WP Kernel Roadmap
Status: Active development toward v1.0
Latest Release: v0.4.0 (December 2025)
✓ Completed
Foundation (Sprints 0-1.5)
Monorepo infrastructure, TypeScript strict mode, Vite 7 builds, testing harness (Jest + Playwright), CI/CD, documentation site, wp-env + Playground environments. 58+ test files, 970+ tests.
Resources & Data (Sprint 1)
defineResource() with typed REST contracts, automatic @wordpress/data stores, cache management (invalidate, invalidateAll, cache key matching), React hooks (useGet, useList, usePrefetch), dual-surface API (thin-flat + grouped), client methods (fetch, create, update, remove).
E2E Utils (Sprint 2)
@wpkernel/e2e-utils package with namespaced API, Playwright fixture, test helpers (auth, rest, store, events, db, project), utility unit tests separated from domain E2E tests. Full fixture integration.
Policies (Sprint 3)
definePolicy() with full capability checking, can()/assert() helpers, usePolicy() React hook, policy context management, caching layer, automatic UI control gating, wpk.policy.denied events, policy reporter integration, WordPress capability provider.
Actions (Sprint 4)
Write-path orchestration with defineAction(), middleware layer, lifecycle events (wpk.action.start/complete/error), cache invalidation, error handling, domain events ({namespace}.{resource}.created/updated/removed).
WordPress Data Integration (Sprint 4)
configureKernel() provides two integration layers: 1) Registry integration (kernelEventsPlugin bridges errors → core/notices, connects lifecycle events to wp.hooks for ecosystem extensibility, reporter integration) - recommended for production, and 2) Redux middleware (createActionMiddleware enables action dispatch via envelopes) - only needed when using useAction() React hook. Resources auto-register stores without the bootstrap.
Unified Reporting (Sprint 4.5)
createReporter() with pluggable transports (console, hooks, "all" channel), consolidated logging across all packages, request correlation IDs, reporter context management, noop reporter for production.
React Hooks Integration (Sprint 5 - Completed, v0.3.0)
- ✓
useAction()- Complete action dispatch system with 4 concurrency modes - ✓
useGet()&useList()- Resource data fetching hooks - ✓
usePolicy()- Capability checks in UI - ✓ Prefetching hooks:
usePrefetcher(),useVisiblePrefetch(),useHoverPrefetch(),useNextPagePrefetch() - ✓ Lazy attachment mechanism for resources defined before UI loads
Architecture Implementation Sprint 5.5 (Phases 1-9), Completed v0.4.0
Completed the bootstrap transition to configureKernel(), replaced global UI shims with the adapter-driven runtime, introduced the typed event bus, unified action/policy/job signatures around configuration objects, threaded resource reporters through client/store/cache/transport for full observability, and refreshed the documentation stack so every guide, reference, and showcase page matches the final architecture.
Phase 8 - Resource Reporter Wiring: Propagated kernel reporters through resource definitions, clients, store resolvers, and grouped APIs with comprehensive 615-line test suite. Resources now emit structured telemetry aligned with actions/policies.
Phase 9 - Cache & Transport Telemetry: Extended reporter hierarchy to cache invalidation and transport layer. Request lifecycles now share correlation IDs and structured logs from resource → client → transport → cache. Fully backwards compatible.
🚧 In Progress
Guided Examples & Bindings (post-architecture polish) Deepen the learning surface with refreshed block binding walkthroughs, Interactivity API blueprints, and expanded showcase coverage that demonstrates the completed kernel architecture in practice.
🔮 Upcoming
Sprint 6 - Admin Mount & UI Surface (minimal admin scaffolding)
Sprint 7 - CLI Scaffolder (project initialization, resource generators)
Sprint 9 - PHP Bridge (JS → PHP event mirroring, legacy plugin integration) ⬅️ Next Up
Sprint 10 - Server Bindings (SSR for SEO-critical fields)
Sprint 11 - SlotFill (UI extension points)
Sprint 13 - CI Matrices & Playgrounds (expanded WP/PHP test matrices)
Sprint 14-16 - Showcase App (public discovery, applications, admin pipeline)
Sprint 17 - Hardening (performance, accessibility, i18n) - DataViews accessibility backlog: - Keyboard trap audit across bulk actions and inline forms - High contrast + dark mode sweep for table rows and selection chips - ARIA announcements for async bulk action results and preference errors - Documented escape hatches for screen reader only copy in ResourceDataView Sprint 18 - Documentation v2 & Migration Guide
Note: Sprint 8 (Jobs & background processing) has been descoped. Sprint 12 (Reporter & Transport Middleware) was completed as part of Sprint 4.5 (Unified Reporting).
Timeline
| Phase | Target | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Alpha (v0.1.x) | Q4 2024 | ✓ Complete |
| Beta (v0.4.x) | Q4 2025 | ✓ Complete |
| RC (v0.9.x) | Q1 2026 | Planned |
| v1.0 | Q2 2026 | Planned |
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Last updated: October 9, 2025