Global padding not applied in the template part editor

[lunule]

Description

The global padding feature, when useRootPaddingAwareAlignments is set to true in the theme.json file, is not working properly in the site editor:

• while global paddings are applied in the template editor,
• the same global paddings are not applied in the template part editor - the has-global-padding class is applied correctly, but the class styles are missing.

Template editor => header with horizontal paddings displayed correctly

Template part editor => header with horizontal paddings displayed incorrectly

Step-by-step reproduction instructions

1. Use a layout.type = constrained div (directly following a layout.type = flow div, or one without layout.type specification) in a template part
2. Set up non-zero styles.spacing.padding values in the theme.json file
3. Test the padding display
   • in the template editor at first
   • then in the template part editor

Screenshots, screen recording, code snippet

No response

Environment info

No response

Please confirm that you have searched existing issues in the repo.

Yes

Please confirm that you have tested with all plugins deactivated except Gutenberg.

Yes

[carolinan]

I agree, that the padding is missing is confusing to me too when I am working with the template parts in "isolation".
To me, it makes it more difficult to create designs. Because I keep thinking that I need to add the spacing to the actual content inside the part. If the user does that, the padding is of course duplicated when you view the full page or template.
Also, the global styles panel is available and it is possible to adjust the site wide spacing from this screen, in the Styles > Layout panel, event hough it is not applied and you can't see it.

I was told that this is intentional. I'm not sure if I can find the conversation, if I do stumble upon it again I will add a link here.

[lunule]

To me, it makes it more difficult to create designs. Because I keep thinking that I need to add the spacing to the actual content inside the part.

I agree - this is the exact reason why I think this current implementation is not developer-, designer-, or user-friendly. It's a deceptive experince while working on theme design.

I was told that this is intentional. I'm not sure if I can find the conversation, if I do stumble upon it again I will add a link here.

Thanks - I would think the reasoning is about that the template part editor should display content and styles used strictly in the part design, while global padding is, well, global, so it should be displayed in the larger context only, which is the template, not some of its parts (even if the global padding is practically applied only on a container element of a template part).

Personally, I would partially agree with such reasoning, but overall, I would also vote against it because this is a theory vs. practice/experience type of topic, and, as the purpose of the whole Full Site Editing paradigm is providing site owners with an easy-to-use and easy-to-learn site editor and site editing experience - and this easy-to-misinterpret experience definitely goes against the principle.

[annezazu]

Hey folks! Here's the discussion if I have it correct: #51937 I've removed the bug label for now.

[iamtakashi]

I agree. The discrepancy in appearance between the site editor and the template part editor doesn't make sense to me, even though it's technically correct. I assume it doesn't make sense to the vast majority of users too. In my opinion, it should appear identically in both editors.