Building Custom Gutenberg Blocks with React & TypeScript

## The Evolution of WordPress Editing

The WordPress Block Editor (Gutenberg) has fundamentally shifted how we build for the web. It's no longer just about PHP templates; it's about interactive, component-based architectures.

### Comparison: Classic vs. Block Editor

| Feature | Classic Editor / ACF | Gutenberg Blocks |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| **Rendering** | Server-side (PHP) | Client-side (React) + Server-side |
| **Preview** | Limited / None | True WYSIWYG |
| **Performance** | Heavy DOM, Shortcodes | Optimized JSON serialization |
| **Data Storage** | Post Meta (often bloated) | HTML Comments + Block Attributes |
| **Developer DX** | PHP-heavy | JavaScript/React-heavy |

## Setting Up a Modern Development Environment

To build enterprise-grade blocks, we need a robust toolchain. We'll use `@wordpress/scripts` which wraps Webpack, Babel, and other tools into a zero-config package.

### 1. Scaffolding the Project

```bash
npx @wordpress/create-block my-enterprise-block --template @wordpress/create-block-tutorial-template
cd my-enterprise-block
npm install --save-dev typescript @types/react @types/wordpress__blocks
```

### 2. TypeScript Configuration (`tsconfig.json`)

Strict typing is crucial for maintainability.

```json
{
"compilerOptions": {
"jsx": "react",
"target": "esnext",
"module": "esnext",
"moduleResolution": "node",
"esModuleInterop": true,
"strict": true,
"skipLibCheck": true,
"baseUrl": "./src"
},
"include": ["src/**/*"]
}
```

## Developing the Block: A "Call to Action" Example

Let's build a highly configurable CTA block.

### Block Registration (`block.json`)

```json
{
"$schema": "https://schemas.wp.org/trunk/block.json",
"apiVersion": 3,
"name": "va/enterprise-cta",
"version": "1.0.0",
"title": "Enterprise CTA",
"category": "design",
"icon": "megaphone",
"description": "A conversion-optimized call to action block.",
"attributes": {
"headline": { "type": "string" },
"buttonText": { "type": "string" },
"buttonUrl": { "type": "string" },
"style": { "type": "string", "default": "primary" }
},
"supports": {
"html": false,
"color": { "text": true, "background": true }
},
"editorScript": "file:./index.js",
"style": "file:./style-index.css"
}
```

### The Edit Component (`edit.tsx`)

This is where the magic happens. We use standard React hooks alongside WordPress data stores.

```tsx
import { __ } from '@wordpress/i18n';
import { useBlockProps, RichText, InspectorControls } from '@wordpress/block-editor';
import { PanelBody, TextControl, SelectControl } from '@wordpress/components';

export default function Edit({ attributes, setAttributes }: BlockEditProps) {
const blockProps = useBlockProps({
className: `cta-style-${attributes.style}`
});

return (
<>


label={__('Style', 'va-blocks')}
value={attributes.style}
options={[
{ label: 'Primary', value: 'primary' },
{ label: 'Outline', value: 'outline' },
{ label: 'Minimal', value: 'minimal' },
]}
onChange={(style) => setAttributes({ style })}
/>
label={__('Button URL', 'va-blocks')}
value={attributes.buttonUrl}
onChange={(buttonUrl) => setAttributes({ buttonUrl })}
/>





);
}
```

## Performance Considerations

When building custom blocks, keep these metrics in mind:

* **Bundle Size**: Use dynamic imports for heavy libraries.
* **Render Time**: Avoid expensive computations in the `Edit` render cycle.
* **Database Impact**: Blocks save as HTML comments; they are database-neutral compared to meta fields.

### Optimization Checklist

1. [ ] Use `apiVersion: 3` for iframe support.
2. [ ] Implement `block.json` for lazy loading assets.
3. [ ] Use native WordPress components to reduce bundle size.
4. [ ] Memoize expensive calculations with `useMemo`.

## Conclusion

Transitioning to React-based block development opens up a world of possibilities. It allows for richer, more interactive user experiences that simply aren't possible with classic PHP templates.