Category_Forum Administration, CKEditor, Default Text Editor, Lightweight, Modifications, MyBB, SCEditor, WYSIWYG Editors - July 9, 2014

Replacing the Default MyBB Editor

The default MyBB editor isn't all that bad, and it does get the job done. Still, if you're like me and you love replacing stuff for additional features or for no reason whatsoever, then you're in luck because there are a couple of other options out there for you. In this article, we are going to be taking a look at a couple different WYSIWYG replacements for MyBB. As always, before doing anything make sure to backup your forum.

SCEditor for MyBB

This is the first editor I decided to look at it. It's described as "lightweight", so I wasn't expecting anything special. Like every MyBB mod, it's installed by dragging and dropping some files over FTP and by activating it in the ACP. Original Editor: mybb default editor

SCEditor: SCEditor MyBB

The appearance of the editor doesn't change much aside from a few new buttons, but once you dig a little deeper you can begin to see the changes. Some of the changes include:

Font size and name are now buttons.
Size is based on numbers instead of small, medium, large, etc. and you get a preview of text size.
More font colors.
Date and time inserter.

While I'm not too fond of the look, the editor itself is decent. It provides you with a few extra options that the default editor lacks. Other than that, it's very simple.

CKEditor for MyBB

While taking a quick look at SCEditor was fun and all, the main reason for this post was so that I can take a look at this bad boy. Even though SCEditor is a slight improvement above the default editor, CKeditor looks like a far superior option in comparison. Note: Please make sure to back up, especially with this modification. People have had some problems with it in the past, which is why it has a poor rating, but as of today it seems to be working. But to be safe, make sure to backup your forum. Installation is just like any other MyBB modification. Original Editor: mybb default editor

CKEditor: CKEditor MyBB

As you can tell, there is a massive improvement when it comes to appearance. While the styling is pretty basic, it's definitely an improvement compared to the 90's look of the default editor. Some more changes include:

Auto save and restore.
Color picker.
Paste from word, and paste as plain text buttons.
Redo, and undo buttons.
Special character inserter.
Styled insert forms.
Current date and time inserters.
Ability to change themes.
Ability to expand with plugins.

The fact that you can change the theme of this editor, and extend it with plugins is pretty awesome. CKEditor also has a ton of other things that the default and SC editor doesn't have, like redo/undo buttons and a special character inserter. Aside from that, it is open source, has a huge contributing community and has been in development for 10 years; so you know that's a pretty worthy editor replacement. Really, my only problem with this mod is that a few buttons are still in Russian, but besides that its pretty awesome. Conclusion I have to say that CKEditor is a great replacement for the default editor in MyBB. SCEditor is a good one too, but its way too basic for my taste and really only adds a few things. What it comes down to, is that the robustness of CKEditor just can't compare to the other editors. The ability to change themes, install plugins and autosave, are just some pretty neat features that put CKEditor on top. What do you think? Which replacement do you prefer, or are you going to stick with the default editor?