[ckeditor] How can you integrate a custom file browser/uploader with CKEditor?

The official documentation is less than clear - what's the correct way to integrate a custom file browser/uploader with CKEditor? (v3 - not FCKEditor)

This question is related to ckeditor

The answer is


I just went through the learning process myself. I figured it out, but I agree the documentation is written in a way that was sorta intimidating to me. The big "aha" moment for me was understanding that for browsing, all CKeditor does is open a new window and provide a few parameters in the url. It allows you to add additional parameters but be advised you will need to use encodeURIComponent() on your values.

I call the browser and the uploader with

CKEDITOR.replace( 'body',  
{  
    filebrowserBrowseUrl: 'browse.php?type=Images&dir=' +  
        encodeURIComponent('content/images'),  
    filebrowserUploadUrl: 'upload.php?type=Files&dir=' +  
        encodeURIComponent('content/images')  
}

For the browser, in the open window (browse.php) you use php & js to supply a list of choices and then upon your supplied onclick handler, you call a CKeditor function with two arguments, the url/path to the selected image and CKEditorFuncNum supplied by CKeditor in the url:

function myOnclickHandler(){  
//..    
    window.opener.CKEDITOR.tools.callFunction(<?php echo $_GET['CKEditorFuncNum']; ?>, pathToImage);  
    window.close();
}       

Simarly, the uploader simply calls the url you supply, e.g., upload.php, and again supplies $_GET['CKEditorFuncNum']. The target is an iframe so, after you save the file from $_FILES you pass your feedback to CKeditor as thus:

$funcNum = $_GET['CKEditorFuncNum'];  
exit("<script>window.parent.CKEDITOR.tools.callFunction($funcNum, '$filePath', '$errorMessage');</script>");  

Below is a simple to understand custom browser script. While it does not allow users to navigate around in the server, it does allow you to indicate which directory to pull image files from when calling the browser.

It's all rather basic coding so it should work in all relatively modern browsers.

CKeditor merely opens a new window with the url provided

/*          
    in CKeditor **use encodeURIComponent()** to add dir param to the filebrowserBrowseUrl property

    Replace content/images with directory where your images are housed.
*/          
        CKEDITOR.replace( 'editor1', {  
            filebrowserBrowseUrl: '**browse.php**?type=Images&dir=' + encodeURIComponent('content/images'),  
            filebrowserUploadUrl: 'upload.php?type=Files&dir=' + encodeURIComponent('content/images') 
        });   

// ========= complete code below for browse.php

<?php  
header("Content-Type: text/html; charset=utf-8\n");  
header("Cache-Control: no-cache, must-revalidate\n");  
header("Expires: Sat, 26 Jul 1997 05:00:00 GMT");  

// e-z params  
$dim = 150;         /* image displays proportionally within this square dimension ) */  
$cols = 4;          /* thumbnails per row */
$thumIndicator = '_th'; /* e.g., *image123_th.jpg*) -> if not using thumbNails then use empty string */  
?>  
<!DOCTYPE html>  
<html>  
<head>  
    <title>browse file</title>  
    <meta charset="utf-8">  

    <style>  
        html,  
        body {padding:0; margin:0; background:black; }  
        table {width:100%; border-spacing:15px; }  
        td {text-align:center; padding:5px; background:#181818; }  
        img {border:5px solid #303030; padding:0; verticle-align: middle;}  
        img:hover { border-color:blue; cursor:pointer; }  
    </style>  

</head>  


<body>  

<table>  

<?php  

$dir = $_GET['dir'];    

$dir = rtrim($dir, '/'); // the script will add the ending slash when appropriate  

$files = scandir($dir);  

$images = array();  

foreach($files as $file){  
    // filter for thumbNail image files (use an empty string for $thumIndicator if not using thumbnails )
    if( !preg_match('/'. $thumIndicator .'\.(jpg|jpeg|png|gif)$/i', $file) )  
        continue;  

    $thumbSrc = $dir . '/' . $file;  
    $fileBaseName = str_replace('_th.','.',$file);  

    $image_info = getimagesize($thumbSrc);  
    $_w = $image_info[0];  
    $_h = $image_info[1]; 

    if( $_w > $_h ) {       // $a is the longer side and $b is the shorter side
        $a = $_w;  
        $b = $_h;  
    } else {  
        $a = $_h;  
        $b = $_w;  
    }     

    $pct = $b / $a;     // the shorter sides relationship to the longer side

    if( $a > $dim )   
        $a = $dim;      // limit the longer side to the dimension specified

    $b = (int)($a * $pct);  // calculate the shorter side

    $width =    $_w > $_h ? $a : $b;  
    $height =   $_w > $_h ? $b : $a;  

    // produce an image tag
    $str = sprintf('<img src="%s" width="%d" height="%d" title="%s" alt="">',   
        $thumbSrc,  
        $width,  
        $height,  
        $fileBaseName  
    );  

    // save image tags in an array
    $images[] = str_replace("'", "\\'", $str); // an unescaped apostrophe would break js  

}

$numRows = floor( count($images) / $cols );  

// if there are any images left over then add another row
if( count($images) % $cols != 0 )  
    $numRows++;  


// produce the correct number of table rows with empty cells
for($i=0; $i<$numRows; $i++)   
    echo "\t<tr>" . implode('', array_fill(0, $cols, '<td></td>')) . "</tr>\n\n";  

?>  
</table>  


<script>  

// make a js array from the php array
images = [  
<?php   

foreach( $images as $v)  
    echo sprintf("\t'%s',\n", $v);  

?>];  

tbl = document.getElementsByTagName('table')[0];  

td = tbl.getElementsByTagName('td');  

// fill the empty table cells with data
for(var i=0; i < images.length; i++)  
    td[i].innerHTML = images[i];  


// event handler to place clicked image into CKeditor
tbl.onclick =   

    function(e) {  

        var tgt = e.target || event.srcElement,  
            url;  

        if( tgt.nodeName != 'IMG' )  
            return;  

        url = '<?php echo $dir;?>' + '/' + tgt.title;  

        this.onclick = null;  

        window.opener.CKEDITOR.tools.callFunction(<?php echo $_GET['CKEditorFuncNum']; ?>, url);  

        window.close();  
    }  
</script>  
</body>  
</html>            

Start by registering your custom browser/uploader when you instantiate CKEditor.

<script type="text/javascript">
CKEDITOR.replace('content', {
    filebrowserUploadUrl: "Upload File Url",//http://localhost/phpwork/test/ckFileUpload.php
    filebrowserWindowWidth  : 800,
    filebrowserWindowHeight : 500
});
</script>

Code for upload file(ckFileUpload.php) & put the upload file on root dir of your project.

// HERE SET THE PATH TO THE FOLDERS FOR IMAGES AND AUDIO ON YOUR SERVER (RELATIVE TO THE ROOT OF YOUR WEBSITE ON SERVER)

$upload_dir = array(
 'img'=> '/phpwork/test/uploads/editor-images/',
 'audio'=> '/phpwork/ezcore_v1/uploads/editor-images/'
);

// HERE PERMISSIONS FOR IMAGE
$imgset = array(
 'maxsize' => 2000,     // maximum file size, in KiloBytes (2 MB)
 'maxwidth' => 900,     // maximum allowed width, in pixels
 'maxheight' => 800,    // maximum allowed height, in pixels
 'minwidth' => 10,      // minimum allowed width, in pixels
 'minheight' => 10,     // minimum allowed height, in pixels
 'type' => array('bmp', 'gif', 'jpg', 'jpeg', 'png'),  // allowed extensions
);

// HERE PERMISSIONS FOR AUDIO
$audioset = array(
 'maxsize' => 20000,    // maximum file size, in KiloBytes (20 MB)
 'type' => array('mp3', 'ogg', 'wav'),  // allowed extensions
);

// If 1 and filename exists, RENAME file, adding "_NR" to the end of filename (name_1.ext, name_2.ext, ..)
// If 0, will OVERWRITE the existing file
define('RENAME_F', 1);

$re = '';
if(isset($_FILES['upload']) && strlen($_FILES['upload']['name']) >1) {
  define('F_NAME', preg_replace('/\.(.+?)$/i', '', basename($_FILES['upload']['name'])));  //get filename without extension

  // get protocol and host name to send the absolute image path to CKEditor
  $protocol = !empty($_SERVER['HTTPS']) ? 'https://' : 'http://';
  $site = $protocol. $_SERVER['SERVER_NAME'] .'/';
  $sepext = explode('.', strtolower($_FILES['upload']['name']));
  $type = end($sepext);    // gets extension
  $upload_dir = in_array($type, $imgset['type']) ? $upload_dir['img'] : $upload_dir['audio'];
  $upload_dir = trim($upload_dir, '/') .'/';

  //checkings for image or audio
  if(in_array($type, $imgset['type'])){
    list($width, $height) = getimagesize($_FILES['upload']['tmp_name']);  // image width and height
    if(isset($width) && isset($height)) {
      if($width > $imgset['maxwidth'] || $height > $imgset['maxheight']) $re .= '\\n Width x Height = '. $width .' x '. $height .' \\n The maximum Width x Height must be: '. $imgset['maxwidth']. ' x '. $imgset['maxheight'];
      if($width < $imgset['minwidth'] || $height < $imgset['minheight']) $re .= '\\n Width x Height = '. $width .' x '. $height .'\\n The minimum Width x Height must be: '. $imgset['minwidth']. ' x '. $imgset['minheight'];
      if($_FILES['upload']['size'] > $imgset['maxsize']*1000) $re .= '\\n Maximum file size must be: '. $imgset['maxsize']. ' KB.';
    }
  }
  else if(in_array($type, $audioset['type'])){
    if($_FILES['upload']['size'] > $audioset['maxsize']*1000) $re .= '\\n Maximum file size must be: '. $audioset['maxsize']. ' KB.';
  }
  else $re .= 'The file: '. $_FILES['upload']['name']. ' has not the allowed extension type.';

  //set filename; if file exists, and RENAME_F is 1, set "img_name_I"
  // $p = dir-path, $fn=filename to check, $ex=extension $i=index to rename
  function setFName($p, $fn, $ex, $i){
    if(RENAME_F ==1 && file_exists($p .$fn .$ex)) return setFName($p, F_NAME .'_'. ($i +1), $ex, ($i +1));
    else return $fn .$ex;
  }

  $f_name = setFName($_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT'] .'/'. $upload_dir, F_NAME, ".$type", 0);
  $uploadpath = $_SERVER['DOCUMENT_ROOT'] .'/'. $upload_dir . $f_name;  // full file path

  // If no errors, upload the image, else, output the errors
  if($re == '') {
    if(move_uploaded_file($_FILES['upload']['tmp_name'], $uploadpath)) {
      $CKEditorFuncNum = $_GET['CKEditorFuncNum'];
      $url = $site. $upload_dir . $f_name;
      $msg = F_NAME .'.'. $type .' successfully uploaded: \\n- Size: '. number_format($_FILES['upload']['size']/1024, 2, '.', '') .' KB';
      $re = in_array($type, $imgset['type']) ? "window.parent.CKEDITOR.tools.callFunction($CKEditorFuncNum, '$url', '$msg')"  //for img
       : 'var cke_ob = window.parent.CKEDITOR; for(var ckid in cke_ob.instances) { if(cke_ob.instances[ckid].focusManager.hasFocus) break;} cke_ob.instances[ckid].insertHtml(\'<audio src="'. $url .'" controls></audio>\', \'unfiltered_html\'); alert("'. $msg .'"); var dialog = cke_ob.dialog.getCurrent();  dialog.hide();';
    }
    else $re = 'alert("Unable to upload the file")';
  }
  else $re = 'alert("'. $re .'")';
}

@header('Content-type: text/html; charset=utf-8');
echo '<script>'. $re .';</script>';

Ck-editor documentation is not clear after doing alot of R&D for custom file upload finally i have found this solution. It work for me and i hope it will helpful to others as well.


For people wondering about a Servlet/JSP implementation here's how you go about doing it... I will be explaining uploadimage below also.

1) First make sure you have added the filebrowser and uploadimage variable to your config.js file. Make you also have the uploadimage and filebrowser folder inside the plugins folder too.

2) This part is where it tripped me up:

The Ckeditor website documentation says you need to use these two methods:

function getUrlParam( paramName ) {
    var reParam = new RegExp( '(?:[\?&]|&)' + paramName + '=([^&]+)', 'i' );
    var match = window.location.search.match( reParam );
    return ( match && match.length > 1 ) ? match[1] : null;
}
function returnFileUrl() {
    var funcNum = getUrlParam( 'CKEditorFuncNum' );
    var fileUrl = 'https://patiliyo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/ruyada-kedi-gormek.jpg';
    window.opener.CKEDITOR.tools.callFunction( funcNum, fileUrl );
    window.close();
}

What they don't mention is that these methods have to be on a different page and not the page where you are clicking the browse server button from.

So if you have ckeditor initialized in page editor.jsp then you need to create a file browser (with basic html/css/javascript) in page filebrowser.jsp.

editor.jsp (all you need is this in your script tag) This page will open filebrowser.jsp in a mini window when you click on the browse server button.

CKEDITOR.replace( 'editor', {
    filebrowserBrowseUrl: '../filebrowser.jsp', //jsp page with jquery to call servlet and get image files to view
    filebrowserUploadUrl: '../UploadImage', //servlet

});

filebrowser.jsp (is the custom file browser you built which will contain the methods mentioned above)

<head>
<script src="../../ckeditor/ckeditor.js"></script>
</head>
<body>
<script>


function getUrlParam( paramName ) {
    var reParam = new RegExp( '(?:[\?&]|&)' + paramName + '=([^&]+)', 'i' );
    var match = window.location.search.match( reParam );
    return ( match && match.length > 1 ) ? match[1] : null;
}

function returnFileUrl() {
    var funcNum = getUrlParam( 'CKEditorFuncNum' );
var fileUrl = 'https://patiliyo.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/ruyada-kedi-gormek.jpg';
    window.opener.CKEDITOR.tools.callFunction( funcNum, fileUrl );
    window.close();
}


//when this window opens it will load all the images which you send from the FileBrowser Servlet. 
getImages();
function getImages(){
    $.get("../FileBrowser", function(responseJson) {    
        //do something with responseJson (like create <img> tags and update the src attributes) 
    });
}

   //you call this function and pass 'fileUrl' when user clicks on an image that you loaded into this window from a servlet
returnFileUrl();
</script>
</body>

3) The FileBrowser Servlet

protected void doGet(HttpServletRequest request, HttpServletResponse response) throws ServletException, IOException {
    Images i = new Images();
    List<ImageObject> images = i.getImages(); //get images from your database or some cloud service or whatever (easier if they are in a url ready format)
    String json = new Gson().toJson(images);
    response.setContentType("application/json");
    response.setCharacterEncoding("UTF-8");
    response.getWriter().write(json);
}

4) UploadImage Servlet

Go back to your config.js file for ckeditor and add the following line:

//https://docs.ckeditor.com/ckeditor4/latest/guide/dev_file_upload.html
config.uploadUrl = '/UploadImage';

Then you can drag and drop files also:

   protected void doPost(HttpServletRequest request, HttpServletResponse response) throws ServletException, IOException {


                Images i = new Images();

   //do whatever you usually do to upload your image to your server (in my case i uploaded to google cloud storage and saved the url in a database. 

   //Now this part is important. You need to return the response in json format. And it has to look like this:

//      https://docs.ckeditor.com/ckeditor4/latest/guide/dev_file_upload.html
//      response must be in this format:
//      {
//          "uploaded": 1,
//          "fileName": "example.png",
//          "url": "https://www.cats.com/example.png"
//      }

                    String image = "https://www.cats.com/example.png";
                        ImageObject objResponse = i.getCkEditorObjectResponse(image);
                        String json = new Gson().toJson(objResponse);
                        response.setContentType("application/json");
                        response.setCharacterEncoding("UTF-8");
                        response.getWriter().write(json);
                    }
                }

And that's all folks. Hope it helps someone.


This is the approach I've used. It's quite straightforward, and works just fine.

In the CK editor root directory there is a file named config.js

I added this (you don't need the querystring stuff, this is just for our file manager). I also included some skinning and changing of the default buttons shown:

CKEDITOR.editorConfig = function(config) {

    config.skin = 'v2';
    config.startupFocus = false;
    config.filebrowserBrowseUrl = '/admin/content/filemanager.aspx?path=Userfiles/File&editor=FCK';
    config.filebrowserImageBrowseUrl = '/admin/content/filemanager.aspx?type=Image&path=Userfiles/Image&editor=FCK';
    config.toolbar_Full =
    [
        ['Source', '-', 'Preview', '-'],
        ['Cut', 'Copy', 'Paste', 'PasteText', 'PasteFromWord', '-', 'Print', 'SpellChecker'], //, 'Scayt' 
        ['Undo', 'Redo', '-', 'Find', 'Replace', '-', 'SelectAll', 'RemoveFormat'],
        '/',
        ['Bold', 'Italic', 'Underline', 'Strike', '-', 'Subscript', 'Superscript'],
        ['NumberedList', 'BulletedList', '-', 'Outdent', 'Indent', 'Blockquote'],
        ['JustifyLeft', 'JustifyCenter', 'JustifyRight', 'JustifyBlock'],
        ['Link', 'Unlink', 'Anchor'],
        ['Image', 'Flash', 'Table', 'HorizontalRule', 'SpecialChar'],
        '/',
        ['Styles', 'Format', 'Templates'],
        ['Maximize', 'ShowBlocks']
    ];

};

Then, our file manager calls this:

opener.SetUrl('somefilename');

I have posted one small tutorial about integrating the FileBrowser available in old FCKEditor into CKEditor.

http://www.mixedwaves.com/2010/02/integrating-fckeditor-filemanager-in-ckeditor/

It contains step by step instructions for doing so and its pretty simple. I hope anybody in search of this will find this tutorial helpful.


I spent a while trying to figure this one out and here is what I did. I've broken it down very simply as that is what I needed.

Directly below your ckeditor text area, enter the upload file like this >>>>

<form action="welcomeeditupload.asp" method="post" name="deletechecked">
    <div align="center">
        <br />
        <br />
        <label></label>
        <textarea class="ckeditor" cols="80" id="editor1" name="editor1" rows="10"><%=(rslegschedule.Fields.Item("welcomevar").Value)%></textarea>
        <script type="text/javascript">
        //<![CDATA[
            CKEDITOR.replace( 'editor1',
            {
                filebrowserUploadUrl : 'updateimagedone.asp'
            });
        //]]>
        </script>
        <br />
        <br />
        <br />
        <input type="submit" value="Update">
    </div>
</form>

'and then add your upload file, here is mine which is written in ASP. If you're using PHP, etc. simply replace the ASP with your upload script but make sure the page outputs the same thing.

<%@LANGUAGE="VBSCRIPT" CODEPAGE="65001"%>
<%
    if Request("CKEditorFuncNum")=1 then
        Set Upload = Server.CreateObject("Persits.Upload")
        Upload.OverwriteFiles = False
        Upload.SetMaxSize 5000000, True
        Upload.CodePage = 65001

        On Error Resume Next
        Upload.Save "d:\hosting\belaullach\senate\legislation"

        Dim picture
        For Each File in Upload.Files
            Ext = UCase(Right(File.Path, 3))
            If Ext <> "JPG" Then
                    If Ext <> "BMP" Then
                    Response.Write "File " & File.Path & " is not a .jpg or .bmp file." & "<BR>"
                    Response.write "You can only upload .jpg or .bmp files." & "<BR>" & "<BR>"
                    End if
            Else
                File.SaveAs Server.MapPath(("/senate/legislation") & "/" & File.fileName)
                f1=File.fileName
            End If
        Next
    End if

    fnm="/senate/legislation/"&f1
    imgop = "<html><body><script type=""text/javascript"">window.parent.CKEDITOR.tools.callFunction('1','"&fnm&"');</script></body></html>;"
    'imgop="callFunction('1','"&fnm&"',"");"
    Response.write imgop
%>

An article at zerokspot entitled Custom filebrowser callbacks in CKEditor 3.0 handles this. The most relevant section is quoted below:

So all you have to do from the file browser when you have a file selected is to call this code with the right callback number (normally 1) and the URL of the selected file:

window.opener.CKEDITOR.tools.callFunction(CKEditorFuncNum,url);

For the quick-uploader the process is quite similar. At first I thought that the editor might be listening for a 200 HTTP return code and perhaps look into some header field or something like that to determine the location of the uploaded file, but then - through some Firebug monitoring - I noticed that all that happens after an upload is the following code:

<script type="text/javascript">
window.parent.CKEDITOR.tools.callFunction(CKEditorFuncNum,url, errorMessage); </script>

If the upload failed, set the errorMessage to some non-zero-length string and empty the url, and vice versa on success.