wp:query-loop doesn't dynamically use the chosen category

[bobbingwide]

I've implemented the category.html template as far as possible, with the current Gutenberg FSE functionality.

There are a number of problems:

• the query loop doesn't dynamically use the chosen category.
• pagination doesn't work at all

Requirement

The Gutenberg blocks wp:query, wp:query-loop and wp:query can be used in templates and template parts to create user defined queries and pagination.

Currently ( Gutenberg 9.2.2 ) they don't support the main query that WordPress has already parsed.

This makes it extremely difficult to create archive pages that support the selected taxonomy term ( category, tags or custom taxonomy ).

I need a simple solution that allows me to process the posts in the main query.

Proposed solution

In the current implementation the wp:query-loop block is nested in the wp:query block.
The wp:post-* blocks are nested within the wp:query-loop.

eg

<!-- wp:query {"queryId":1,"query":{"perPage":2,"pages":1,"offset":0,"postType":"post","categoryIds":[],"tagIds":[],"order":"desc","orderBy":"date","author":"","search":"","exclude":[542]}} -->
<!-- wp:query-loop -->
<!-- wp:post-title /-->
<!-- wp:post-featured-image {"isLink":true} /-->
<!-- wp:post-date /-->
<!-- wp:post-excerpt /-->
<!-- /wp:query-loop -->
<!-- /wp:query -->

The query-loop block uses the $block->context passed to it from the query block to construct the query.
When we want to process the main loop we need to execute the query already defined in global $wp_query.

This can be achieved using the following code:

function gutenberg_render_block_core_query_loop_main_query( $attributes, $content, $block ) {
    if ( have_posts() ) {
        $content = '';
        while ( have_posts() ) {
            the_post();
            $post = get_post();
            $content .= (
            new WP_Block(
                $block->parsed_block,
                array(
                    'postType' => $post->post_type,
                    'postId' => $post->ID,
                )
            )
            )->render(array('dynamic' => false));
        }
    } else {
        $content = "No posts found. So why isn't this a 404?";
    }
    return $content;
}

If we remove the outer wp:query block then the $block->context will not be set.
This will prompt us to run the main query.
eg

<!-- wp:query-loop -->
<!-- wp:post-title /-->
<!-- wp:post-featured-image {"isLink":true} /-->
<!-- wp:post-date /-->
<!-- wp:post-excerpt /-->
<!-- /wp:query-loop -->

Steps:

For query-loop:

• Prototype a solution implemented in the callback function for the dynamic block wp:query-loop; gutenberg_render_block_core_query_loop() in query-loop.php.
• Raise an issue against Gutenberg. . No need, there's one already: 25377
• Create a pull request to implement the improvement.

For query-pagination:

• take a similar approach as for query-loop
• Raise a separate issue against Fizzie
• Raise a separate issue against Gutenberg.

[bobbingwide]

Testing

• Update templates and template parts so that they no longer use wp:query
• Implement the 404 template. See Implement the 404.html template #12
• Test with a variety of taxonomy URLs ( on s.b/cwiccer )

URL	Expected output	Passed?
/category/blocks	Displays posts with category "Blocks"	Yes
/category/blocks/sb	Displays posts with category "Single blocks" within "Blocks"	Yes
/category/invalid	404 page	Yes
/category	404 page	Yes
/letters/B	Displays posts with letter taxonomy "B"	Yes
/letters/B/page/2	Displays page 2 of posts with letter taxonomy "B"	Yes
/letters/invalid	404 page	Yes
/letters	404 page	Yes
/tag/shortcodes	Posts tagged "Shortcodes"	Yes
/2020	Posts dated 2020	Yes
/2020/10	Posts dated 2020/10	Yes

[bobbingwide]

My new version of query-loop.php is

<?php
/**
 * Server-side rendering of the `core/query-loop` block.
 *
 * @package WordPress
 */

/**
 * Renders the `core/query-loop` block on the server.
 *
 * @param array    $attributes Block attributes.
 * @param string   $content    Block default content.
 * @param WP_Block $block      Block instance.
 *
 * @return string Returns the output of the query, structured using the layout defined by the block's inner blocks.
 */
function gutenberg_render_block_core_query_loop( $attributes, $content, $block ) {
	$page_key = isset( $block->context['queryId'] ) ? 'query-' . $block->context['queryId'] . '-page' : 'query-page';
	$page     = empty( $_GET[ $page_key ] ) ? 1 : filter_var( $_GET[ $page_key ], FILTER_VALIDATE_INT );

    if ( isset( $block->context['query'] ) ) {
        $query = array(
            'post_type' => 'post',
            'offset' => 0,
            'order' => 'DESC',
            'orderby' => 'date',
        );
        if (isset($block->context['query']['postType'])) {
            $query['post_type'] = $block->context['query']['postType'];
        }
        if (isset($block->context['query']['exclude'])) {
            $query['post__not_in'] = $block->context['query']['exclude'];
        }
        if (isset($block->context['query']['perPage'])) {
            $query['offset'] = ($block->context['query']['perPage'] * ($page - 1)) + $block->context['query']['offset'];
        }
        if (isset($block->context['query']['categoryIds'])) {
            $query['category__in'] = $block->context['query']['categoryIds'];
        }
        if (isset($block->context['query']['tagIds'])) {
            $query['tag__in'] = $block->context['query']['tagIds'];
        }
        if (isset($block->context['query']['order'])) {
            $query['order'] = strtoupper($block->context['query']['order']);
        }
        if (isset($block->context['query']['orderBy'])) {
            $query['orderby'] = $block->context['query']['orderBy'];
        }
        if (isset($block->context['query']['perPage'])) {
            $query['posts_per_page'] = $block->context['query']['perPage'];
        }
        if (isset($block->context['query']['author'])) {
            $query['author'] = $block->context['query']['author'];
        }
        if (isset($block->context['query']['search'])) {
            $query['s'] = $block->context['query']['search'];
        }
    }

    if ( isset( $block->context['queryId']) ) {

        $posts = get_posts($query);

        $content = '';
        foreach ($posts as $post) {
            $content .= (
            new WP_Block(
                $block->parsed_block,
                array(
                    'postType' => $post->post_type,
                    'postId' => $post->ID,
                )
            )
            )->render(array('dynamic' => false));
        }
    } else {
        /**
         * Not in context of a `core/query` block; assume this is the main query and perform the loop.
         */
        $content = gutenberg_render_block_core_query_loop_main_query($attributes, $content, $block);
    }
	return $content;
}

/**
 * Renders the `core/query-loop` block for the main query on the server.
 *
 * @param array    $attributes Block attributes.
 * @param string   $content    Block default content.
 * @param WP_Block $block      Block instance.
 *
 * @return string Returns the output of the query, structured using the layout defined by the block's inner blocks.
 */
function gutenberg_render_block_core_query_loop_main_query( $attributes, $content, $block ) {
    if ( have_posts() ) {
        $content = '';
        while ( have_posts() ) {
            the_post();
            $post = get_post();
            $content .= (
            new WP_Block(
                $block->parsed_block,
                array(
                    'postType' => $post->post_type,
                    'postId' => $post->ID,
                )
            )
            )->render(array('dynamic' => false));
        }
    } else {
        $content = __( "No posts found." );
    }
    return $content;
}

/**
 * Registers the `core/query-loop` block on the server.
 */
function gutenberg_register_block_core_query_loop() {
	register_block_type_from_metadata(
		__DIR__ . '/query-loop',
		array(
			'render_callback'   => 'gutenberg_render_block_core_query_loop',
			'skip_inner_blocks' => true,
		)
	);
}
add_action( 'init', 'gutenberg_register_block_core_query_loop', 20 );

[bobbingwide]

Gutenberg's Query loop logic now uses $block->context['inherit'] to indicate whether or not the main query should be inherited.
I thought that the logic that tests $block->context['queryId'] would need changing so that I can use Gutenberg's pagination rather than the override logic.

I'm now of the opinion that my override logic still works when the core/query-loop and core/query-pagination blocks are used without being inner blocks of core/query.

Note: Instead of using core/query-pagination I have to use core/query-pagination-numbers.

I need to test and/or change:

• archive-query.html
• category-query.html
• home-query.html

[bobbingwide]

I need to test and/or change:

I've changed archive-query.html and category-query.html to implement the query block with inherit true.