script to edit a CSS style sheet online, in browser, wysiwyg-style

marcnyc

Hello, I was googling around and checking out php.resourceindex.com to find if there is such a script but couldn't find any...

I have a PHP website and I am looking to give the admin user the ability to edit the website's CSS style sheet without leaving the browser, in a wysiwyg fashion. Something that basically will point to the website's css file, open it, give you for every part of the stylesheet the option to change it (where there's a font, gives you the ability to change font, where there's a color gives you a color picker etc) and then you can save it and instantly see the changes.

Is there anything like that available?

Thanks

bpat1434

Nothing that I know of exists at this current time; however, are you 100% sure you want them to be able to do that? The repercussions of allowing an untrained person to modify CSS could be disastrous.

For example, take Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, and Opera. All browser work in their own way; however, between IE 6, 7, and 8 there are four different "modes" the browsers can work in: IE 6, IE 7, IE 8 with IE 7 compatability, IE 8 standards mode. That's all of the sudden like 7 browsers to code for (if you want to make your site globally accessible). So at this point, there may be modifications made for line-height, font size, letter spacing and other things (borders, padding, margins) which allow the page to be rendered correctly in all browsers but changing just one of them could break the site. Then the user can come back and say "Hey, how come my site looks like junk in IE 6 now? I didn't do anything but change the font size from 12pt to 14 pt." Whose fault is it? Technically theirs, but then again, you gave them the tools to modify it.

If I were you, I would not allow them to edit the CSS if I could. The only thing I would allow them to edit would be a special CSS stylesheet (or rather, create a new one and import the default at the top) which only changes colors, and borders. Then at most things are off by a pixel or two. They would be able to change the feel fo the site, but not break it. Changing the font can be tricky, and I would dissuade them from changing it. Mainly because it won't work the way they think it will half the time.

Just my $0.02.

marcnyc

I agree with you...
I would basically only want them to change colors and stuff like that, but just so you know, I am not letting them change this for a website they are visiting. I have created a CMS script that I install for people and that they can administer from an admin panel... I added several functionalities (add/change content, change menu structure, add/change header image, add/change background image, add/change logo, change password, add/change company mottoes, add/change contact addresses, add/change news) and all these functionalities are in the backend and require no coding skills. Giving them the ability to alter some CSS would just be an extra functionality, that's all

bpat1434

I haven't seen anything made yet; however, it can't be that difficult. CSS syntax does have a structure (albeit a very loose structure).

I would definitely suggest using two css files. One as a default, then the one they can edit. At the top of the user editable one, put:

@import url(/css/my/default.css);

Then any rules after that should override the default while also allowing them to "forget" a few rules and let the default take over. Plus, should they ever wish to revert, you can just leave an empty stylesheet for them.

Another alternative to the @import rule is to use PHP to do your CSS merging. So your <link> tag in your html would call a PHP script which reads in all your css files, with your deafult color styling last, then it reads in the users custom styling. THen it outputs it all in one "file". This does a couple things: (1) reduces the number of connections to your server for css files which could speed up your site if you have numerous css files and (2) it speeds up the css since it's not reading 4 or 5 different files but rather one large one. Although there comes a time when it may be better to break it into a few files as huge files can take a long time to download.

marcnyc

Thanks for all the suggestions... they are all great...

I guess if there is no solution out there that does that I might at some point do it myself... I am just reluctant to spend much more time on this creation of mine since there are much more professional CMS products out there or even blogs like WP which can be used as CMS systems