Move sidebar close buttons to left side

[jeryj]

What?

Fixes accessibility issues where focus order must match visual order, and also not be between the tabs and tab panel.

Why?

Accessibility.

How?

Moves Close button to before the tabs/removes flex order.

Testing Instructions

• Open inserter, test close button
• Open List view, test close button
• Open Settings panel, test close button

Testing Instructions for Keyboard

Screenshots or screencast

Before	After

[github-actions[bot]]

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Co-authored-by: jeryj <[email protected]>

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[github-actions[bot]]

Size Change: +61 B (0%)

Total Size: 1.74 MB

Filename	Size	Change
build/edit-site/style-rtl.css	12.8 kB	+1 B (+0.01%)
build/edit-site/style.css	12.8 kB	+1 B (+0.01%)
build/edit-widgets/index.min.js	17.5 kB	+1 B (+0.01%)
build/edit-widgets/style-rtl.css	4.18 kB	+15 B (+0.36%)
build/edit-widgets/style.css	4.18 kB	+17 B (+0.41%)
build/editor/index.min.js	83.2 kB	+1 B (0%)
build/editor/style-rtl.css	8.27 kB	+14 B (+0.17%)
build/editor/style.css	8.27 kB	+11 B (+0.13%)

ℹ️ View Unchanged

Filename	Size
build/a11y/index.min.js	955 B
build/annotations/index.min.js	2.27 kB
build/api-fetch/index.min.js	2.32 kB
build/autop/index.min.js	2.1 kB
build/blob/index.min.js	578 B
build/block-directory/index.min.js	7.26 kB
build/block-directory/style-rtl.css	1.03 kB
build/block-directory/style.css	1.03 kB
build/block-editor/content-rtl.css	4.5 kB
build/block-editor/content.css	4.49 kB
build/block-editor/default-editor-styles-rtl.css	395 B
build/block-editor/default-editor-styles.css	395 B
build/block-editor/index.min.js	258 kB
build/block-editor/style-rtl.css	15.5 kB
build/block-editor/style.css	15.4 kB
build/block-library/blocks/archives/editor-rtl.css	61 B
build/block-library/blocks/archives/editor.css	60 B
build/block-library/blocks/archives/style-rtl.css	90 B
build/block-library/blocks/archives/style.css	90 B
build/block-library/blocks/audio/editor-rtl.css	150 B
build/block-library/blocks/audio/editor.css	150 B
build/block-library/blocks/audio/style-rtl.css	122 B
build/block-library/blocks/audio/style.css	122 B
build/block-library/blocks/audio/theme-rtl.css	133 B
build/block-library/blocks/audio/theme.css	133 B
build/block-library/blocks/avatar/editor-rtl.css	116 B
build/block-library/blocks/avatar/editor.css	116 B
build/block-library/blocks/avatar/style-rtl.css	104 B
build/block-library/blocks/avatar/style.css	104 B
build/block-library/blocks/block/editor-rtl.css	277 B
build/block-library/blocks/block/editor.css	277 B
build/block-library/blocks/button/editor-rtl.css	415 B
build/block-library/blocks/button/editor.css	414 B
build/block-library/blocks/button/style-rtl.css	627 B
build/block-library/blocks/button/style.css	626 B
build/block-library/blocks/buttons/editor-rtl.css	337 B
build/block-library/blocks/buttons/editor.css	337 B
build/block-library/blocks/buttons/style-rtl.css	332 B
build/block-library/blocks/buttons/style.css	332 B
build/block-library/blocks/calendar/style-rtl.css	239 B
build/block-library/blocks/calendar/style.css	239 B
build/block-library/blocks/categories/editor-rtl.css	113 B
build/block-library/blocks/categories/editor.css	112 B
build/block-library/blocks/categories/style-rtl.css	124 B
build/block-library/blocks/categories/style.css	124 B
build/block-library/blocks/code/editor-rtl.css	53 B
build/block-library/blocks/code/editor.css	53 B
build/block-library/blocks/code/style-rtl.css	121 B
build/block-library/blocks/code/style.css	121 B
build/block-library/blocks/code/theme-rtl.css	124 B
build/block-library/blocks/code/theme.css	124 B
build/block-library/blocks/columns/editor-rtl.css	108 B
build/block-library/blocks/columns/editor.css	108 B
build/block-library/blocks/columns/style-rtl.css	421 B
build/block-library/blocks/columns/style.css	421 B
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build/block-library/blocks/comments-pagination-numbers/editor-rtl.css	123 B
build/block-library/blocks/comments-pagination-numbers/editor.css	121 B
build/block-library/blocks/comments-pagination/editor-rtl.css	222 B
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build/block-library/blocks/comments-pagination/style-rtl.css	235 B
build/block-library/blocks/comments-pagination/style.css	231 B
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build/block-library/blocks/comments-title/editor.css	75 B
build/block-library/blocks/comments/editor-rtl.css	840 B
build/block-library/blocks/comments/editor.css	839 B
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build/block-library/blocks/cover/editor.css	674 B
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build/block-library/blocks/details/editor.css	65 B
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build/block-library/blocks/details/style.css	86 B
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build/block-library/blocks/embed/editor.css	312 B
build/block-library/blocks/embed/style-rtl.css	410 B
build/block-library/blocks/embed/style.css	410 B
build/block-library/blocks/embed/theme-rtl.css	133 B
build/block-library/blocks/embed/theme.css	133 B
build/block-library/blocks/file/editor-rtl.css	326 B
build/block-library/blocks/file/editor.css	327 B
build/block-library/blocks/file/style-rtl.css	280 B
build/block-library/blocks/file/style.css	281 B
build/block-library/blocks/file/view.min.js	324 B
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build/block-library/blocks/form-input/style-rtl.css	343 B
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build/block-library/blocks/form-submit-button/style-rtl.css	69 B
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build/block-library/blocks/image/theme-rtl.css	133 B
build/block-library/blocks/image/theme.css	133 B
build/block-library/blocks/image/view.min.js	1.54 kB
build/block-library/blocks/latest-comments/style-rtl.css	357 B
build/block-library/blocks/latest-comments/style.css	357 B
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build/block-library/blocks/latest-posts/style.css	478 B
build/block-library/blocks/list/style-rtl.css	88 B
build/block-library/blocks/list/style.css	88 B
build/block-library/blocks/media-text/editor-rtl.css	306 B
build/block-library/blocks/media-text/editor.css	305 B
build/block-library/blocks/media-text/style-rtl.css	505 B
build/block-library/blocks/media-text/style.css	503 B
build/block-library/blocks/more/editor-rtl.css	431 B
build/block-library/blocks/more/editor.css	431 B
build/block-library/blocks/navigation-link/editor-rtl.css	668 B
build/block-library/blocks/navigation-link/editor.css	669 B
build/block-library/blocks/navigation-link/style-rtl.css	193 B
build/block-library/blocks/navigation-link/style.css	192 B
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build/block-library/blocks/navigation/style-rtl.css	2.26 kB
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build/block-library/blocks/post-content/editor-rtl.css	74 B
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build/block-library/blocks/post-title/style.css	100 B
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build/widgets/style.css	1.17 kB
build/wordcount/index.min.js	1.02 kB

_{compressed-size-action}

[richtabor]

Marked as draft as this is exploratory. Thanks.

[richtabor]

I appreciate the effort, but I do think we should do more explorations.

This introduces a non-standard implementation for close button placement, across the majority of web-based applications. It also results in some close icons placed on the left, while others are on the right—an inconsistency that adds cognitive weight for the user.

I'd like to explore alternatives that results in a better experience for everyone.

[jameskoster]

I agree, the left-positioned close button is visually unexpected and overly prominent.

If the close button is required, which seems to be the case given the toggle button is not part of the panel it controls, then I struggle to see a solution that doesn't involve introducing some kind of panel header:

This would allow the close button to be the element that receives initial focus, respecting the toggle behavior for keyboard users.

What other options do we have?

[jeryj]

@jameskoster - I can do a PR that implements the panel header design you posted.

This would allow the close button to be the element that receives initial focus

It's OK if the focus button doesn't have focus initially. It can be skipped over when focus is sent to it from opening the button. The issue is that the focus order doesn't match visual order when using the Tab key.

[priethor]

I also think we should consider alternative explorations before committing to this. This simple change would impact how all users interact with the editor, so we should be confident this is the best solution before introducing such a change.

[priethor]

Added before & after screenshots to the description.

[scruffian]

My understanding is that we are going to try this approach: https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/issues/61837

so I'll close this PR for now.