Rolly Bueno

  • Chronicle Journal Theme Demo Now Live

    Chronicle Journal Theme Demo Now Live

    I’m happy to share that the Chronicle Journal theme demo site is now live at chronicle-journal.rollybueno.com.

    Chronicle Journal is a modern, editorial-style WordPress theme built for writers, storytellers, and publishers who want a timeless and focused reading experience. It’s designed around clean typography, balanced layouts, and subtle spacing that lets your words take the spotlight.

    You can now:

    About the Chronicle Journal

    Chronicle Journal was designed for readability and structure — the kind of theme that feels right at home with essays, feature articles, and journal-style posts. Every element is intentional, from font pairing to line height, ensuring each paragraph is easy on the eyes.

    It takes advantage of WordPress’s Full Site Editing (FSE) features, allowing you to customize templates, adjust layouts, and design pages directly in the Site Editor without touching code. The theme also includes clean editor styles, so what you see while writing closely matches what appears on the front end.

    So.. What You’ll Find in the Demo

    The demo site highlights how Chronicle Journal handles a variety of post formats — long-form articles, image-heavy layouts, and editorial-style homepages. You can browse through sample posts to see how typography, headings, and spacing come together in real-world context.

    It’s a simple showcase, but it reflects the heart of the theme: clarity, consistency, and content first.

    Download and Explore

    Chronicle Journal is now available for free on WordPress.org.
    You can install it directly from your WordPress dashboard by searching for “Chronicle Journal,” or download it from the theme directory.

    For more background, screenshots, and development notes, visit the project page on my site.

  • My Experience Using Vue with a Client Project

    I didn’t just test Vue on a side project, I actually had to use it on a client’s website. On paper, it sounded like a good idea: modern JavaScript framework, reactive UI, and plenty of developer hype. But once I paired it with Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) inside WordPress, things started to feel more like a headache than an upgrade.

    The integration just wasn’t smooth. Vue brought in its own way of handling data and reactivity, while ACF had its own established structure inside WordPress. Instead of working in harmony, the two felt like they were constantly pulling in different directions. The result? Extra layers of complexity, more time spent troubleshooting, and less time actually delivering the experience the client wanted.

    Vue itself isn’t a bad tool, but in this setup it felt bloated. Too many moving parts for what should have been straightforward functionality. Sometimes, simple is better. In fact, I found myself wishing there was a single JavaScript library to rule them all. One tool that plays nicely with the WordPress ecosystem out of the box, without needing all these extra patches and workarounds.

    Takeaway

    Until we get there, I’ll keep leaning toward lighter, more flexible solutions that feel natural in WordPress projects. Vue might be a good fit for certain standalone apps, but when combined with ACF in client work, the experience was far from great.

  • Joined WCUS 2025 Contributor Day Remotely – Hosting Team Wins

    Hosting Contributor badge with a purple cloud icon inside a circle next to the text Hosting Contributor

    This year I got the chance to join WordCamp US 2025 Contributor Day remotely, and I’m really happy to share that I was able to contribute to the Hosting Team. Even though I wasn’t there in person, it honestly felt like being part of the action. The collaboration, support, and energy from everyone made it a great experience.

    What I Worked On

    I focused on improving documentation for the Hosting Handbook and the Advanced Administration Handbook. These updates may look small on the surface, but they help make the docs easier to follow and more reliable for anyone who depends on them. And the best part — all of the pull requests I worked on got merged during Contributor Day itself!

    Here’s what went through:

    Thoughts After the Day

    Contributing like this reminded me why I love being part of the WordPress community. It’s not just about code — it’s about people helping each other and building something bigger together. Seeing my contributions merged right away gave me that extra motivation boost. And it’s proof that no matter where you are in the world, you can still make an impact on WordPress.

  • Recognized in WordPress Core – August 2025

    June 2025 Core contributions (props and people) by country.
    June 2025 Core contributions (props and people) by country.

    I’m really happy to share that my name showed up in the official A Month in Core report for August 2025 on:

    A Month in Core – August 2025

    It’s a monthly update that highlights everyone who helped push WordPress Core forward, and it feels good to be included again.

    Most of my work in August was about testing, reviewing, and sending patches to make WordPress a little more stable and easier to use. I spent time writing test reports so bugs could be reproduced and fixed properly, digging into tickets around performance, editor stability, and form handling, and even helping clean up documentation to make things clearer for new contributors. I also joined a few discussions about improving the developer experience — things like better error handling and stronger test coverage.

    All in all, I picked up 8 props for my contributions to WordPress 6.9 so far. Each prop might look small on paper, but behind it are hours of troubleshooting, testing, and collaborating with other contributors.

    Representing the Philippines 🇵🇭

    Something I’m especially proud of is that I was the lone Core contributor from the Philippines in this report. While it’s great to represent, I really hope more kababayan jump in and get involved with Core in the future.

    That said, I want to acknowledge that many Filipinos are already contributing in other meaningful ways within the WordPress community, whether as meetup organizers, WordCamp organizers, volunteers, or speakers. The WordPress project grows stronger when more voices are part of the conversation, and I’d love to see more Filipinos on that list.

    This keeps me motivated to keep contributing, learning, and sharing. With WordPress 6.9 on the way, I’m looking forward to being part of the work that shapes its release.

  • Chronicle Journal: Now Live on WordPress.org

    Excited to share that my latest WordPress block theme, Chronicle Journal, officially went live on the WordPress.org Theme Directory
    on August 31, 2025.

    Why I Built Chronicle Journal

    The idea behind Chronicle Journal was simple: to create a theme that feels timeless, elegant, and ready for long-form storytelling. With so many websites focusing on fast snippets and quick reads, I wanted to bring back a design that celebrates articles, essays, and thoughtful content.

    The theme is designed with journalists, bloggers, writers, and editors in mind. Its layout emphasizes clean typography, a spacious reading experience, and strong visual hierarchy—perfect for anyone who wants their words to take center stage.

    Key Features

    • Full Site Editing (FSE) Ready – Complete block theme with Site Editor support.
    • Journal-Focused Design – Optimized for news, blogs, and content-heavy websites.
    • Professional Animations – Smooth hover effects and interactive elements.
    • Custom Block Patterns – 9 pre-built patterns designed for journal layouts.
    • Responsive Layout – Mobile-first design with flexible block layouts.
    • Developer Friendly – Well-documented code, with detailed functions.php references for easy customization.

    Block Patterns Included

    Chronicle Journal ships with 9 pre-designed block patterns to help you build pages quickly:

    • Hero Posts Section
    • Latest Posts Grid
    • Brand Highlights
    • Newsletter Signup
    • Featured Section
    • Promotions Layout
    • Team Member Cards
    • Brand Partnership
    • Latest Posts with Categories

    These patterns give you ready-made layouts for common needs, so you can start publishing right away without building everything from scratch.

    Built for Storytelling

    I chose the name “Chronicle Journal” because I wanted the theme to feel like a home for stories worth telling. Whether you’re a solo writer, running a personal blog, or managing a multi-author publication, the theme adapts to different storytelling needs.

    Available for Free

    Like all themes in the WordPress directory, Chronicle Journal is completely free to use. You can download, install, and start publishing right away.

    👉 Download Chronicle Journal on WordPress.org

    Chronicle Journal

    Acknowledgments

    I’m grateful to the WordPress Theme Review Team for their support and feedback during the submission process, and to the wider WordPress community for always inspiring me to contribute.

    This is just the start—I’ll continue refining Chronicle Journal based on user feedback, accessibility improvements, and WordPress core updates.

  • MonoFrame is Now Live on WordPress.org!

    After months of dedication, I’m thrilled to announce that my new WordPress block theme, MonoFrame, is officially live on WordPress.org!

    MonoFrame is a sleek, clean, and modern block theme built specifically for Full Site Editing (FSE). It offers a minimalistic canvas designed for creators, bloggers, and professionals who appreciate flexibility, simplicity, and performance.

    With carefully crafted global styles, responsive layouts, and accessibility-ready features, MonoFrame provides an intuitive editing experience, allowing you to easily build and customize every part of your WordPress site.

    This launch marks a significant milestone, and I’m excited to see how the WordPress community embraces MonoFrame. Your feedback and suggestions are always welcome and greatly appreciated.

    Check it out and give it a spin:

    MonoFrame

    Happy building!

  • My Take on the “First WordPress Quality Analysis Report”

    I fueled up on coffee and dove into the Test Team’s first ever Quality Analysis Report. They spent six months planning, three months collecting data, and reviewed 217 commits from the 6.8 release through 6.8.2. Of those, 52 were tagged as “improvements” (bug fixes, enhancements, regressions) and each got a 0–5 score based on code reviews, manual tests, and automated tests.

    Me to my coffee mug – “Ready to tame this beast?”
    Coffee mug – “Only if you refill me by commit 100”

    Spotlight on My Contributions

    First WordPress Quality Analysis Report

    Over the reporting period, I submitted 13 detailed test reports so far, which landed me firmly in the top dozen contributors out of 58 testers. It was a real thrill to see my efforts recognized, knowing that each report I crafted helped give the Test Team clearer insights into where Core needed attention.

    Hunting down those tricky edge cases and squashing stubborn bugs wasn’t just a fun challenge, it drove actual fixes in WordPress. There’s something deeply satisfying about spotting your name in the official report and realizing that your work directly improved the platform millions rely on every day.

    Slack moment – I couldn’t resist dropping “Top tester alert: eyes on me” into #core-test

    Quick Stats That Made Me Nod

    • Media component led the pack with a 3.29 average score over 7 commits
    • Editor followed at 2.75 over 4 commits
    • Build & Test Tools landed at 2.4 over 5 commits
    • Almost 60 percent of merged changes had no manual tests, like shipping cupcakes without tasting them first

    Why This Matters and What’s Next

    This report isn’t about blame. It’s a roadmap for tighter teamwork, bringing testing insights into Core development earlier. I’ll be watching for Test Team calls to action and hope you’ll join me in writing tests that make WordPress stronger.

  • Better Late Than Never -WordPress 6.8.2 Update

    Hello fellow WordPress enthusiasts,

    I know I’m showing up a bit after the confetti has settled, but here at last is the lowdown on WordPress 6.8.2, your go-to maintenance release packed with bug fixes and improvements. Consider this my belated party RSVP, I was busy wrestling with a rogue semicolon and hunting down that one missing closing tag!

    What’s in WordPress 6.8.2

    WordPress 6.8.2 officially landed on July 15, 2025. This short-cycle maintenance release includes fixes for 20 Core tickets and 15 Block Editor issues, all aimed at polishing rough edges and keeping your sites humming smoothly.

    My Two Cents (Literally)

    I’m thrilled to see two of my contributions make it into this minor release. Here’s what went down:

    63254: Introduce development mode for block editor styles

    Ever tweak your block editor CSS only to reload and see… nothing? Ticket #63254 adds a true development mode for editor styles so your SCSS and JS changes bust the cache automatically when SCRIPT_DEBUG is on.

    63511: Adjust deprecation note in WP_Community_Events::format_event_data_time()

    I spotted a deprecation message that wasn’t playing nicely with custom strings, so ticket #63511 tweaks the _deprecated_function() call for clearer, default-style notices and better backward-compatibility messaging.

    Why Am I Late?

    I got distracted by my coffee machine reinventing itself (apparently it’s now a smart appliance and wanted firmware updates).

    My dog learned a new trick, fetching bugs instead of sticks, and I spent an afternoon debugging pupper.

    I was perfecting this post’s puns, you’re welcome for the extra seasoning.

    How to Get It

    If you support automatic background updates, your sites might already be on 6.8.2. To grab it manually:

    • Go to Dashboard → Updates in your site’s admin.
    • Click Update Now under “WordPress 6.8.2 is available.”

    Do a happy dance, your site is now running on the latest maintenance release.

    Thanks for sticking with me through this slightly delayed edition. Now go update those sites, enjoy smoother block editor styling, and keep on creating!

  • Celebrating My Training Contributor Badge

    Gold circular badge enclosing a graduation cap icon, followed by the text "Training Contributor."

    On June 6, 2025, during our weekly Training Team meeting, I was awarded the Training Contributor badge in recognition of my contributions to Learn.WordPress.org. This badge honors members who help create, review, or translate lessons, and I’m proud to be among the recipients.

    Highlights from the 3rd June 2025 Meeting

    In the meeting recap on Make WordPress Training, we covered:

    • Reviewing Q2 goals: we gathered feedback on our 2025 milestones as we wrapped up the second quarter.
    • Volunteer opportunities: we invited contributors to host online workshops, coffee hours, study jams, or lesson walkthroughs.
    • Triage squad updates: we prepared for upcoming biweekly issue triage sessions.
    • Contributor Day planning: we coordinated an online Training Team Contributor Day alongside WordCamp Europe 2025 Contributor Day.

    Amid all these items, I was honored when my badge was announced.

    My Translation Contributions

    Localization makes WordPress accessible worldwide. Over the past months, I’ve reviewed and pushed forward key Tagalog translations for lessons and documentation, including:

    1. Issue #3183 – translating new lesson content into Tagalog
    2. Issue #3144 – updating terminology for consistency
    3. Issue #3143 – refining translation style guidelines
    4. Issue #3139 – reviewing community-submitted translations
    5. Issue #3138 – testing translated pages for accuracy

    My attention to detail and clear feedback have helped the Training Team deliver high-quality, localized learning materials for Tagalog speakers.

    Feedback Validation Efforts

    Beyond translations, I’ve validated and acted on learner feedback to keep our lessons relevant and error-free. Recent issues I tackled include:

    1. Issue #3137 – consolidating user feedback on workshop formatting
    2. Issue #3159 – verifying reported typos and code snippet errors
    3. Issue #3181 – confirming accessibility improvements across lesson pages

    By stepping in to validate and apply this feedback, I help keep our content polished and learner-focused.

    How You Can Get Involved

    If you’re inspired by my work, here are a few ways to jump in:

    • Join a Meeting: we meet every Tuesday at 07:00 UTC in #training on Slack. Peek at the agenda before you hop on.
    • Help with Translations: pick an open issue from the “Content ready for review” board and lend your language skills.
    • Validate Feedback: spot a typo or bug? Check out “Feedback awaiting validation”, confirm it, then help fix it.
    • Host a Workshop: run a coffee hour or study session using lessons on Learn.WordPress.org, teaching is a great way to learn!

    About the WordPress Training Team

    We’re a global bunch of volunteers who love teaching and learning all things WordPress. Our playground is Learn.WordPress.org, where we create, polish, and translate bite-sized lessons on using, extending, and contributing to WordPress.

    What we’re aiming for in 2025:

    • Reach more folks by spreading the word about our free lessons
    • Make every lesson as clear and accessible as possible (think captions, screen-reader friendliness, simple language)
    • Grow our community so everyone, from total newbies to seasoned devs, can share knowledge and skills

    How we keep it rolling: weekly Zoom hangouts, biweekly GitHub triage sessions, tons of hands-on workshops, and a friendly Slack channel where no question is too small. Whether you write a line of lesson content, review a translation, or flag a typo, every bit of help counts.

    Come join us!

  • WordPress 6.8.2 RC Drops Today, July 8, 2025 – Featuring My Share of Contributions

    June 2025 Core contributions (props and people) by country.
    June 2025 Core contributions (props and people) by country.

    Hey WordPresser, big news today: the Release Candidate for WordPress 6.8.2 is officially available as of July 8, 2025. This is the final stage of testing before the stable version goes live on July 15, 2025.

    This update focuses on refining core functionality by fixing bugs and improving performance. One key fix ensures that the Twenty Twenty-Five theme styles now load correctly in the editor, making theme customization smoother than ever.

    If you work with WordPress, whether you develop plugins, build themes, or manage sites, now is a great time to download the RC and test it on your staging or local environment. This helps catch any last-minute issues and ensures a rock-solid release.

    June 2025 Core Updates at a Glance

    June brought a surge of activity to the Core team:

    • 128 commits merged into core, a significant increase over May
    • 133 new tickets opened and 291 tickets closed
    • Contributions from 113 community members, including 22 first-time Core contributors

    Spotlight on rollybueno(Well, that’s me ;))

    I’m proud to have been the sole contributor representing the Philippines in June’s Core development cycle. Here’s what I worked on:

    • Participated in ticket discussions to clarify issues and suggest improvements.
    • Conducted code reviews to ensure fixes met WordPress coding standards.
    • Tested and verified bug fixes across multiple components, including the editor and bundled themes.

    Contributing to WordPress Core has been an amazing opportunity to learn from the community and give back to a platform I love. Thanks to everyone who reviewed my patches and collaborated on making this release smoother.

    Stay tuned for the official release of WordPress 6.8.2 on July 15, and enjoy testing the RC in the meantime. Let me know if you spot anything worth reporting or if you have any questions!

    Source: https://make.wordpress.org/updates/2025/07/02/a-month-in-core-june-2025/

Let’s Connect

I love connecting with fellow developers, contributors, and anyone curious about WordPress. Whether you want to talk plugins, events, code reviews, or bikes, don’t hesitate to reach out.

Rolly Bueno

Rolly Bueno

WordPress Developer at DevriX
Iloilo, Philippines
rollybueno.com
rollybueno
Member since September 20th, 2010
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