Version 2.0

Block Accessibility Checks 2.0 is out—see the full changelog below.

Added

• Multiple issues display: Complete validation overhaul to show all accessibility problems simultaneously, eliminating the “fix one, see another” user experience
• Priority-based visual indicators: Block borders now reflect highest severity issue (red for errors, yellow for warnings) with intelligent fallback behavior
• Comprehensive inspector panel feedback: All validation issues are listed at once in the sidebar, organized by severity (errors first, then warnings)
• JavaScript-only validation system: Complete migration from PHP to JavaScript-only validation for real-time block editor feedback
• Unified validation architecture: New ba11yc.validateBlock filter hook system for consistent validation across all block types
• Enhanced external plugin support: External blocks now display visual accessibility indicators and integrate fully with the editor UI
• Real-time visual feedback: All blocks (core and external) now show instant accessibility validation with visual borders and inspector panel messages
• Core block check settings: Individual validation control for each core block type with enable/disable options
• Individual error and warning messages: Support for custom messages and descriptions for each accessibility check
• Grouped error and warning messages: Improved UI organization with grouped message display in inspector panel
• External block integration screenshots: Visual documentation showing external plugin integration examples
• Modular developer documentation: Split API, hooks, integration, advanced usage, troubleshooting, and examples into individual markdown files for improved clarity and usability
• Input validation for heading level data to prevent invalid configurations
• Option caching in HeadingLevels class for improved performance
• Comprehensive settings sanitization to validate all user input
• PluginInitializer class for organized plugin startup and simple service location
• BlockChecksRegistry class for centralized management of accessibility checks
• Developer API with extensive hooks and filters for extensibility:
  • ba11yc_register_checks action for registering custom accessibility checks
  • ba11yc_ready action providing access to registry and plugin initializer
  • ba11yc_check_registered, ba11yc_check_unregistered, ba11yc_check_toggled actions for check lifecycle events
  • ba11yc_register_default_checks filter to prevent default checks from loading
  • ba11yc_should_register_check filter to control individual check registration
  • ba11yc_check_args filter to modify check configuration before registration
  • ba11yc_block_checks filter to control which checks run for specific blocks
  • ba11yc_block_attributes filter to modify block attributes before checks run
  • ba11yc_before_check, ba11yc_check_result, ba11yc_final_check_result filters for check execution pipeline
  • ba11yc_block_check_results filter for modifying all results for a block
• Registry API methods for programmatic check management:
  • register_check(), unregister_check() for check registration
  • set_check_enabled() for enabling/disabling checks dynamically
  • is_check_registered(), get_check_config() for check introspection
  • get_registered_block_types() for discovering available block types
• Example file demonstrating developer API usage patterns
• Comprehensive error handling and debug logging system:
  • Try-catch blocks around all critical operations to prevent plugin crashes
  • Input validation for all user data and API parameters
  • Graceful degradation when services fail to initialize
  • Admin notices for initialization failures
  • Debug logging for troubleshooting when WP_DEBUG is enabled
  • Error logging for production issue tracking
  • Robust fallbacks to maintain plugin functionality during errors
• Comprehensive type hints for improved code quality and IDE support
• Enhanced PHPDoc comments with detailed parameter and return type documentation
• Proper @throws annotations for methods that can throw exceptions
• Consistent void return type declarations for methods that don’t return values
• Improved nullable type hints (e.g., ?object, ?BlockChecksRegistry) for better type safety
• PHP-JavaScript unified validation system:
  • BlockChecksRegistry now serves as single source of truth for all validation rules and messages
  • JavaScript validation functions now consume PHP registry data via wp_localize_script()
  • Eliminates code duplication between PHP and JavaScript validation logic
  • Ensures consistent validation behavior across all contexts
• Enhanced BlockChecksRegistry with additional check methods:
  • check_image_alt_required() for verifying images have alt text (unless decorative)
  • check_check_button_link() for ensuring buttons have both text and links
  • All checks now include complete metadata for JavaScript consumption
• Real-time editor validation now powered by PHP registry rules:
  • Image blocks: alt text required, length validation, caption matching
  • Button blocks: required content validation, text quality checks
  • Table blocks: header or caption requirement validation
• JavaScript-only validation system with real-time feedback using the ba11yc.validateBlock filter hook
• External plugin integration support with proper dependency management and load order
• Visual error indicators (red borders, inspector panel messages) for invalid blocks in editor
• Complete integration documentation with working examples for external plugin developers
• Enhanced developer API documentation with complete integration examples and troubleshooting guide

Changed

• Higher-order component system updated to use dynamic check registry instead of hardcoded block types
• JavaScript validation system now supports external plugin checks through filter integration
• Block error component enhanced to show visual feedback for any registered block type
• Improved caching system for filtered checks array to prevent repeated filter applications
• Minimum WordPress version requirement updated to 6.7
• HeadingLevels class now instantiated early for correct filter timing
• Settings page layout improved with better organization and accessibility
• Submenu and settings page titles updated for clarity
• Improved plugin architecture with centralized service management

Fixed

• Visual accessibility indicators not showing for external plugin blocks due to hardcoded block type checks
• JavaScript validation system not recognizing custom block types from external plugins
• Higher-order component applying only to core WordPress blocks instead of all registered block types
• Block error messages and visual styling not appearing for dynamically registered checks
• Cache invalidation issues with filtered checks array causing stale validation results
• Debug console logging in production builds removed for cleaner output
• Issue where heading level one was a fallback in settings
• Heading levels can now be properly removed in the plugin options
• Heading level restrictions not working due to incorrect filter timing
• Settings page accessibility issues with proper ARIA labels and keyboard navigation
• Message grouping and display improvements in inspector panel

Security

• Enhanced input sanitization for all plugin settings to prevent malicious data injection