Why we chose FCK Editor

Raven · Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2006 1:49 pm

Our polls and overall discussions in the forums came down to 2 choices: FCK or SPAW. Both have been implemented in phpnuke and both have pros and cons. The following will explain why we chose the way we did. It is not scientific and it is most definitely subjective in some cases.

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pretty much details the whole discussion about why FCKeditor was chosen.

It isn't that SPAW is unsuitable, but rather it is not the best choice for most users compared with FCKeditor, TinyMCE and others based on these comparisons at

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Since the idea is to enable non-HTML-knowledgeable users to maintain content - and knowledgeable users to maintain content more efficiently - and after extensive testing and comparison of several tools - we felt that FCKeditor was the best choice. Moreover, FCKeditor is much more widely used and seems to have better support.

We have not ruled out doing a SPAW version as nukeWYSIWYG was designed to support multiple WYSIWYG editors. Right now we all have other priorities. Kevin (KGuske) is in charge of the nukeWYSIWYG editors and I have complete confidence in his decisions on this. If someone would be willing to underwrite his time and expense to reprioritise a SPAW inclusion, then he would certainly look at doing that right now, thereby offering users of RavenNuke76(tm) a choice.

Dawg · Posted: Fri Jan 13, 2006 2:18 pm

Raven, I may be interested in this project. I am using SPAW in my existing site quite successfully so I am not new to it.

The big question is what areas do you want included? I would assume just the ADMIN areas.

My problem is other than setting it up....I do not know a darn thing about secureing it.

If I may be of assistance just let me know....

Dawg

kguske · Site Admin Joined: Jun 04, 2004 Posts: 4640

nukeWYSIWYG was designed to support multiple WYSIWYG editors, even though we started with FCKeditor. In other words, to replace FCKeditor with SPAW, we need to modify very few files (really, just the function wysiwyg_textarea in the mainfile).

But, that assumes the editor can be loaded dynamically, which I believe SPAW supports. TinyMCE may also support this approach, but that isn't how it was implemented in PHP-Nuke 7.8-7.9, where it loads all the time and replaces ALL textareas with a WYSIWYG version.

There may also be changes necessary in SPAW to support different configurations / settings for regular users / visitors vs. administrators.

kguske · Site Admin Joined: Jun 04, 2004 Posts: 4640

An additional point - if we replace the FCKeditor stuff with SPAW stuff in the mainfile, the other changes we already made to use a WYSIWYG editor will take advantage of that (i.e. we don't really need to change specific areas to use a WYSIWYG since we used a modular approach). It currently works for Submit_News (regular users / visitors) and administration for blocks, content, FAQs, encyclopedia, messages, newsletter, and preferences / settings. That's off the top of my head, so I may have missed something...

Dawg · Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2006 8:33 pm

I have been working on it tonight. Submit News is causing me some issues.....I am working thought it...

Raven...Once I "Think" I have something.....Do you want me to post it here....Give it to someone else....or what?

IMHO.....someone else needs to check this after I am done...(LOL....If it works....) To many people will be useing this to release something that is not perfect.

Dawg

Raven · Posted: Sun Jan 15, 2006 8:40 pm

Kevin is the technical lead on this editor. Just post in here and he will address the issues. Thanks.

kguske · Site Admin Joined: Jun 04, 2004 Posts: 4640

Please send a PM with your email so we can transfer files efficiently.

kguske · Site Admin Joined: Jun 04, 2004 Posts: 4640

I opened a new thread to discuss integrating SPAW with nukeWYSIWYG and RavenNuke.

Please continue this discussion

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.

dingfelder · Posted: Sun Apr 23, 2006 3:28 pm

was any consideration given to integrating one of the smaller (faster loading) WISIWIGs (such as TinyMCE)?

The reason I'm asking is that the current one is SLOW to load Sad

Don't get me wrong, I love the functionality, but it takes almost a minute per page refresh for me to load pages with the editor.

kguske · Site Admin Joined: Jun 04, 2004 Posts: 4640

If you see the comparison I did at FreeSoftwareReviews.org (link is in Raven's post above), you can see that there was no significant performance benefit of TinyMCE over FCKeditor (or any other editor, for that matter). I agree that it loads slowly the first time - but you can impact that by reducing the functionality by configuring the toolbar. Also, my thought was that I'd rather wait a second or 2 to get the benefit of all that extra functionality I wouldn't have if I ran a limited version or one that doesn't work as well (like TinyMCE). A problem with the PHP-Nuke 7.7+ implementation of TinyMCE is that it loads the script on almost every page, affecting your performance whether or not you use the editor. With nukeWYSIWYG, the editor is ONLY loaded when needed.

That said, nukeWYSIWYG could support other editors like SPAW and TinyMCE (I think), with the same benefits of loading only on use, configurable toolbars, and HTML filtering. SPAW is next on the list as there has been the most interest in that editor. I'll look into TinyMCE, but not until after some other stuff is done...

dingfelder · Posted: Sun Apr 23, 2006 8:59 pm

ok, that sounds good. I actually have no "need" for tinyMCE per say, as I have never actually tried it...

I just thought from reading other's posts (and by looking it it's name) that it had a smaller footprint...

basically, I'm looking for *anything* that loads quicker as the current WISIWIG is dreadfully slow to load on a dialup connection

montego · Posted: Mon Apr 24, 2006 6:19 am

Actually, you just brought to light an interesting enhancement idea: make nukeWYSIWYG not only configurable by the site admin (in terms of ON/OFF), but also let the user choose to use or not to use, assuming the admin has it on.

Raven · Posted: Mon Apr 24, 2006 7:33 am

The thing about tinyMCE, if I understand what all I've read, is that it really isa good product. It was FB's poor implementation that caused the problems, not the editor itself. Maybe it bears looking at again?

kguske · Site Admin Joined: Jun 04, 2004 Posts: 4640

As my friend and former coworker used to say, "This is one of my number one priorities." My translation: It's not the number one priority right now...

redhairz · Worker Joined: Nov 17, 2006 Posts: 216

Hi all can i suggest something? Adsense has been around for sometime would it be possible to modify the WYSIWYG or FCK to indentify only adsense scripts and let member input adsense script on the extended input text only? if the member put the scripts at the story box ,it will give error message promting user to remove and place the script at the extended input text box only. how about that? :clap:

kguske · Site Admin Joined: Jun 04, 2004 Posts: 4640

Have you tried adding it as allowed HTML in the config.sys file?

redhairz · Worker Joined: Nov 17, 2006 Posts: 216

hiya kguske Very Happy

no i use the default config file from the Experimental folder anyway i read about other issue that allowing html or java script will give way to secrutiy.....of couse the submit new is allowed for members only. but how safe is that? Dance-Stick

maybe in the next version this feature may add in. Wave

kguske · Site Admin Joined: Jun 04, 2004 Posts: 4640

Certain HTML tags can cause problems and allowing JS can cause problems. The default config provides 2 levels of security, one for users / members and one for admins. I wouldn't recommend changing the submit news - but maybe we could detect an admin and use that on submit news.