Alternatives to FCKeditor

Sage_of_Fire

I tried installing FCKeditor in my vanilla forum, but it doesn't work and I can't figure out why. I don't have the expertise to troubleshoot it, so does somebody have a reliable alternative to FCKeditor? I don't need all the fancy options like video embedding or layouts, I just need some easy-to-use tools for making smileys, hyperlinks, and pictures. I don't need image uploading capabilities or anything fancy like that.

rayk

Perhaps this?

suicideking

The nice edit is tempting but how does one post the HTML code "anywhere on the page" as the instructions state? Do you just have to upload the file to extensions like every other add-on?

Wanderer

NiceEdit will work if you add those two lines using an extension.

Look at the DPlayer add-on, it does a similar thing, it adds two lines of code (or maybe just one) then the associated script does the rest.

I don't have time to do this now, I'm on a Vista machine with no familiar tools! :-(

Sage_of_Fire

New question: has anybody else used NicEdit successfully on a Vanilla forum, and if so, how? I added the code easily, but I learned it wasn't compatible with the ksesXHTML extension I was using. I switched back to the standard HTML formatter extension, and it worked... sort of. It will insert links and pictures properly, but when I post a picture, it hangs down into the post below as it it's got a "float" style property on it. Is this problem caused by Vanilla's styling, or the NicEdit program. If it is NicEdit's problem, does somebody have an easy fix, or better yet an extension that solves this problem? Thanks for reading...

Wanderer

I tested NicEdit by adding the following to the head using Nugget...

<script src="http://js.nicedit.com/nicEdit-latest.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <script type="text/javascript">bkLib.onDomLoaded(nicEditors.allTextAreas);</script>
The script itself worked (Nugget is brilliant) as did the formatter but nothing previewed and submitting the comment returned an error saying there was nothing in the comments box.

As I suspected, there's more to this project than simply adding the JavaScripts.

fysicsluvr

It's probably changing the name of the textbox.

JohnnyFive

I have successfully used NicEdit on my site, but I don't like the way it works. Actually I don't like the way any of the text editors work atm. I'm really kind of at a loss, cause it really sucks not having a lightweight formatter. NicEdit has looked the nicest so far, but every editor I've used has weird quirks when typing in text. The best one i've found would be YahooUI, but whenever I use that I can't post.. Whenever I add a new post using YahooUI it tells me the discussion can't be found. WTF?

Wanderer

JohnnyFive did it actually post the message?

Did you link to the javascript files on their server or did you download and install locally?

As I said above, I got it to work but it posted "empty"...

Sage_of_Fire

I'm trying out Tinymce right now, but I really hate it. It sucked up 33kb of my server space for a bunch of features I don't need. I know there must be a simple text editor out there somewhere that'll work with vanilla... All I really need is five functions: Bold, Italic, Underline, Hyperlink, and Picture. I think I could probably build something myself that simple if I was more familiar with vanilla.

Wanderer

My needs exactly that's why I thought NicEdit would be ideal.

IanC22

Anyone got nicEdit working as a plugin?

TiGR

You may try my tinyMCE plugin as FCKE alternative: https://github.com/TiGR/TinyMCE

I have not yet released it.

Stash

NicEdit: Version: 0.9 r23 - January 4th, 2009

Doesn't look like it's being actively maintained any more... beta test for TiGR instead!

tester13

@TiGR
Igor - your TiniMCE plugin is superb :-)
I also wante you to look for http://code.google.com/p/rloader/ use, so by default user will see simple text entry field, but as soon as control will get focus, all scripts will load. Can be useful for large sites that have 95% of visitors just viewing pages.

Any chance for you to look at SWD Markdown editor (one used by StackOverflow)?
Having option to use Markdown as main formatter seems to be interesting.

TiGR

For optimizations I prefer using minify plugin instead. MWD markdown editor is a fine thing, but it is obfusicated, there are no sources available.

There are other markdown editors out there, btw.

tester13

You are not right about WMD source:

http://code.google.com/p/wmd-new/

As for Minify - delayed loading for reply field is, in fact, much more effective, as most peopl enever write anything.
Minify is quite stupid plugin, in fact. That is not very effective for actual optimization.

TiGR

Stupid? Not very effective? Why?

tester13

Stupid? Not very effective? Why?

I already described why on this forum few times.

It combines js and css into minified files and replaces all references in header.
So, for many views you have absolutely different JS and CSS files with only difference being small CSS or JS file that is now included.
Automatic Minifier is completely wrong approach for most forums, except for very small ones.
Most optimization must be done by hand (as this is really one time change that could be used in all other installations). All else could be done by static based plugin with some intelligence in it.

Linc

tester13

@Lincoln

Not fun.

Try to read that I wrote and think about it.
I know that you want to show how cool you are, but looking at this is just sad.