[Using Sakai] Using Sakai List - iPad and Sakai

[Regan, Alan]

Dear Using Sakai List,

I noticed a discussion about Sakai and mobile devices in the past.  We are studying the iPad at Pepperdine University, and as you all know, the iPad doesn't interact well with the built-in rich-text editor of Sakai.  After doing a little digging online, it appears that other Web-based rich-text editors are also impacted by the same issue.  I ran across postings about issues with Confluence, Joomla, and WordPress.  Some of these platforms have mobile apps or other plug-ins or solutions to address the problems.

If you're unfamiliar with the behavior of the iPad and rich-text editor that Sakai uses, one of our professors created a demonstration video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4ewtPPkmJg

Also, Dave Ross on this list posted the "Paste as Plain text" workaround back on Aug 20, 2010.  So, kudos to Dave for sharing the tip!

WHAT'S HAPPENING

It appears that the issue rests with the mobile version of Safari.  According to the group that produces the rich text editor, it's because mobile Safari doesn't support an element called "contentEditable."

WHAT CAN BE DONE

(1.) Ask Apple for Help.  Apple has an iPad feedback form.  You and your community can ask Apple to please support the "contentEditable" feature in mobile Safari.  http://www.apple.com/feedback/ipad.html

(2.) Browser Detection.  Our hosting partner has proposed adding the mobile version of Safari into the text editor's detection process in Sakai.  This way, it will not display the rich-text editor for iPad or iPhone users, but display a simple text box instead.  We will be testing this solution to see how well it works as an interim fix.

(3.) Other?  I noticed that Keli Amann posted about Stanford's iPhone skin that they are currently using.  Refer to her post on Aug 20, 2010 to this list.  As a shortcut, she posted a few links, including https://coursework.stanford.edu/access/content/group/UX%20Managed%20Content/gateway/spotlights/mobile_cw.html and http://coursework.stanford.edu/portal/pda.

OTHER MOBILE BROWSERS

It looks like Android phones have similar issues, and there are Android tablets coming, too.  I haven't used a Windows Mobile phone, so I can't share any details about those devices.  But hopefully Apple, Google, and Microsoft will review their mobile browsers and work with the community to provide this functionality soon.

RESEARCH ON THE PROBLEM

CKSource "iPad support" (maker of the Sakai rich text editor)
http://cksource.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=18317

Atlassian Confluence "Add official support for Mobile Safari on the iPad"
http://jira.atlassian.com/browse/CONF-19524

Joomla "iPad friendly editor for Joomla?"
http://forum.joomla.org/viewtopic.php?p=2251049

TinyMCE rich-text editor "TinyMCE and Mobile Browsers"
http://tinymce.moxiecode.com/punbb/viewtopic.php?id=22209

WordPress "iPad cannot type in box while creating new post"
http://en.forums.wordpress.com/topic/ipad-cannot-type-in-box-while-creating-new-post

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I hope some of this information proves helpful.  Have a great weekend, everyone!

Sincerely,

Alan Regan, MFA
Manager, Technology and Learning
Information Technology
Pepperdine University
(310) 506-6756

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