Customizing the DevExpress MVC 18.2 HTML Editor Toolbar

Enhancing User Experience with Bold, Colors, Font Size, and Separators

Key Takeaways

• Comprehensive Toolbar Configuration: Learn how to effectively customize the DevExpress MVC HTML Editor toolbar to include essential formatting options like bold, colors, and font size.
• Seamless Integration: Step-by-step guidance on integrating button separators to organize toolbar items, enhancing user navigation and experience.
• Optimized Code Implementation: Detailed code examples demonstrate the configuration process, ensuring a smooth setup tailored to your application's needs.

Introduction

Customizing the toolbar of the DevExpress MVC 18.2 HTML Editor is pivotal for enhancing the user experience by providing intuitive and essential formatting tools. By incorporating features such as bold text, color selections, font size adjustments, and button separators, developers can create a more versatile and user-friendly text editing environment. This guide offers a comprehensive approach to configuring these elements, ensuring that the HTML Editor aligns seamlessly with your application's requirements.

Setting Up the DevExpress MVC HTML Editor

Adding the Editor to Your View

To begin customizing the toolbar, first ensure that the DevExpress MVC HTML Editor is properly added to your view. This involves incorporating the HtmlEditorExtension into your Razor view using the @Html.DevExpress() helper method. Assign a unique name to the editor instance to manage its configuration effectively.

Configuring the Toolbar

The toolbar configuration is central to providing the desired formatting options. By accessing the Toolbars property within the editor settings, you can define and add specific toolbar items such as bold, color pickers, font size selectors, and separators. This structured approach ensures that the toolbar is both functional and aesthetically organized.

Customizing Toolbar Items

Bold Formatting

The bold formatting option allows users to emphasize text, improving readability and highlighting important information. By adding the ToolbarBoldButton or specifying HtmlEditorToolbarItem.Bold in your configuration, you enable users to apply bold styling effortlessly.

Font Color Picker

Offering a font color picker enhances the customization capabilities of the editor, allowing users to tailor the text color to their preferences or brand guidelines. Integrate this feature by adding the ToolbarFontColorButton or utilizing HtmlEditorToolbarItem.ForeColor, providing a palette of color options directly within the toolbar.

Font Size Selector

The ability to adjust font sizes is essential for creating visually appealing and accessible content. Incorporate a font size selector by adding the ToolbarFontSizeEdit or specifying HtmlEditorToolbarItem.FontSize, enabling users to seamlessly modify the text size to suit their needs.

Adding Button Separators

Button separators are crucial for organizing toolbar items, enhancing clarity, and improving the overall user interface. By inserting separators using the ToolbarSeparator or HtmlEditorToolbarItem.Separator, you can group related tools together, making the toolbar more intuitive and easier to navigate.

Implementing the Custom Toolbar

Example Code

Below is an example of how to configure the DevExpress MVC 18.2 HTML Editor toolbar to include bold formatting, color selection, font size adjustment, and button separators. This code sets up the editor within a Razor view, defining the necessary toolbar items and customizing the editor's appearance.

View (.cshtml)

@using DevExpress.Web.Mvc

@Html.DevExpress().HtmlEditor(settings => {
    settings.Name = "customHtmlEditor"; // Editor's unique name
    settings.Height = 400;
    settings.Width = 750;
    
    // Enable HTML editing features
    settings.SettingsHtmlEditing.ClientEnabled = true;
    settings.SettingsHtmlEditing.HtmlEditingEnabled = true;
    
    // Customize the toolbar
    settings.Toolbars.Add(toolbar => {
        // Add Bold button
        toolbar.Items.Add(new ToolbarBoldButton());
        
        // Add Separator
        toolbar.Items.Add(new ToolbarSeparator());
        
        // Add Font Color Picker
        toolbar.Items.Add(new ToolbarFontColorButton());
        
        // Add Font Size Dropdown
        toolbar.Items.Add(new ToolbarFontSizeEdit());
        
        // Add another Separator
        toolbar.Items.Add(new ToolbarSeparator());
    });
}).GetHtml()

Explanation of the Code

1. Editor Initialization: The @Html.DevExpress().HtmlEditor helper initializes the HTML Editor with a unique name, height, and width, setting the foundation for customization.

2. HTML Editing Features: Enabling SettingsHtmlEditing.ClientEnabled and SettingsHtmlEditing.HtmlEditingEnabled activates the HTML editing capabilities, allowing users to manipulate content effectively.

3. Toolbar Configuration: The settings.Toolbars.Add method adds a new toolbar, within which specific items are added in sequence:

   • ToolbarBoldButton: Inserts the bold formatting button, enabling users to bold their text.
   • ToolbarSeparator: Adds a visual separator to organize toolbar items.
   • ToolbarFontColorButton: Incorporates a font color picker, allowing text color customization.
   • ToolbarFontSizeEdit: Adds a dropdown for selecting font sizes.
   • ToolbarSeparator: Adds another separator for enhanced organization.

Advanced Customizations

Styling and Appearance

Beyond basic toolbar configuration, developers can further customize the HTML Editor's appearance to match the application's design aesthetics. Adjusting properties such as the editor's height and width ensures that the toolbar and editor space are optimized for various screen sizes and layouts.

Responsive Design Considerations

Implementing responsive design principles guarantees that the HTML Editor remains functional and visually appealing across different devices and screen resolutions. Utilizing percentage-based widths and ensuring that toolbar items are scalable contributes to a consistent user experience.

Extending Toolbar Functionality

Developers can extend the toolbar's functionality by adding additional formatting options or tools as needed. This flexibility allows for the creation of a tailored editing environment that caters to specific user needs and application requirements.

Conclusion

Customizing the DevExpress MVC 18.2 HTML Editor toolbar to include features like bold formatting, color selection, font size adjustment, and button separators significantly enhances the user experience. By following the structured approach outlined in this guide, developers can create a more intuitive and user-friendly text editing interface. The provided code examples and explanations serve as a comprehensive resource for implementing these customizations, ensuring that the HTML Editor meets the specific needs of your application.

References