
 ];

 add_action('template_redirect', function() {
         global $column_layout_block;
         echo apply_filters('the_content',
 render_block($column_layout_block));
         // Expected: Group Block gets rendered
         // Actual Result: Nothing is rendered
 });

 ?>
 }}}


 Code that works correctly (blocks are rendered):

 {{{#!php
 <?php

 $first_column_blocks = [
         'blockName' => 'core/paragraph',
         'attrs' => [],
         'innerBlocks' => [],
         'innerHTML' => '<p>First Global HTML</p>',
         'innerContent' => [
                 '<p>First Global HTML</p>',
         ],
 ];

 $second_column_blocks = [
         'blockName' => 'core/paragraph',
         'attrs' => [],
         'innerBlocks' => [],
         'innerHTML' => '<p>Second Global HTML</p>',
         'innerContent' => [
                 '<p>Second Global HTML</p>',
         ],
 ];

 $column_layout_block = [
         'blockName' => 'core/columns',
         'attrs' => [],
         'innerBlocks' => [
                 [
                         'blockName' => 'core/group',
                         'attrs' => [],
                         'innerBlocks' => [$first_column_blocks],
                         'innerContent' => [
                                 '<p>First Group Inner</p>',
                         ],
                 ],
                 [
                         'blockName' => 'core/group',
                         'attrs' => [],
                         'innerBlocks' => [$second_column_blocks],
                         'innerContent' => [
                                 '<p>Second Group Inner</p>',
                         ],
                 ],
         ],
         'innerContent' => [
                 '<p>First Group Content</p>'
                 '<p>Second Group Content</p>'
         ]
 ];

 add_action('template_redirect', function() {
         global $column_layout_block;
         echo apply_filters('the_content',
 render_block($column_layout_block));
         // Result: Blocks are rendered when innerContent is provided.

         // First Group Content
         // Second Group Content
 });

 ?>
 }}}

-- 
Ticket URL: <https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/63580#comment:4>
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