In 2021, when WordPress block themes began making headlines, it signaled a dramatic shift in how we develop websites. The status quo needed to be shaken, and the promise of a no-code experience and Full Site Editing was finally here to do it.
It was also agreed to refer to themes that do not use block markup as “classic.” A classic theme is built on PHP but does not include block markup. This word could be applied to products dating back to the Kubrick theme and continuing to the present day’s selections of goods and services.
Despite the excitement around block themes, its traditional analogs continue to hold most of the market share. When this article was written, the official WordPress theme repository featured over 10,000 different listings. Among these, the block themes constitute around one percent of the whole. But, they have yet to ignite the commercial marketplaces either exactly.
Any change in this direction has been a sluggish one. That is, even though there are some fascinating use cases for block themes and FSE. In the meantime, traditional themes continue to get support from the core developers of WordPress.
It appears that any block theme revolution will have to be postponed for the time being. The traditional WordPress themes will be phased out sometime soon; let us explain why.
Table of Contents
1. WordPress gets its power and flexibility from its code.
A no-code methodology can make the web development process more user-friendly. A comprehensive understanding of CSS, HTML, or PHP is unnecessary in such instances. But you’re only going to get so far with this strategy.
When it comes to developing complex websites, coding is still the most common method. What we have in our minds is brought to life through code.
There is no ready-made plugin or theme that can meet all of the requirements that could arise. And one of WordPress’s greatest strengths has always been the platform’s adaptability, which makes it easy to make minor adjustments or build something completely original. It is one of the primary reasons why the content management system, sometimes known as CMS, is popular among many.
This power and adaptability are what distinguish classic themes from other types. Websites in this day and age almost seldom come in a single, universal design. As a result, clients frequently request that we construct to fulfill a particular requirement. That can be accomplished using a bespoke version of a classic theme.
2. There is Continual Development of Classic Themes.
Topics relating to blocks have gained a lot of attention, which is entirely warranted. However, this does not mean that traditional ideas have been neglected. The number of available functions is always expanding, and some of the newest functionalities have recently been added.
The possibility to use FSE within a classic theme is one of the more interesting features that have been made. A future version will support the block-based template sections you can use. Because of this, developers can open up particular sections of the theme to be modified directly within WordPress.
At the same time, the theme.json file is available for use by anyone looking for more granular control over the block editor. It grants us the ability to specify block styles as well as additional functions associated with them. The authors of the content can then concentrate on the writing rather than being distracted by anything else.
Because of these additions, traditional motifs will continue to function as a viable alternative. Utilizing them will allow you to use newly added functionality to the core WordPress program.
3. There aren’t very many good reasons to drift away.
Certain people are not yet prepared to make significant adjustments to their workflow. In addition, developers may expect a very different experience when working with block themes because of their many advantages. Adjustments need to be made to construct and interact with them.
Classic themes have been an integral part of WordPress for years. Everyone enjoys a sense of ease and is comfortable with how things function. They have a lot of supporting evidence. And if they continue to do the job well, what is the drive for change if that continues to be the case?
The features exclusive to block themes are not always appropriate for the projects you have in mind. In the meantime, the adaptability above ensures that we continually return to established topics.
Many developers will likely continue using the same type of theme they are familiar with until there is a major benefit to switching to a different type of theme.
Conclusion
Within the WordPress ecosystem, the word “classic” is regularly used in a relatively casual manner. We frequently connect it with the Classic Editor, which was succeeded by the Gutenberg block editor many years ago. It makes it reasonable, on some level, that themes would also take this title as a name for themselves.
However, names lend themselves to a variety of interpretations. Some people may interpret the word “classic” as an outdated method of no value now. But that is not the reality a all.
