CKEditor 5: Configurable Color Grid Columns
Hey guys! Are you tired of the hardcoded color grids in CKEditor 5's table properties views? It's time to make a change! In this article, we'll dive into a much-needed improvement for CKEditor 5 that will give you more control over the color grids in TableCellPropertiesView and TablePropertiesView. We're talking about making those color grid columns configurable, so you can finally achieve consistency across your editor. Let's get started!
The Problem: Hardcoded Color Grids
Currently, the number of columns in the color grids for text and background colors is hardcoded. This means that if you want to change the layout, you have to dig into the source code and modify it directly. This is not ideal, especially when you want to maintain a consistent look and feel across your editor.
Specifically, the issue lies within these files:
These files contain the hardcoded column configurations, making it difficult to reuse the same settings across other parts of the editor. Imagine you want to apply the same color palette to table-wide color settings or other UI components using color grids. With the current setup, it's a hassle to ensure consistency.
The hardcoded nature of these color grids presents several challenges. First and foremost, it hinders the maintainability of the codebase. Each time a change is required, developers must delve into the specific files, making the modification process time-consuming and prone to errors. This lack of flexibility can lead to inconsistencies across different instances of the color picker, particularly when dealing with customizations or extensions.
Furthermore, the hardcoded approach limits the adaptability of the color grid to varying design requirements. Different projects may necessitate different grid layouts, whether to accommodate specific color palettes or to align with overall aesthetic preferences. Without the ability to configure the number of columns and other layout aspects, developers are constrained to the default configuration, potentially compromising the visual appeal and user experience of the editor.
The Solution: Configurable Color Grid Columns
What we need is a way to configure the number of columns (and possibly other layout aspects) of the color grid. This could be achieved in a couple of ways:
- Editor Configuration: Allow developers to set the number of columns via the editor configuration. This would provide a straightforward way to customize the color grid without touching the source code.
- Shared Constant: Expose a shared constant that can be used across all color pickers. This would ensure consistency across the entire editor and make it easier to maintain.
By implementing either of these solutions, we can make the color grids more flexible and easier to manage. This will not only improve the developer experience but also allow for more consistent and customizable color palettes throughout the editor.
The configurable approach offers a multitude of benefits. First and foremost, it empowers developers to tailor the color grid to their specific needs and design preferences. By allowing the number of columns and other layout properties to be configured via the editor configuration, developers can seamlessly adapt the color grid to different project requirements without modifying the underlying code. This level of customization enhances the visual appeal and user experience of the editor, ensuring that it aligns perfectly with the project's overall design aesthetic.
Moreover, a configurable color grid promotes consistency across different instances of the color picker, whether within the table properties views or in other UI components throughout the editor. By exposing a shared constant that can be used across all color pickers, developers can ensure that the same color palette and layout are applied uniformly, maintaining a cohesive look and feel throughout the application. This consistency not only improves the user experience but also reduces the risk of visual discrepancies and usability issues.
In addition to flexibility and consistency, a configurable color grid streamlines maintenance and updates. By centralizing the color grid configuration, developers can easily modify the layout and appearance of the grid in a single location, without the need to hunt down and update individual instances. This centralized approach simplifies the maintenance process, reduces the likelihood of errors, and ensures that updates are applied consistently across the entire editor.
Benefits of Configurable Color Grids
Let's break down the benefits of making color grid columns configurable:
- Consistency: Consistent color palettes across the editor.
- Flexibility: Ability to adjust the grid layout to fit different design needs.
- Maintainability: Easier to update and maintain the color grids.
- Reusability: Reuse the same configuration across different parts of the editor.
These benefits highlight the importance of this improvement. By allowing developers to configure the color grids, we can create a more flexible, consistent, and maintainable editor.
Current Behavior vs. Desired Behavior
Current Behavior
Currently, the columns for the color grids are hardcoded in the TableCellPropertiesView and TablePropertiesView implementations. This means that modifying the color grid requires direct modification of the source code. It's a rigid and inflexible system that doesn't adapt well to different design requirements or maintainability best practices.
Imagine a scenario where you need to update the color palette across multiple projects or components. With the current setup, you would have to manually modify each instance of the color grid, a process that is both time-consuming and prone to errors. This lack of central control can lead to inconsistencies and maintenance headaches, particularly in large-scale projects with diverse design requirements.
Desired Behavior
The desired behavior is to allow configuring the number of columns (and optionally other layout properties) for color grids via the editor configuration. Alternatively, exposing a shared configuration would ensure that changes are consistent across all color picker UIs. This approach provides the flexibility and control that developers need to create customized and consistent user experiences.
By introducing configurability, developers can adapt the color grid to match the specific requirements of their projects, whether it's aligning with a particular brand identity, accommodating a wide range of color options, or optimizing the layout for different screen sizes. This level of customization empowers developers to create visually appealing and user-friendly interfaces that enhance the overall user experience.
Other Details
- Browser: All
- OS: All
- CKEditor version: 43+ (and earlier)
- Installed CKEditor plugins:
Table,TableProperties,TableCellProperties,FontColor,FontBackgroundColor, etc.
These details ensure that the improvement is applicable across various environments and setups. It's a change that will benefit a wide range of CKEditor 5 users, regardless of their specific configurations or project requirements.
Conclusion
Making the color grid columns configurable in CKEditor 5 is a significant improvement that will benefit developers and users alike. By providing the flexibility to adjust the grid layout, we can ensure consistency, improve maintainability, and create a more customizable editor. Let's hope this improvement gets implemented soon!
If you're interested in learning more about CKEditor 5 and its features, be sure to check out the official CKEditor 5 documentation. It's a treasure trove of information that will help you get the most out of this powerful editor.
'/><text x='50%' y='52%' font-family='Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif' font-size='44' fill='white' text-anchor='middle' dominant-baseline='middle'>Alex Johnson</text></svg>)
