[imp] Re: HTML composition in non-IE browsers...

[Paulo Rocha]

Cowle, Leon wrote:

> Why is HTML composition (in Horde HEAD) limited to IE5.5+ ? I've tried
> "fooling" it by sending a different user agent string from
> Mozilla/Firebird, but obviously the requirement for IE5.5 is valid as it
> doesn't work in Mozilla/Firebird... Why is this?

My guess is that Horde is using ContentEditable, a feature still only
available on MS Internet Explorer. IE's ContentEditable editor produces
ugly, deprecated and non conformant HTML. But it was the first browser to
have this component built-in and, due to IE's market share, a few web apps
are using it now (notably Content Management Systems).

There are many commercial components (mainly based on Java) that achieve the
same result. But since Horde is a free project, it may not be possible to
include a commercial Java applet.

There are a few projects on Mozdev.org that, in various ways, focus on
WYSIWYG content edition. The most promising of them is probably Mozile.
Check the cool demo present of their main page:
          http://mozile.mozdev.org/

The only WYSIWYG editor that works on every page is Composite. It is a pure
browser-side component, so the site's developer doesn't need to write HTML
in order to take advantage of it (well, Horde is an exception as I will
point out later):
          http://composite.mozdev.org/
To install it, follow the link "Composite for Mozilla 1.3" on the right
column. With this component, you just press Ctrl+E on any TEXTAREA and a
popup window with a WYSIWYG editor comes up. The only problem in using this
component with Horde, is that Horde will not place the correct Content-type
in the mail header. So the recipient will get HTML code displayed, instead
of the rendered HTML... Oh, and it doesn't seem to install on Mozilla 1.5a.

Mozile (http://mozile.mozdev.org/use.html) is, in my opinion, the way to go.
Horde should adopt it.


Paulo Rocha