Deprecation Announcement: djangocms-text-ckeditor to be Replaced by djangocms-text in Q1 2025

Dec. 13, 2024

The Django CMS team is announcing the deprecation of the widely used djangocms-text-ckeditor package. After Q1 2025, this package will no longer receive updates, and its support will officially end. In its place, we are introducing djangocms-text, a modern, more powerful, next-generation successor designed to enhance your content editing experience while ensuring long-term sustainability.

Why the Change?

djangocms-text-ckeditor has been a reliable rich text editing solution for many years. However, as web standards and user expectations evolve, so too must our tools. djangocms-text addresses several limitations of its predecessor while introducing significant improvements that align with modern development practices and content workflows.

Key reasons for the transition include:

End of Life for CKEditor 4: CKEditor 4, the backbone of djangocms-text-ckeditor, has reached its end of life, necessitating a shift to newer technologies.
New Default Editor (Tiptap): djangocms-text introduces Tiptap as the new default editor, offering the ability to manage rich text as both HTML and structured JSON objects for improved flexibility.
Rich Text Editor Options: djangocms-text supports multiple rich text editors, including CKEditor 4 (from djangocms-text-ckeditor) and CKEditor 5 (currently with limited functionality), providing developers with more choices.
Dynamic HTML: djangocms-text allows adding dynamic links without using a separate plugin and inside rich text fields. It integrates seamlessly with djangocms-link 5.
Improved inline-editing capabilities: djangocms-text supports inline editing for text and rich text fields for all frontend-editable models.
Modern HTML validation: djangocms-text uses nh3/ammonia for faster and more secure HTML sanitation.

Transition Plan

We understand that many projects rely on djangocms-text-ckeditor, and we aim to make the transition as smooth as possible. Here is an outline of the deprecation timeline:

Now: The next-gen editor djangocms-text is already available for testing and integration. Developers are encouraged to explore its features and provide feedback.
Jan. 2025: A migration guide will be published, detailing steps to transition from djangocms-text-ckeditor to djangocms-text. A migration without changing the editor frontend using CKEditor 4 will be supported.
End of Q1 2025: Official deprecation of djangocms-text-ckeditor. No further updates or support will be provided.

How to Prepare

To ensure a smooth transition, we recommend:

Evaluate djangocms-text Early: Test djangocms-text in a staging environment to familiarize yourself with its new features and identify any potential migration challenges.
Stay Updated: Follow our official communication channels for updates, including the release of the migration guide and related resources.
Plan Ahead: Incorporate the transition into your project timelines to avoid last-minute disruptions.

Join the Conversation

Your feedback is invaluable to us. Join the discussion on GitHub to share your thoughts, report issues, or ask questions about the transition. Your input will help us refine djangocms-text and ensure it meets the needs of the community.

Conclusion

The deprecation of djangocms-text-ckeditor marks a significant step forward for Django CMS. While it requires a change, we believe that djangocms-text is the next generation: it comes with awesome new features and will provide a more robust and enjoyable content editing experience. Thank you for your continued support and collaboration as we embark on this exciting new chapter.

Stay tuned for more updates and resources to guide you through the transition. Let’s build the future of Django CMS together!