When using register_block_type is there a way to manually declare a dependency?

[jakeparis]

I have a block which requires a script from one of our mu-plugins. However, when I register the block using register_block_type and a block.json file, there's no way to declare a dependency.

I'm looking to declare a dependency in the same way I would as the third parameter in wp_enqueue_script()

[t-hamano]

@jakeparis
I think we can specify script and style dependencies by handles in block.json. Would this be a solution?

https://developer.wordpress.org/block-editor/reference-guides/block-api/block-metadata/#assets

[jakeparis]

@t-hamano Maybe. But it looks like, in block.json, there are two ways to specify an asset... with the WPDefinedPath shape:

{ 
    "editorScript": [ "file:./index.js" ]
}

or with the WPDefinedAsset shape, which seems to be only for scripts which are already registered elsewhere:

{
    "editorScript": {
         "dependencies": [
            "other-script",
            "third-script",
         ],    
    }
}

But how would I use the "file:./index.js" style to register the script, and also declare the dependencies at the same time. Is there a way to do that?

[t-hamano]

In the navigation block, two file paths are defined in viewScript.

gutenberg/packages/block-library/src/navigation/block.json

Line 136 in d9f13a8

"viewScript": [ "file:./view.min.js", "file:./view-modal.min.js" ],

I have not tried this, but could this be applied to editorScript as well?

[jakeparis]

defining two files paths like that is to register both of them. That is not a method to declare a dependency.

[t-hamano]

How about determining if the dependent plugins are enabled and registering the block?
I haven't tested it, but it probably looks like this:

if ( is_plugin_active( '/path/to/plugin.php' ) {
  register_block_type(...);
}

[jakeparis]

No, unfortunately that's a totally different thing. Knowing whether a plugin is active is different than being sure a script is enqueued before my block/script.

[gziolo]

As of today, the script needs to be registered with register_block_type and then can be connected with the block using the script handle:

{ 
    "editorScript": [ "file:./index.js", "my-script-with-custom-dependencies" ]
}

However, we would be happy to see implemented the proposed solution in #46954.