new implementation

src/wp-includes/blocks.php

@@ -375,6 +375,22 @@ function get_block_metadata_i18n_schema() {
 	return $i18n_block_schema;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Registers a block metadata collection.
+ *
+ * This function allows core and third-party plugins to register their block metadata
+ * collections in a centralized location. Registering collections can improve performance
+ * by avoiding multiple reads from the filesystem.
+ *
+ * @since 6.X.0
+ *
+ * @param string $path     The base path for the collection.
+ * @param string $manifest The path to the manifest file for the collection.
+ */
+function wp_register_block_metadata_collection( $path, $manifest ) {
+	WP_Block_Metadata_Registry::register_collection( $path, $manifest );
+}
+
 /**
  * Registers a block type from the metadata stored in the `block.json` file.
  *
@@ -402,29 +418,26 @@ function register_block_type_from_metadata( $file_or_folder, $args = array() ) {
 	 * instead of reading a JSON file per-block, and then decoding from JSON to PHP.
 	 * Using a static variable ensures that the metadata is only read once per request.
 	 */
-	static $core_blocks_meta;
-	if ( ! $core_blocks_meta ) {
-		$core_blocks_meta = require ABSPATH . WPINC . '/blocks/blocks-json.php';
-	}
 
 	$metadata_file = ( ! str_ends_with( $file_or_folder, 'block.json' ) ) ?
 		trailingslashit( $file_or_folder ) . 'block.json' :
 		$file_or_folder;
 
-	$is_core_block = str_starts_with( $file_or_folder, ABSPATH . WPINC );
-	// If the block is not a core block, the metadata file must exist.
-	$metadata_file_exists = $is_core_block || file_exists( $metadata_file );
+	$metadata_dir      = dirname( $metadata_file );
+	$collection        = dirname( $metadata_dir );
+	$block_identifier  = basename( $metadata_dir );
+
+	$has_metadata_from_registry = WP_Block_Metadata_Registry::has_metadata( $collection, $block_identifier );
+
+	// If the block is not registered in the metadata registry, the metadata file must exist.
+	$metadata_file_exists = $has_metadata_from_registry || file_exists( $metadata_file );
 	if ( ! $metadata_file_exists && empty( $args['name'] ) ) {
 		return false;
 	}
 
 	// Try to get metadata from the static cache for core blocks.
-	$metadata = array();
-	if ( $is_core_block ) {
-		$core_block_name = str_replace( ABSPATH . WPINC . '/blocks/', '', $file_or_folder );
-		if ( ! empty( $core_blocks_meta[ $core_block_name ] ) ) {
-			$metadata = $core_blocks_meta[ $core_block_name ];
-		}
+	if ( $has_metadata_from_registry ) {
+		$metadata = WP_Block_Metadata_Registry::get_metadata( $collection, $block_identifier );
 	}
 
 	// If metadata is not found in the static cache, read it from the file.

src/wp-includes/blocks/index.php

@@ -155,3 +155,20 @@ function register_core_block_types_from_metadata() {
 	}
 }
 add_action( 'init', 'register_core_block_types_from_metadata' );
+
+/**
+ * Registers the core block metadata collection.
+ *
+ * This function is hooked into the 'init' action with a priority of 9,
+ * ensuring that the core block metadata is registered before the regular
+ * block initialization that happens at priority 10.
+ *
+ * @since 6.X.0
+ */
+function wp_register_core_block_metadata_collection() {
+	wp_register_block_metadata_collection(
+		BLOCKS_PATH,
+		BLOCKS_PATH . 'blocks-json.php'
+	);
+}
+add_action( 'init', 'wp_register_core_block_metadata_collection', 9 );

src/wp-includes/class-wp-block-metadata-registry.php

@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+<?php
+/**
+ * Block Metadata Registry
+ *
+ * @package WordPress
+ * @subpackage Blocks
+ * @since 6.X.0
+ */
+
+/**
+ * Class used for managing block metadata collections.
+ *
+ * @since 6.X.0
+ */
+class WP_Block_Metadata_Registry {
+
+	/**
+	 * Container for storing block metadata collections.
+	 *
+	 * @since 6.X.0
+	 * @var array
+	 */
+	private static $collections = array();
+
+	/**
+	 * Registers a block metadata collection.
+	 *
+	 * @since 6.X.0
+	 *
+	 * @param string $path     The base path for the collection.
+	 * @param string $manifest The path to the manifest file for the collection.
+	 */
+	public static function register_collection( $path, $manifest ) {
+		$path = rtrim( $path, '/' );
+		self::$collections[ $path ] = array(
+			'manifest' => $manifest,
+			'metadata' => null,
+		);
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Retrieves block metadata for a given block name within a specific collection.
+	 *
+	 * @since 6.X.0
+	 *
+	 * @param string $path       The base path of the collection.
+	 * @param string $block_name The block name to look for.
+	 * @return array|null        The block metadata for the block, or null if not found.
+	 */
+	public static function get_metadata( $path, $block_name ) {
+		$path = rtrim( $path, '/' );
+		if ( ! isset( self::$collections[ $path ] ) ) {
+			return null;
+		}
+
+		$collection = &self::$collections[ $path ];
+
+		if ( null === $collection['metadata'] ) {
+			// Load the manifest file if not already loaded
+			$collection['metadata'] = require $collection['manifest'];
+		}
+
+		return isset( $collection['metadata'][ $block_name ] ) ? $collection['metadata'][ $block_name ] : null;
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Checks if metadata exists for a given block name in a specific collection.
+	 *
+	 * @since 6.X.0
+	 *
+	 * @param string $path       The base path of the collection.
+	 * @param string $block_name The block name to check for.
+	 * @return bool              True if metadata exists for the block, false otherwise.
+	 */
+	public static function has_metadata( $path, $block_name ) {
+		return null !== self::get_metadata( $path, $block_name );
+	}
+
+	/**
+	 * Private constructor to prevent instantiation.
+	 */
+	private function __construct() {
+		// Prevent instantiation
+	}
+}

src/wp-settings.php

@@ -354,6 +354,7 @@
 require ABSPATH . WPINC . '/class-wp-block-type-registry.php';
 require ABSPATH . WPINC . '/class-wp-block.php';
 require ABSPATH . WPINC . '/class-wp-block-list.php';
+require ABSPATH . WPINC . '/class-wp-block-metadata-registry.php';
 require ABSPATH . WPINC . '/class-wp-block-parser-block.php';
 require ABSPATH . WPINC . '/class-wp-block-parser-frame.php';
 require ABSPATH . WPINC . '/class-wp-block-parser.php';