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guideBlock toolbar

The block toolbar plugin provides an additional configurable toolbar on the left-hand side of the content area (the gutter). The toolbar is represented by a button with a pilcrow (or a paragraph mark — ¶). It is positioned next to the block element that the selection is anchored to (e.g. a paragraph), following the caret as the user edits the content and navigates the document.

The block toolbar comes in handy when the main editor toolbar cannot be accessed. It complements the Balloon editor when it falls short, for example when some content must be inserted (like an image) but the selection is collapsed, leaving the user unable to access the toolbar. You can read more about it in the balloon block editor overview.

# Demo

Move the caret around the content with the balloon editor below to see the block toolbar button following the selection. Click the button (¶) to use the toolbar, for example, to create a header or insert an image. See the balloon block editor example page, too.

The three greatest things you learn from traveling

Three Monks walking on ancient temple.

Like all the great things on earth traveling teaches us by example. Here are some of the most precious lessons I’ve learned over the years of traveling.

Appreciation of diversity

Getting used to an entirely different culture can be challenging. While it’s also nice to learn about cultures online or from books, nothing comes close to experiencing cultural diversity in person. You learn to appreciate each and every single one of the differences while you become more culturally fluid.

# Configuration

The content of the toolbar can be defined using the blockToolbar configuration. See the installation instructions to learn more.

Because the toolbar is always connected to the block of content, it works best with the features that modify entire blocks (e.g. create headings) or insert objects (e.g. images or tables) rather than inline styles (e.g. bold or italic).

To adjust the position of the block toolbar button to match the styles of your website, use the CSS transform property:

.ck.ck-block-toolbar-button {
    transform: translateX( -10px );
}

If you plan to run the editor in a right–to–left (RTL) language, keep in mind the button will be attached to the right boundary of the editable area. In that case, make sure the CSS position adjustment works properly by adding the following styles:

.ck[dir="rtl"] .ck-block-toolbar-button {
    transform: translateX( 10px );
}

# Installation

Remember to add relevant features to the editor configuration first. The block toolbar provides a space for the buttons, but it does not bring the actual features. For example, the heading1 button will not work if there is no Headings feature in the editor.

To add this feature to your editor install the @ckeditor/ckeditor5-ui package:

npm install --save @ckeditor/ckeditor5-ui

Add the BlockToolbar to your plugin list and configure the feature using the blockToolbar property:

import BlockToolbar from '@ckeditor/ckeditor5-ui/src/toolbar/block/blocktoolbar';
import HeadingButtonsUI from '@ckeditor/ckeditor5-heading/src/headingbuttonsui';
import ParagraphButtonUI from '@ckeditor/ckeditor5-paragraph/src/paragraphbuttonui';

BalloonEditor
    .create( document.querySelector( '#editor' ), {
        plugins: [ BlockToolbar, ParagraphButtonUI, HeadingButtonsUI, /* ... */ ],
        blockToolbar: [
            'paragraph', 'heading1', 'heading2', 'heading3',
            '|',
            'bulletedList', 'numberedList',
            '|',
            'blockQuote', 'uploadImage'
        ],
        toolbar: [ /* ... */ ]
    } )
    .then( /* ... */ )
    .catch( /* ... */ );

You can also use the shouldNotGroupWhenFull option to prevent automatic items grouping in the block toolbar:

import BlockToolbar from '@ckeditor/ckeditor5-ui/src/toolbar/block/blocktoolbar';
import HeadingButtonsUI from '@ckeditor/ckeditor5-heading/src/headingbuttonsui';
import ParagraphButtonUI from '@ckeditor/ckeditor5-paragraph/src/paragraphbuttonui';

BalloonEditor
    .create( document.querySelector( '#editor' ), {
        plugins: [ BlockToolbar, ParagraphButtonUI, HeadingButtonsUI, /* ... */ ],
        blockToolbar: {
            items: [
                'paragraph', 'heading1', 'heading2', 'heading3',
                '|',
                'bulletedList', 'numberedList',
                '|',
                'blockQuote', 'uploadImage'
            ],
            shouldNotGroupWhenFull: true
        },
        toolbar: [ /* ... */ ]
    } )
    .then( /* ... */ )
    .catch( /* ... */ );

Read more about installing plugins.

# Contribute

The source code of the feature is available on GitHub in https://github.com/ckeditor/ckeditor5/tree/master/packages/ckeditor5-ui.