"What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get" note editor (no HTML code visible to user)

[hssm]

UPDATE - TEST DOWNLOAD AVAILABLE

We are testing a Visual editor, you can install it to see how it works for you: https://github.com/david-allison-1/Anki-Android/releases/download/v2.10wysiwyg1/AnkiDroid-vised.apk

Originally reported on Google Code with ID 474

I would be a great improvement to have a "What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get" style format
editing in card editor, with format buttons like in Anki Desktop.
Also, in the same UI or editing screen, to have buttons for fonts, "cloze", pictures,
record sound, etc... 

This enhancement, combined with the already pointed issues of playing movies and a
better card browser, would make Ankidroid a software definitely independent (or better
said, non-dependent) from Anki Desktop.

Reported by Villatonil on 2011-02-27 17:29:52

[hssm]

Reported by nicolas.raoul on 2011-02-28 01:59:49

• Status changed: Accepted
• Labels added: Type-Enhancement, Priority-Low
• Labels removed: Type-Defect, Priority-Medium

[hssm]

I like being able to see and edit the HTML directly.

Reported by johanfange on 2011-03-29 08:48:17

[hssm]

Issue 555 has been merged into this issue.

Reported by nicolas.raoul on 2011-04-05 08:52:52

[hssm]

We could reuse the Android code written by Wordpress for their native Android app, which
has a WYSIWYG component, see http://stackoverflow.com/questions/3707788

Still low priority because:
- Users who created their deck with AnkiDroid most probably don't use HTML.
- Users who created their deck with Anki Desktop know that they can always use Anki
Desktop for card edition.

HTML source editing should be possible too, for people like Johan (see comment 2),
either as a different dialog or as a general option.

Reported by nicolas.raoul on 2011-04-05 08:57:54

[hssm]

Reported by nicolas.raoul on 2011-08-16 06:44:10

• Labels added: CardAddition

[hssm]

Issue 912 has been merged into this issue.

Reported by nicolas.raoul on 2011-12-26 15:24:22

[hssm]

Since the editing boxes are small on a phone, the HTML does tend to clutter the screen.
 Also, since some HTML is now WYSIWYG (i.e. <br>), it would be nice to go further.
Perhaps there could be a toggle between the two.

Reported by ottenlips on 2011-12-26 15:33:18

[hssm]

Issue 993 has been merged into this issue.

Reported by nicolas.raoul on 2012-02-06 00:03:16

[hssm]

By gerritsangel:
Maybe it could be implemented in the long click dropdown menu (where copy, cut etc.
is located). So after you select a text in the card editor, and you want to make it
italic or bold or underlined, you make a long click and then select italic. After that,
the html code for italics will be wrapped around the selected text, just like in Anki
desktop.
For larger screens (e.g. tablets), the space may be sufficient to make seperate buttons
for it, in order to save time when wanting to have something in italics.

Reported by nicolas.raoul on 2012-02-06 00:04:05

• Labels added: Priority-Medium
• Labels removed: Priority-Low

[hssm]

If you use Anki desktop and Droid, you're using Android when you haven't got access
to your PC, on the train, at uni, etc. When you're reviewing is when you notice that
a card is cumbersome or needs to be broken into sections, and you want to be able to
effectively edit it then. It's very difficult to do this on Ankidroid without quick
access to bold and other formatting. The html is far too cumbersome, especially on
tablet and phone keyboard and if you're not writing html all the time.

Reported by chris.g.sadler on 2012-05-19 05:06:59

[hssm]

Issue 1684 has been merged into this issue.

Reported by nicolas.raoul on 2013-12-25 06:25:23

[hssm]

Here's a non official solution in the meantime! 

https://code.google.com/p/ankidroid/issues/detail?can=2&start=0&num=100&q=&colspec=ID%20Type%20Priority%20Status%20Milestone%20Owner%20Summary&groupby=&sort=&id=1491

Reported by Ben.Devlieger on 2014-01-04 13:16:30

[hssm]

Reported by Houssam.Salem.Au on 2015-02-11 03:50:22

[hssm]

Issue 2519 has been merged into this issue.

Reported by Houssam.Salem.Au on 2015-02-11 03:50:41

[hssm]

Issue 1724 has been merged into this issue.

Reported by Houssam.Salem.Au on 2015-02-11 03:51:16

[hssm]

Issue 1791 has been merged into this issue.

Reported by perceptualchaos2 on 2015-02-25 23:34:42

[hssm]

CommonsWare has rich edit toolbar
https://github.com/commonsguy/cwac-richedit

http://www.inappsquared.com/img/com.commonsware.cwac.richedit.demo.png

it might almost do what we want

Reported by perceptualchaos2 on 2015-03-20 07:37:26

[hssm]

Issue 2391 has been merged into this issue.

Reported by Houssam.Salem.Au on 2015-04-14 08:52:15

[timrae]

Looks promising
https://github.com/wasabeef/richeditor-android

[mikehardy]

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jkcarino.ankieditor

[NarniaT]

The current WYSIWYG extension on Google Play can only create and not EDIT previously made notes. Well... That's the main problem in the first place.

For anyone else needing this in the future, the steps below might help to some extent:
1_ First locate the card in the card browser.
2_ Don't open it! Instead tap and keep touching on it.
3_ Choose preview.

(It gives you the readable view of the note but it's still not proper for editing)

[fireheart2008]

Hello there
I would to donate to keep this -vised version alive, where to do so?

[mikehardy]

@fireheart2008 that's a good question for @david-allison - I just checked those branches on his development fork and I'm not sure what it would take to rebase them to current and pack up a new more-current release ? He would know though, and he accepts github sponsors and/or patreon directly I believe.

David may have a better take on the exact state of work in the area as well, as I think there is some current activity in progress also

[mikehardy]

So here's a question. Now that we have the anki desktop backend javascript coming through.... could the desktop note editor be used here 🤔 ?

[BrayanDSO]

So here's a question. Now that we have the anki desktop backend javascript coming through.... could the desktop note editor be used here 🤔 ?

This comment of Damien #10751 (comment) indicates so.

https://github.com/ankitects/anki/blob/main/qt/aqt/editor.py have a fair number of things to eval, so definetely won't be a breeze like the other screens

[Jose6741]

Hello, comment on the AppStore about Anki and I suggested that they can implement more fonts and effects to them to make them more graphically appealing and to be able to order the cards better. That they are compatible both in Computer and cell phone. Are you on your way to it? I really appreciate your response! 😁

[mikehardy]

With open source projects, no progress should have any expectation unless you do it yourself, that is the nature of volunteer work.

That said, there has been an enormous amount of progress in our underlying infrastructure that would support getting this done. So, it is now a lot closer to being done. But, there is still work to do as Brayan mentions above. We do understand this is a very popular request though, we keep it open on purpose and always have it in the back of our minds...

[sudomain]

There's alot to unpack from your comment, @mat4r. It's in poor taste for many reasons. I'm not a representative of the AnkiDroid core dev team. I'm a guy that contributed a little code a long time ago but mostly I'm an end user that's actually appreciative. Please take my criticism and consider it when posting on any sort of messaging system about an open source software:

I'm not criticizing or judging anyone here !!

Yes, you are criticizing while saying you aren't. Own it or don't do it.

Come one guys, really ??
But you know what DID frustrate me the most ??
After waiting this whole time !! really ??
... a feature that is highly requested and demanded by people finally added to the app !!

You should reconsider:

1. the use of the word "really",
2. the incorrect and ineffective punctuation
3. the sense of entitlement that makes you think "demanding" a feature of an open source project means that it needs to be
   implemented in a timely manner, if at all.

Most importantly your comment provides 0 actionable requests such as "can this button be moved to the left" or "can this button be added to the toolbar". You comment only says it's been sooo many years when, in fact, there already is a WYSIWYG editor in the current stable release of AnkiDroid (2.15.6).

And now 7 years later, after getting my degree, the editor basically looks the same !!

Just because it looks the same doesn't mean there aren't regular improvements to the code running in the background. Just look at the history of the noteeditor code. Additionally, you're misremembering the 2016 versions of the app then. At the very least, a lot of good work was done (not by me) to add and improve the HTML toolbar/WYSIWYG editor in 2020.

At the time that I'm posting this, there are 75 comments on this issue and it seems that your first comment on this issue was in January 2023. I don't understand how you can complain about the timeframe when you haven't even been even involved in the comments of a feature that's already implemented in the stable release of the app (to constructively criticize).

Have a great weekend.

[brishtibheja]

@mat4r Hello there! Not to criticise you. You probably were frustrated. I certainly get frustrated as a non-tech guy after seeing no change in my Google app even though it gets an update almost every week lol.

Well the reality there is that a lot of invisible effort is going behind any such project. And thus, it is quite possible not everyone finds the same amount of value in this as you do. I had to spend a lot of time yesterday figuring out how to change the font of a particular field so I know this would be useful.

If you can, why do not you sponsor the changes? You can pay someone to make the changes maybe and if the core dev team agreees to merge it, it's a win-win for everyone!

[davegutteridge]

Commenting because I was the one who asked for the "Ability to go directly to duplicate card" feature.

I don't understand how this "What you see is what you get" issue is related or helps with the feature I'm hoping for. They seem completely unrelated.

I hope this doesn't mean the feature I'm looking for is not being considered.

In a previous comment, someone mentioned being able to sponsor a feature. I would consider doing that if I knew where to sponsor and how much it was.

[BrayanDSO]

I hope this doesn't mean the feature I'm looking for is not being considered.

It is considered. Our goal is to use the exact same editor of the desktop version, which includes your request of a "History" field, and the biggest feature of it which is the WYSIWYG editor.

[davegutteridge]

Okay, thank you for explaining. Looking forward to it!

[kernel0x]

can be fixed using a library Bundle Saver https://github.com/kernel0x/bundlesaver