Block Spec

In BlockSuite, a BlockSpec defines the structure and interactive elements for a specific block type within the editor. BlockSuite editors are typically composed entirely of block specs, with the top-level UI often implemented as a dedicated block, usually of the affine:page type.

A block spec contains the following properties:

• schema: Defines the structure and data types for the block's content.
• service: Used for registering methods for specific actions and external invocations.
• view: Represents the visual representation and layout of the block.
  • component: The primary user interface element of the block.
  • widgets: Additional interactive elements enhancing the block's functionality.

Example

Note that in block spec, the definition of view is related to UI frameworks. By default, we provide a @blocksuite/lit package to help build a lit block view. But it's still possible to use other UI frameworks. We'll introduce later about how to write custom block renderers.

Here is a example of a lit-based block spec:

import type { BlockSpec } from '@blocksuite/block-std';
import { literal } from 'lit/static-html.js';

const MyBlockSepc: BlockSpec = {
  schema: MyBlockSchema,
  service: MyBlockService,
  view: {
    component: literal`my-block-component`,
    widgets: {
      myBlockToolbar: literal`my-block-toolbar`,
      myBlockMenu: literal`my-block-menu`,
    },
  },
};

We'll introduce each part of the block spec in the following sections.