Align button should work on selected objects

[Frederico Caldeira Knabben]

If an object is selected (an image or a table), the alignment buttons should act on that specific object, not the paragraph. At least the align left and right buttons.

These buttons should simply apply/remove the proper float style to the object.

[Garry Yao]

Proposed patch override justify commands for elements image, table and flash, further elements requested are to be included.

[Frederico Caldeira Knabben]

I think we need to first come to a conclusion on #7207, to finally define our approach here.

[Frederico Caldeira Knabben]

This new patch takes a different approach for it.

It introduces a simple implementation into the justify plugin, which makes this feature event/delegation based. In this way, each interested plugin can implement it in the most adequate way, without having to force us to come with a single solution that should work for everybody.

The patch includes the feature for images only, which I believe is the most urgent case for this. If this approach is accepted, we can have it on other plugins through dedicated tickets.

[Garry Yao]

It looks like the two plugin specific events introduced are here just to work around this particular issue, while such a requirement here could make us considering it a bit generic for the future flexibility.

In the new patch the "beforeExecCommand" event is used to override the default alignment behavior, and a "commandState" event is introduced, to allow the command state to be determinate in not only one space (plugin).

[Garry Yao]

​http://ckeditor.t/tt/7430/1.html

[Frederico Caldeira Knabben]

Replying to garry.yao:

​http://ckeditor.t/tt/7430/1.html

I think this test hasn't been pushed.

[Frederico Caldeira Knabben]

The proposed patch is appending a new method called queryCommandState. The thing that sounds strange is that the patch never uses that method to "query the command state", but just to "update the command state". Sounds counter-intuitive, in fact.

Additionally, by using beforeCommandExec and the new commandState events, we run those listeners for every single command. Considering that we have access to the commands, we could have something better.

I'm coming with yet another patch, which are under the same lines of the current one, but taking the above comments in consideration.

[Garry Yao]

The new patch fixes the following minor issues with TC updates.

1. Handle "align" attribute (deprecated) on image;
2. No justification status when cursor is directly inside of body (enter br).

[Garry Yao]

Fixed with [7422].

[David]

With the release of 3.6.3, does this mean that images will no longer allow center alignment? Is that feature on the roadmap?

[Frederico Caldeira Knabben]

Replying to dbrownITR:

With the release of 3.6.3, does this mean that images will no longer allow center alignment? Is that feature on the roadmap?

With the 3.6.2, it is not possible to align images to center as well. Am I wrong?

[David]

In 3.6.2 we were able to:

1. Insert an image on its own line (therefore wrapped in P tags)
2. Click on the image to select it
3. Click the "Center text" button which applies the "text-align: center" style to the wrapping P tag

In 3.6.3, steps 1 and 2 work the same but step 3 is no longer possible as the "Center" button is completely disabled while an image is selected.

[Frederico Caldeira Knabben]

Replying to dbrownITR:

In 3.6.2 we were able to:

1. Insert an image on its own line (therefore wrapped in P tags)
2. Click on the image to select it
3. Click the "Center text" button which applies the "text-align: center" style to the wrapping P tag

In 3.6.3, steps 1 and 2 work the same but step 3 is no longer possible as the "Center" button is completely disabled while an image is selected.

I see... well, you're not really centering the image, but the paragraph. In fact this was a cause for misunderstanding because users expected the image to be centered, not the paragraph.

It is still possible to achieve your needs though... it is enough to put the caret after/before the image and the alignment buttons will get enabled.

[David]

Thanks for the info. I discovered that alternative method just a few minutes ago as well. With this workaround, we can adjust our user's understand of how the tool works.

[zeeterminata]

Replying to dbrownITR:

Thanks for the info. I discovered that alternative method just a few minutes ago as well. With this workaround, we can adjust our user's understand of how the tool works.

As a client, I'm really not very happy about this and basically saying, "Deal with it," is a bit unprofessional. The fact that I don't even have a center align option in the image properties pane either; at least with the developer that I am working with.

On my own personal blog, I use Wordpress and at work (where I'm working with right now) we use Drupal. And this is how I'm going to have to align my images to the center?

[Frederico Caldeira Knabben]

Replying to zeeterminata:

As a client, I'm really not very happy about this...

I understand your disappointment. The fact is that HTML doesn't provide a way to center inline elements. This can only be achieved by aligning the entire block element or by CSS tricks that may not work perfectly.

I've just opened #8938 as a possible solution for that. Feel free to add comments there if you have anything to add.

[Satya Minnekanti]

Please re-open this ticket as it's not properly fixed. If i select a Table and click on Align Right button it's applying Alignment to Table content instead of Table. This works for images. We have a customer logged ticket for this issue

[Jakub Ś]

@satya please see #13102.