CKEditor Rich-Text Editor in React Next.js

CKEditor Rich-Text Editor in React Next.js

In today's digital age, content creation has become an essential part of our lives. Whether it's writing a blog post, creating a website, or drafting an email, we all need a reliable tool to help us create and edit content. This is where CKEditor comes in. CKEditor is a powerful and flexible rich-text editor that allows users to create and edit content with ease. In this tutorial, we will explore how to integrate CKEditor into a React Next.js application.

React Next.js is a popular framework for building server-side rendered React applications. It provides a powerful set of tools and features that make it easy to build complex web applications. By integrating CKEditor into a React Next.js application, we can provide users with a rich and intuitive content editing experience. In this tutorial, we will cover the basics of integrating CKEditor into a React Next.js application, including how to install and configure CKEditor, how to create a custom toolbar, and how to save and retrieve content from a database. By the end of this tutorial, you will have a solid understanding of how to integrate CKEditor into your React Next.js applications.

What is CKEditor?

CKEditor is a powerful and flexible rich-text editor that allows users to create and edit content with ease. It is a web-based WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editor that provides users with a familiar and intuitive interface for creating and editing content. CKEditor is highly customizable and can be configured to meet the specific needs of different applications and users.

CKEditor supports a wide range of features, including formatting text, inserting images and videos, creating tables, and more. It also provides a range of plugins that can be used to extend its functionality, such as spell checking, code highlighting, and more. CKEditor is used by millions of users worldwide and is a popular choice for content management systems, e-commerce platforms, and other web applications that require a powerful and flexible content editing tool.

Why use CKEditor for Rich-Text Editor in React Next.js application?

CKEditor is a popular choice for rich-text editing because of its many benefits. First and foremost, CKEditor is highly customizable, allowing developers to tailor the editor to meet the specific needs of their application. This means that developers can add or remove features as needed, making the editor more efficient and user-friendly. Additionally, CKEditor is easy to integrate with other web applications, making it a great choice for content management systems and other web-based platforms.

Other benefits of using CKEditor include:

• CKEditor is cross-platform and works on all major web browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Internet Explorer.
• CKEditor is highly extensible, with a large number of plugins available that can be used to add new features and functionality to the editor.
• CKEditor is easy to use, with a familiar and intuitive interface that is similar to other popular text editors.
• CKEditor is actively maintained and updated, with new features and improvements being added regularly.

Overall, CKEditor is a powerful and flexible rich-text editor that provides developers with a wide range of customization options and users with a familiar and intuitive interface for creating and editing content. Whether you're building a content management system, an e-commerce platform, or any other web-based application that requires rich-text editing, CKEditor is a great choice.

Prerequisites

To complete the "CKEditor Rich-Text Editor in React Next.js" tutorial, you will need the following prerequisites:

• Basic knowledge of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
• Familiarity with React and Next.js frameworks.
• Node.js and npm installed on your computer.
• A code editor such as Visual Studio Code or Sublime Text.
• A basic understanding of how to create and configure a React Next.js application.
• A basic understanding of how to work with APIs and databases.

React Next.js CKEditor step by step setup and configuration

Integrating CKEditor into a React Next.js project is a straightforward process that involves installing the CKEditor package, creating a custom toolbar, and configuring the editor to work with your application's API and database. Here are the steps to follow:

1. Install the CKEditor package: The first step is to install the CKEditor package using npm. Open your terminal and navigate to your project directory, then run the following command:

npm install @ckeditor/ckeditor5-react @ckeditor/ckeditor5-build-classic

This will install the CKEditor package and its dependencies.

2. Create a custom toolbar: Next, you'll need to create a custom toolbar for the editor. This will allow you to add or remove features as needed. Here's an example of how to create a custom toolbar:

import React, { useState } from 'react';
import CKEditor from '@ckeditor/ckeditor5-react';
import ClassicEditor from '@ckeditor/ckeditor5-build-classic';

const MyEditor = () => {
  const [content, setContent] = useState('');

  const handleEditorChange = (event, editor) => {
    const data = editor.getData();
    setContent(data);
  };

  return (
    <CKEditor
      editor={ClassicEditor}
      data={content}
      onChange={handleEditorChange}
      config={{
        toolbar: [
          'heading',
          '|',
          'bold',
          'italic',
          'link',
          'bulletedList',
          'numberedList',
          '|',
          'indent',
          'outdent',
          '|',
          'imageUpload',
          'blockQuote',
          'insertTable',
          'mediaEmbed',
          'undo',
          'redo'
        ]
      }}
    />
  );
};

export default MyEditor;

In this example, we're creating a custom toolbar that includes a range of features, such as headings, bold and italic text, links, lists, images, tables, and more.

3. Configure the editor to work with your API and database: Finally, you'll need to configure the editor to work with your application's API and database. This will involve setting up an API endpoint to handle content submissions and retrieving content from the database. Here's an example of how to do this:

import axios from 'axios';

const API_URL = 'http://localhost:3000/api';

export const saveContent = async (content) => {
  try {
    const response = await axios.post(`${API_URL}/content`, { content });
    return response.data;
  } catch (error) {
    console.error(error);
  }
};

export const getContent = async () => {
  try {
    const response = await axios.get(`${API_URL}/content`);
    return response.data;
  } catch (error) {
    console.error(error);
  }
};

In this example, we're using Axios to make API requests to our server. We have two functions, saveContent and getContent, that handle saving and retrieving content from the database. You'll need to modify these functions to work with your specific API and database.

4. Use the editor in your application: Once you've completed the above steps, you can use the editor in your application. Simply import the MyEditor component and add it to your application's JSX code:

import MyEditor from './MyEditor';

const App = () => {
  return (
    <div>
      <h1>My App</h1>
      <MyEditor />
    </div>
  );
};

export default App;

And that's it! You've successfully integrated CKEditor into your React Next.js project.

CKEditor configuration options in React Next.js

Here are the CKEditor configuration options for React Next.js integration:

• editor: The CKEditor build to use. This is required and should be set to ClassicEditor.
• data: The initial content to display in the editor.
• onChange: A callback function that is called whenever the content in the editor changes.
• config: An object that contains various configuration options for the editor. Here are some of the most commonly used options:
  • toolbar: An array of toolbar items to display in the editor. Each item is represented by a string, and the items are separated by the | character. For example: ['heading', '|', 'bold', 'italic', '|', 'link'].
  • language: The language to use for the editor. This should be set to the language code, such as en for English.
  • image: Configuration options for the image plugin, such as the maximum file size and allowed file types.
  • table: Configuration options for the table plugin, such as the default number of rows and columns.
  • placeholder: The text to display in the editor when there is no content.
  • ckfinder: Configuration options for the CKFinder file manager, such as the base URL and authentication settings.
  • autosave: Configuration options for the autosave plugin, such as the interval between saves and the URL to save to.
  • heading: Configuration options for the heading plugin, such as the available heading levels and their names.
  • link: Configuration options for the link plugin, such as the default link target and the allowed link protocols.
  • imageUpload: Configuration options for the image upload plugin, such as the URL to upload images to and the maximum file size.

Conclusion

In conclusion, integrating CKEditor into a React Next.js application is a powerful way to provide users with a rich and intuitive content editing experience. CKEditor is highly customizable and can be configured to meet the specific needs of different applications and users. By following the steps outlined in this tutorial, you can easily integrate CKEditor into your React Next.js application and take advantage of its many features and benefits.

Throughout this tutorial, we covered the basics of integrating CKEditor into a React Next.js application, including how to install and configure CKEditor, how to create a custom toolbar, and how to save and retrieve content from a database. We also discussed the various configuration options available for CKEditor and how they can be used to customize the editor to meet the specific needs of your application.

By following the steps outlined in this tutorial and experimenting with the various configuration options available for CKEditor, you can create a powerful and flexible content editing tool that will help you and your users create and edit content with ease. Whether you're building a content management system, an e-commerce platform, or any other web-based application that requires rich-text editing, CKEditor is a great choice.