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guideEditor with bottom toolbar and button grouping

The following custom editor example showcases an editor instance with the main toolbar displayed at the bottom of the editing window. To make it possible, the DecoupledEditor was used with the main toolbar injected after the editing root into the DOM. Learn more about the decoupled UI in CKEditor 5 to find out the details of this process.

Additionally, thanks to the flexibility offered by the CKEditor 5 UI framework, the main toolbar has been uncluttered by moving buttons related to text formatting into the custom “Formatting options” dropdown. All remaining dropdown and (button) tooltips have been tuned to open upward for the best user experience.

The presented combination of the UI and editor’s features works best for integrations where text creation comes first and formatting is applied occasionally, for example in email applications, (forum) post editors, chats or instant messaging. You can probably recognize this UI setup from some popular applications such as Gmail, Slack or Zendesk.

# Demo

Fabulous Dummy App logo

Welcome to Fabulous Dummy App!


We are so glad to have you, {user_name}! But before you can explore all the features, please verify your email address.

We use your email address to validate your account and to keep you updated. We respect your privacy and you can opt out of direct email marketing in your account preferences.

If you did not create an account using this email address, please contact us at contact@fabulousdummyapp.com.

Verify your account


Fabulous Dummy App
One app that will do anything you want.

2776 Black Oak Hollow Road, San Jose, CA

# Editor example configuration

View editor configuration script

import DecoupledEditor from '@ckeditor/ckeditor5-build-decoupled-document/src/ckeditor';
import Plugin from '@ckeditor/ckeditor5-core/src/plugin';

import Alignment from '@ckeditor/ckeditor5-alignment/src/alignment';
import Autoformat from '@ckeditor/ckeditor5-autoformat/src/autoformat';
import BlockQuote from '@ckeditor/ckeditor5-block-quote/src/blockquote';
import Bold from '@ckeditor/ckeditor5-basic-styles/src/bold';
import DropdownButtonView from '@ckeditor/ckeditor5-ui/src/dropdown/button/dropdownbuttonview';
import DropdownPanelView from '@ckeditor/ckeditor5-ui/src/dropdown/dropdownpanelview';
import DropdownView from '@ckeditor/ckeditor5-ui/src/dropdown/dropdownview';
import EasyImage from '@ckeditor/ckeditor5-easy-image/src/easyimage';
import Essentials from '@ckeditor/ckeditor5-essentials/src/essentials';
import Font from '@ckeditor/ckeditor5-font/src/font';
import Heading from '@ckeditor/ckeditor5-heading/src/heading';
import HorizontalLine from '@ckeditor/ckeditor5-horizontal-line/src/horizontalline';
import Image from '@ckeditor/ckeditor5-image/src/image';
import ImageCaption from '@ckeditor/ckeditor5-image/src/imagecaption';
import ImageStyle from '@ckeditor/ckeditor5-image/src/imagestyle';
import ImageToolbar from '@ckeditor/ckeditor5-image/src/imagetoolbar';
import ImageUpload from '@ckeditor/ckeditor5-image/src/imageupload';
import ImageResize from '@ckeditor/ckeditor5-image/src/imageresize';
import Indent from '@ckeditor/ckeditor5-indent/src/indent';
import Italic from '@ckeditor/ckeditor5-basic-styles/src/italic';
import Link from '@ckeditor/ckeditor5-link/src/link';
import List from '@ckeditor/ckeditor5-list/src/list';
import MediaEmbed from '@ckeditor/ckeditor5-media-embed/src/mediaembed';
import Paragraph from '@ckeditor/ckeditor5-paragraph/src/paragraph';
import RemoveFormat from '@ckeditor/ckeditor5-remove-format/src/removeformat';
import Strikethrough from '@ckeditor/ckeditor5-basic-styles/src/strikethrough';
import Subscript from '@ckeditor/ckeditor5-basic-styles/src/subscript';
import Superscript from '@ckeditor/ckeditor5-basic-styles/src/superscript';
import Table from '@ckeditor/ckeditor5-table/src/table';
import TableToolbar from '@ckeditor/ckeditor5-table/src/tabletoolbar';
import ToolbarView from '@ckeditor/ckeditor5-ui/src/toolbar/toolbarview';
import Underline from '@ckeditor/ckeditor5-basic-styles/src/underline';

import clickOutsideHandler from '@ckeditor/ckeditor5-ui/src/bindings/clickoutsidehandler';
import fontColorIcon from '@ckeditor/ckeditor5-font/theme/icons/font-color.svg';

class FormattingOptions extends Plugin {
    /**
     * @inheritDoc
     */
    static get pluginName() {
        return 'FormattingOptions';
    }

    /**
     * @inheritDoc
     */
    constructor( editor ) {
        super( editor );

        editor.ui.componentFactory.add( 'formattingOptions', locale => {
            const t = locale.t;
            const buttonView = new DropdownButtonView( locale );
            const panelView = new DropdownPanelView( locale );
            const dropdownView = new DropdownView( locale, buttonView, panelView );
            const toolbarView = this.toolbarView = dropdownView.toolbarView = new ToolbarView( locale );

            // Accessibility: Give the toolbar a human-readable ARIA label.
            toolbarView.set( {
                ariaLabel: t( 'Formatting options toolbar' )
            } );

            // Accessibility: Give the dropdown a human-readable ARIA label.
            dropdownView.set( {
                label: t( 'Formatting options' )
            } );

            // Toolbars in dropdowns need specific styling, hence the class.
            dropdownView.extendTemplate( {
                attributes: {
                    class: [ 'ck-toolbar-dropdown' ]
                }
            } );

            // Accessibility: If the dropdown panel is already open, the arrow down key should focus the first child of the #panelView.
            dropdownView.keystrokes.set( 'arrowdown', ( data, cancel ) => {
                if ( dropdownView.isOpen ) {
                    toolbarView.focus();
                    cancel();
                }
            } );

            // Accessibility: If the dropdown panel is already open, the arrow up key should focus the last child of the #panelView.
            dropdownView.keystrokes.set( 'arrowup', ( data, cancel ) => {
                if ( dropdownView.isOpen ) {
                    toolbarView.focusLast();
                    cancel();
                }
            } );

            // The formatting options should not close when the user clicked:
            // * the dropdown or it contents,
            // * any editing root,
            // * any floating UI in the "body" collection
            // It should close, for instance, when another (main) toolbar button was pressed, though.
            dropdownView.on( 'render', () => {
                clickOutsideHandler( {
                    emitter: dropdownView,
                    activator: () => dropdownView.isOpen,
                    callback: () => { dropdownView.isOpen = false; },
                    contextElements: [
                        dropdownView.element,
                        ...[ ...editor.ui.getEditableElementsNames() ].map( name => editor.ui.getEditableElement( name ) ),
                        document.querySelector( '.ck-body-wrapper' )
                    ]
                } );
            } );

            // The main button of the dropdown should be bound to the state of the dropdown.
            buttonView.bind( 'isOn' ).to( dropdownView, 'isOpen' );
            buttonView.bind( 'isEnabled' ).to( dropdownView );

            // Using the font color icon to visually represent the formatting.
            buttonView.set( {
                tooltip: t( 'Formatting options' ),
                icon: fontColorIcon
            } );

            dropdownView.panelView.children.add( toolbarView );

            toolbarView.fillFromConfig(
                editor.config.get( 'formattingOptions' ),
                editor.ui.componentFactory
            );

            return dropdownView;
        } );
    }
}

DecoupledEditor
    .create( document.querySelector( '#editor-content' ), {
        plugins: [
            Alignment,
            Autoformat,
            BlockQuote,
            Bold,
            EasyImage,
            Essentials,
            Font,
            Heading,
            HorizontalLine,
            Image,
            ImageCaption,
            ImageResize,
            ImageStyle,
            ImageToolbar,
            ImageUpload,
            Indent,
            Italic,
            Link,
            List,
            MediaEmbed,
            Paragraph,
            RemoveFormat,
            Strikethrough,
            Subscript,
            Superscript,
            Table,
            TableToolbar,
            Underline,

            FormattingOptions
        ],
        toolbar: [
            'formattingOptions',
            '|',
            'link',
            'blockQuote',
            'uploadImage',
            'insertTable',
            'mediaEmbed',
            'horizontalLine'
        ],

        // Configuration of the formatting dropdown.
        formattingOptions: [
            'undo',
            'redo',
            '|',
            'fontFamily',
            'fontSize',
            'fontColor',
            'fontBackgroundColor',
            '|',
            'bold',
            'italic',
            'underline',
            'strikethrough',
            '|',
            'alignment',
            '|',
            'bulletedList',
            'numberedList',
            '|',
            'outdent',
            'indent',
            '|',
            'removeFormat'
        ],

        image: {
            resizeUnit: 'px',
            toolbar: [
                'imageStyle:inline',
                'imageStyle:wrapText',
                'imageStyle:breakText',
                '|',
                'toggleImageCaption',
                'imageTextAlternative'
            ]
        },

        table: {
            contentToolbar: [
                'tableColumn',
                'tableRow',
                'mergeTableCells'
            ]
        },

        cloudServices: {
                    // PROVIDE CORRECT VALUES HERE:
                    tokenUrl: 'https://example.com/cs-token-endpoint',
                    uploadUrl: 'https://your-organization-id.cke-cs.com/easyimage/upload/',
                    webSocketUrl: 'your-organization-id.cke-cs.com/ws/'
                },
    } )
    .then( editor => {
        window.editor = editor;

        const toolbarContainer = document.querySelector( '#editor-toolbar-container' );

        toolbarContainer.appendChild( editor.ui.view.toolbar.element );

        overrideDropdownPositionsToNorth( editor, editor.ui.view.toolbar );
        overrideDropdownPositionsToNorth( editor, editor.plugins.get( 'FormattingOptions' ).toolbarView );

        overrideTooltipPositions( editor.ui.view.toolbar );
        overrideTooltipPositions( editor.plugins.get( 'FormattingOptions' ).toolbarView );
    } )
    .catch( err => {
        console.error( err.stack );
    } );

/**
 * Force all toolbar dropdown panels to use northern positions rather than southern (editor default).
 * This will position them correctly relative to the toolbar at the bottom of the editing root.
 *
 * @private
 * @param {module:core/editor/editor~Editor} editor
 * @param {module:ui/toolbar/toolbarview~ToolbarView} toolbarView
 */
function overrideDropdownPositionsToNorth( editor, toolbarView ) {
    const {
        south, north, southEast, southWest, northEast, northWest,
        southMiddleEast, southMiddleWest, northMiddleEast, northMiddleWest
    } = DropdownView.defaultPanelPositions;

    let panelPositions;

    if ( editor.locale.uiLanguageDirection !== 'rtl' ) {
        panelPositions = [
            northEast, northWest, northMiddleEast, northMiddleWest, north,
            southEast, southWest, southMiddleEast, southMiddleWest, south
        ];
    } else {
        panelPositions = [
            northWest, northEast, northMiddleWest, northMiddleEast, north,
            southWest, southEast, southMiddleWest, southMiddleEast, south
        ];
    }

    for ( const item of toolbarView.items ) {
        if ( !( item instanceof DropdownView ) ) {
            continue;
        }

        item.on( 'change:isOpen', () => {
            if ( !item.isOpen ) {
                return;
            }

            item.panelView.position = DropdownView._getOptimalPosition( {
                element: item.panelView.element,
                target: item.buttonView.element,
                fitInViewport: true,
                positions: panelPositions
            } ).name;
        } );
    }
}

/**
 * Forces all toolbar items to display tooltips to the north.
 * This will position them correctly relative to the toolbar at the bottom of the editing root.
 *
 * @param {module:ui/toolbar/toolbarview~ToolbarView} toolbarView
 */
function overrideTooltipPositions( toolbarView ) {
    for ( const item of toolbarView.items ) {
        if ( item.buttonView ) {
            item.buttonView.tooltipPosition = 'n';
        } else if ( item.tooltipPosition ) {
            item.tooltipPosition = 'n';
        }
    }
}

View editor content listing
<style>
    #editor {
        display: flex;
        flex-direction: column;
    }

    #editor-content {
        border-bottom-left-radius: 0;
        border-bottom-right-radius: 0;
    }

    #editor-content:not(.ck-focused) {
        border-color: var(--ck-color-base-border);
    }

    #editor-toolbar-container > .ck.ck-toolbar {
        border-top-width: 0;
        border-top-left-radius: 0;
        border-top-right-radius: 0;
    }

    .ck.ck-content {
        font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;
        padding: 3em 2em 2em;
    }

    .ck.ck-content h2 {
        border: 0;
        font-size: 1.3em;
        padding-top: 0.2em;
        padding-bottom: 0.2em;
        margin-bottom: 0.4em;
    }

    .ck.ck-content .ck-horizontal-line.ck-widget {
        text-align: center;
    }

    .ck.ck-content .ck-horizontal-line.ck-widget hr {
        margin: 5px auto;
        width: 50px;
        height: 1px;
        display: inline-block;
    }
</style>

<div id="editor">
    <div id="editor-content">
        <figure class="image image_resized" style="width: 65px;">
            <img
                src="data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHhtbG5zOnhsaW5rPSJodHRwOi8vd3d3LnczLm9yZy8xOTk5L3hsaW5rIiB2aWV3Qm94PSIwIDAgNjIgNjIiPgogIDxkZWZzPgogICAgPHBvbHlnb24gaWQ9ImEiIHBvaW50cz0iMTUgNTIgMTUgNDYuOTUxOTIzMSAxOS40MTMyODczIDQ2LjA4NjUzODUgMTkuNDEzMjg3MyAxNS45NDIzMDc3IDE1IDE1LjA3NjkyMzEgMTUgMTAgNDggMTAgNDggMjEuNTA5NjE1NCA0MS42MjIwODggMjEuNTA5NjE1NCA0MS4yNTE5NDEzIDE2LjQ5MDM4NDYgMjcuNzI3MzUxMiAxNi40OTAzODQ2IDI3LjcyNzM1MTIgMjguMDU3NjkyMyA0Mi4yNDg0OTAxIDI4LjA1NzY5MjMgNDIuMjQ4NDkwMSAzNC41NDgwNzY5IDI3LjcyNzM1MTIgMzQuNTQ4MDc2OSAyNy43MjczNTEyIDQ2LjA4NjUzODUgMzIuMTY5MTExMyA0Ni45NTE5MjMxIDMyLjE2OTExMTMgNTIiLz4KICA8L2RlZnM+CiAgPGcgZmlsbD0ibm9uZSIgZmlsbC1ydWxlPSJldmVub2RkIj4KICAgIDxyZWN0IGZpbGw9IiMxOTE3MTciIHdpZHRoPSI2MiIgaGVpZ2h0PSI2MiIgcng9IjMiLz4KICAgIDx1c2UgZmlsbD0iI0ZGRiIgZmlsbC1ydWxlPSJub256ZXJvIiB4bGluazpocmVmPSIjYSIvPgogIDwvZz4KPC9zdmc+Cg=="
                alt="Fabulous Dummy App logo"
            />
        </figure>
        <h2 style="text-align: center;">Welcome to Fabulous Dummy App!</h2>
        <hr />
        <p>We are so glad to have you, <strong>{user_name}</strong>! But before you can explore all the features, please verify your email address.</p>
        <p>We use your email address to validate your account and to keep you updated. We respect your privacy and you can opt out of direct email marketing in your account <a href="https://fabulousdummyapp.com/preferences">preferences</a>.</p>
        <p>If you did not create an account using this email address, please contact us at <a href="mailto:contact@fabulousdummyapp.com">contact@fabulousdummyapp.com</a>.</p>
        <p style="text-align: center;">
            <a href="https://fabulousdummyapp.com/verify">
                <span class="text-big"><strong>Verify your account</strong></span>
            </a>
        </p>
        <hr />
        <p>
            <a href="https://fabulousdummyapp.com/"><span class="text-small" style="color: hsl(0, 0%, 60%);"><strong>Fabulous Dummy App</strong></span></a><br /><span class="text-small" style="color: hsl(0, 0%, 60%);">One app that will do <i>anything</i> you want.</span>
        </p>
        <p><span class="text-small" style="color: hsl(0, 0%, 60%);">2776 Black Oak Hollow Road, San Jose, CA</span></p>
    </div>
    <div id="editor-toolbar-container"></div>
</div>