Fix: Time to Read block showing "this block has encountered an error" - #61459

[hbhalodia]

What?

• Issue - Time to Read block showing "this block has encountered an error" #61459

Why?

• This PR passes empty text to wordCount function if we get the content as undefined.

How?

• This PR updates the time to read block, so that the content should not be passed as undefined to the function.

Testing Instructions

1. Open site editor.
2. Go to single post template.
3. Add the post-time-to-read block.
4. Now error is not visible and block is working as expected.

Testing Instructions for Keyboard

• NIL

Screenshots or screencast

GB.Issue.-.61459.webm

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Co-authored-by: hbhalodia <hbhalodia@git.wordpress.org>
Co-authored-by: t-hamano <wildworks@git.wordpress.org>

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[t-hamano]

Thanks for the PR!

This PR makes changes to the utility functions in the wordcount package, but as the JSDoc shows, these utility functions are not expected to be passed undefined text, so unexpected problems may occur.

I think this problem needs to be solved on the block side. I guess the fundamental problem is that content becomes undefined here:

gutenberg/packages/block-library/src/post-time-to-read/edit.js

Line 69 in 57741ee

wordCount( content, wordCountType ) / AVERAGE_READING_RATE

I haven't tested it, but could it be resolved by passing an empty string as a fallback as shown below?

diff --git a/packages/block-library/src/post-time-to-read/edit.js b/packages/block-library/src/post-time-to-read/edit.js
index 5cdb81c05e..abfdce6630 100644
--- a/packages/block-library/src/post-time-to-read/edit.js
+++ b/packages/block-library/src/post-time-to-read/edit.js
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ function PostTimeToReadEdit( { attributes, setAttributes, context } ) {
                const minutesToRead = Math.max(
                        1,
                        Math.round(
-                               wordCount( content, wordCountType ) / AVERAGE_READING_RATE
+                               wordCount( content || '', wordCountType ) / AVERAGE_READING_RATE
                        )
                );

[hbhalodia]

Thanks for the PR!

This PR makes changes to the utility functions in the wordcount package, but as the JSDoc shows, these utility functions are not expected to be passed undefined text, so unexpected problems may occur.

I think this problem needs to be solved on the block side. I guess the fundamental problem is that content becomes undefined here:

gutenberg/packages/block-library/src/post-time-to-read/edit.js

Line 69 in 57741ee

wordCount( content, wordCountType ) / AVERAGE_READING_RATE

I haven't tested it, but could it be resolved by passing an empty string as a fallback as shown below?

diff --git a/packages/block-library/src/post-time-to-read/edit.js b/packages/block-library/src/post-time-to-read/edit.js
index 5cdb81c05e..abfdce6630 100644
--- a/packages/block-library/src/post-time-to-read/edit.js
+++ b/packages/block-library/src/post-time-to-read/edit.js
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ function PostTimeToReadEdit( { attributes, setAttributes, context } ) {
                const minutesToRead = Math.max(
                        1,
                        Math.round(
-                               wordCount( content, wordCountType ) / AVERAGE_READING_RATE
+                               wordCount( content || '', wordCountType ) / AVERAGE_READING_RATE
                        )
                );

Thanks @t-hamano, I have'nt looked at the JS Doc comment, hence routed that approach. Would look at the patch above and would make the changes to PR asap.

[hbhalodia]

Hello @t-hamano, have tested the changes on the local and yes, the content is undefined at that point which results in the error. Have updated the PR with description and required changes.

Thank You.

[hbhalodia]

Hi @t-hamano, Just a quick question, this function may be used else whereas well, so we need to update this type of issue at other places too (if present). I am curious can't we just update all the functions with the optional chaining, so that we do not change on every place, instead we just change the function itself?

Thank You 🙏.

[t-hamano]

LGTM!

I am curious can't we just update all the functions with the optional chaining, so that we do not change on every place, instead we just change the function itself?

I think the logic in the wordcount package's utility functions is based on the assumption that some string exists. Therefore, if we allow undefined value, I think we will get a result that is not calculated correctly.

It may be good idea to implement the safeguards you suggest in the future, but for now I think it's enough to just fix the block side.