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Toolbar Behaves Differently When Fixed vs. Floating Contextually For Paragraph Block Only #9063

@0aveRyan

Description

@0aveRyan

Describe the bug
In the default contextual floating mode, the formatting toolbar only appears if characters exist within a Paragraph Block (i.e. a user must create and then format).

However, when the Toolbar is set to Fixed mode, formatting controls are always available to users, allowing them to align, bold, etc prior to writing any text (i.e. a user can create and then format, or format and then create). This latter flow mirrors the current Classic Editor, always making these controls available to users and more closely mirrors industry-standard pattern for Word Processors / Page Layout tools.

Notably, all other blocks including other text-based blocks like Heading, Subheading and List surface the formatting toolbar 100% of them time so no order of operations is enforced on a user.

I attempted to search issues to see if this was a design decision, but couldn't find a ticket. If this was a deliberate decision, I'd advocate it be revisited for a less restrictive solution that kept the Toolbar behavior unified regardless of where it's positioned.

To Reproduce

  1. Open latest, unmodified version of Gutenberg (without Fix Toolbar to Top enabled).
  2. Try to access formatting controls in initial Paragraph Block or any Paragraph Block in the document (when P Block is active, move your mouse/keyboard cursor around -- nothing happens)
  3. Toolbar will not appear until characters are present in the Paragraph Block.
  4. Open Main Menu and enable Fix Toolbar to Top.
  5. Empty Paragraph Blocks can now be pre-formatted.

Expected behavior
Considering every other Block has the formatting toolbar available even when empty, I expect the Paragraph Block's Toolbar to behave the same.

Screenshots
example default behavior for paragraph block

example fixed toolbar behavior for paragraph block

Additional context

  • Gutenberg 3.5.0

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    [Block] ParagraphAffects the Paragraph Block[Feature] Writing FlowBlock selection, navigation, splitting, merging, deletion...[Type] EnhancementA suggestion for improvement.

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