What is the Gutenberg WordPress editor
Gutenberg is a new WordPress editor which is named after Johannes Gutenberg, the inventor of the printing press. The top highlight of this tool is that it lets non-technical users create and edit websites on WordPress. Website creators can build a website with the help of Gutenberg by using ‘blocks,’ which are tiny units that can be dragged and dropped.
Hence Gutenberg is an excellent plugin for simplifying the process of customization. This tool also enables HTML tags like section and figure for outputting as reliable HTML. Though initially developed as a plugin, Gutenberg has the excellent prospects of merging with WordPress 5.0.
It is not just an editing tool
Since the plugin enables you to approach website content in blocks or chunks that can be customized, it is much more than just an editor. To be able to work with this tool, you do not need any proficiency in HTML or coding. You can depend on a single console to control a website’s entire layout.
This brand new editor has ably combined the top features of the page-builder plugins like Divi and Visual Composer and also the user-friendly platforms like Medium, Wix, and Squarespace. So, similar to how you do on the page-builder plugins, it is possible to handle multi-column layouts through a single interface.
Nevertheless, Gutenberg is not there to replace the plugins like Divi and Beaver Builder. Even if Gutenberg becomes the default editor soon, these plugins will continue to be in use.
What you can do on Gutenberg
The main objective behind Gutenberg is to bring out an alternative to the present open text editor. Hence while using Gutenberg, you will not have to import images, copy-paste the links for embeds, write shortcodes for incorporating specialized assets provided by different plugins, create featured images for adding to the posts or pages, or add excerpts for the subheadings. Though Gutenberg does not change the way WordPress works, it simplifies the way the developers interact with WordPress. The bottom line is this: while working with Gutenberg, you will use simple blocks instead of depending on a lot of meta boxes and shortcodes.
Gutenberg advantages
To be able to create a custom layout for a blog post or website, you will not need any technical skills.
You will not have to depend on TinyMCE to create a consistent and advanced design.
Using the blocks, non-technical people or those who are new to WordPress can also create attractive and complex layouts.
Gutenberg editor is a responsive one that can work well on mobiles too. You can depend on it to make quick edits on the move.
With the help of HTML5, skilled developers can create fully customized blocks that can be reused. Hence this is a win-win solution for both technical and non-technical users.
Downsides to Gutenberg Gutenberg does not support responsive columns. You will have to do some custom coding for making this feature responsive. Hence it is not possible to use this feature on mobile. At present, the options with regard to design layouts are inadequate. Some WordPress users can come across compatibility issues. Developers are at present working vigorously to extend the meta box support.