Replace lodash imports with native JavaScript equivalents

[georgeolaru]

Context

As part of the WordPress 7.0 compatibility effort (#481), we identified that Nova Blocks imports lodash utilities (pick, mapValues, isEqual, omit, merge, etc.) across many files.

Current state

• lodash is still bundled in WP 7.0 beta 2 (deprecated but not removed)
• WordPress has been deprecating lodash since WP 5.8 and recommends native JS alternatives
• Removal is expected in a future WP major version

What needs to happen

1. Audit all lodash imports across Nova Blocks packages
2. Replace each with native JS equivalents:
   • pick(obj, keys) → Object.fromEntries(keys.filter(k => k in obj).map(k => [k, obj[k]]))
   • mapValues(obj, fn) → Object.fromEntries(Object.entries(obj).map(([k, v]) => [k, fn(v)]))
   • isEqual → JSON.stringify for simple cases, or a small deep-equal utility
   • omit(obj, keys) → destructuring or Object.fromEntries(Object.entries(obj).filter(...))
   • merge → structured clone + spread, or a small deep-merge utility
3. Remove lodash from webpack externals if no imports remain
4. Test all affected blocks

Why it was deferred

• lodash is still bundled in WP 7.0, so this is not breaking
• Replacing across many files carries risk of subtle behavioral differences
• Better done as a focused cleanup effort

Reference

• Wave 4 plan: plans/2026-03-02-nova-blocks-wave4-package-replacements.md (in anima repo)
• Parent WP7 plan: plans/2026-03-02-wordpress-7-compatibility.md (in anima repo)
• Related: #481