Matthias Bathke Avatar

from

Matthias Bathke

Reading time: 6 minutes

The power of single purpose plugins

A single purpose plugin specializes in performing a single task optimally and without unnecessary ballast. A prime example of this is our “SV Close Modal on Click Outside for Navigation Block”.

Focused solutions for targeted requirements

The whole thing is best understood with a concrete example:

Currently, the Navigation Block for WordPress Block Editor (Gutenberg) does not meet the requirements of numerous users. The Gutenberg team is always faced with the challenge of deciding which user requests should be incorporated into their development. For a specific customer project, for example, we needed an extension for the navigation block: an open burger menu should also be able to be closed by clicking outside the menu.

The view of WordPress Core developers

Such a specific function is not necessary for every project, so the Gutenberg team must consider various factors, such as:

  • Is this function essential for the user?
  • What influence does this have on other aspects?
  • Should the function be activatable or deactivatable?
  • Is a default status for this function useful?
  • What might an ideal implementation look like?

In most cases, such a function requires Javascript, which even to a small extent affects performance and load time. Any additional option can easily lead to an overhead of features.

Plugin territory

If it is not an essential feature, the Gutenberg team may decide that this falls into the realm of plugins. It can take years before a final decision is made and implemented within a WordPress version.

This is where the power of the single purpose plugin approach becomes apparent:

  • Urgently needed functions are available immediately.
  • The Gutenberg team can either adapt this solution or adopt it directly.
  • In the meantime, the plugin can be easily activated or deactivated.

result

Single purpose plugins focus on solving a specific problem, avoiding unnecessary configurations. Should the functionality later be provided by WordPress itself, the plugin can simply be removed without leaving any ballast behind. The result? A website that always performs.

Our advice

Many multi-purpose plugins promise a lot, but can’t always deliver what they promise. Single purpose plugins, on the other hand, deliver precisely what they promise. If you are facing a problem, a single purpose plugin could be just the solution you need. You can find our plugin mentioned above in the WordPress repository:

SV Close Modal on Click Outside for Navigation Block