Drop "local($font_family)" CSS while registering font-family in webfonts_handler

[luehrsen]

As discussed here, loading the local font file can lean to unexpected compatibility issues due to version or locale mismatches of the font.

Vendors like Google have dropped using local in their font delivery.

That is why I would propose dropping the local rule altogether.

[luehrsen]

The PR connection seems to lag a bit, but a patch is ready here:

​https://github.com/WordPress/wordpress-develop/pull/3826

As discussed, loading the local font file can lean to unexpected compatibility issues due to version or locale mismatches of the font.

Vendors like Google have dropped using local in their font delivery.

That is why I would propose dropping the local rule altogether.

Trac ticket: https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/57430

[luehrsen]

This issue seems to be relevant as well:

​https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/issues/42190

[hellofromTonya]

The new Fonts API being developed in Gutenberg is targeted for inclusion in WP 6.2. If committed, then this Trac ticket can be closed.

Why? The implementation currently in Core is a temporary stopgap. The new API will remove that code.

I'll move this ticket into 6.2 for tracking just in case the API isn't ready by Beta 1.

[hellofromTonya]

The Fonts API being developed and then stabilized in Gutenberg is not ready for 6.2.

@aristath @luehrsen can you take a look at ​PR 3826 to fix this in the Core's stopgate code? If the patch is ready, Ari please add the commit keyword. Let's get this fixed in 6.2.

[aristath]

@aristath @luehrsen can you take a look at PR 3826 to fix this in the Core's stopgate code? If the patch is ready, Ari please add the commit keyword. Let's get this fixed in 6.2.

Patch looks good, commit keyword added 👍

[hellofromTonya]

Preparing commit now.

[hellofromTonya]

Adding the experimental keyword for tracking backports from Gutenberg into Core.

Though the Fonts API has not yet been backported, this same bugfix was done in ​Gutenberg PR 47254 to resolve the same problem reported in this Trac ticket. Hence, categorizing it as a backport.

[hellofromTonya]

In 55314:

Themes: Remove local() from @font-face styles in _wp_theme_json_webfonts_handler().

Removes adding local() as a @font-face src within _wp_theme_json_webfonts_handler().

Why?

To fix font incompatibilities when a user has the font-family locally installed on their viewing computer or device. It's unknown if all of the font-face variations specified by theme.json and/or global styles are:

• installed on the user's computer/device.
• and in one file or multiple files.

The previous implementation used the src specified when registering the font with the API. That src will likely vary from user computer/device to user computer/device.

To avoid these unknowns which could cause incompatibilities or styling issues, this changeset removes adding local() to the generated font-face CSS styles.

References:

• ​Gutenberg PR 47254

Follow-up to [53282].

Props luehrsen, aristath, ehtmlu, hellofromTonya, wetah.
Fixes #57430.

Committed via https://core.trac.wordpress.org/changeset/55314. Thanks for your contributions!

[hellofromTonya]

[53282] was introduced in 6.0.0.