Creating web forms to accept user input can be a bit of challenge if you are new to the scence, but fortunately there are already free open source and platform independent solutions to help you with these tasks. The widely used ones are such as FCKeditor, TinyMCE, Markdown, WYMeditor and Whizzywig.
FCKEditor
FCKEditor brings to the web much of the power of desktop editors like MS Word. It’s lightweight and doesn’t require any kind of installation on the client computer.
TinyMCE
TinyMCE is a platform independent web based Javascript HTML WYSIWYG editor control released as Open Source under LGPL by Moxiecode Systems AB. It has the ability to convert HTML TEXTAREA fields or other HTML elements to editor instances. TinyMCE is very easy to integrate into other Content Management Systems.
Markdown
Markdown is a text-to-HTML formatting syntax for web writers, implemented as a plug-in for Movable Type, Blosxom, and BBEdit. Markdown allows you to write using an easy-to-read, easy-to-write plain text format, then convert it to structurally valid XHTML (or HTML).
WYMEdirtor
WYMeditor is a web-based WYSIWYM (What You See Is What You Mean) XHTML editor. WYMeditor’s main concept is to leave details of the document’s visual layout, and to concentrate on its structure and meaning, while trying to give the user as much comfort as possible (at least as WYSIWYG editors).
Whizzywig
Whizzywig is easy. It lets people create rich, formatted text through a web form. It actually creates HTML (or xhtml, if you prefer) but you need no HTML knowledge to use it. If you can use a word processor or email, then you can use this.
openWYSIWYG
openWYSIWYG is written completely in javascript and DHTML. It’s a free cross-browser WYSIWYG editor that’s packed with every rich-text editing feature you need to make your content management system that much better. Setting up openWYSIWYG is so easy, you can quickly turn any <textarea> into a powerful WYSIWYG editor with just a few simple lines of code. Packed with every rich text editing feature you need, openWYSIWYG gives you total control over formatting your text. The ultimate <textarea> replacement for your content management system. (added on 14th December)
Please leave a comment on which ones you have personally used or any other alternatives apart from the ones mentioned above.
Glen says
I am wanting to replace the html editor in Sugarcrm which is an old version of TinyMCE. Came across this one:
http://www.openwebware.com/
Glen
David says
Thanks Glen, looks like a pretty neat alternative.
For the record, the editor is known as openWYSIWYG.