Enabling users to create custom layouts by writing CSS that is stored in the database

I am currently in the process of developing a web application using Ruby on Rails that allows users to customize their personal blog pages. I am seeking advice on the most effective ways to achieve this.

While I believe Liquid for templating is a good option, I am unsure about how to handle styling. My initial idea is to have a database field assigned to each blog post called "style" where users can store a custom stylesheet. Do you think this is the best approach?

So far, I have attempted to use the "sanitize_css" helper method, but it seems to remove the "#stylebox" tags, resulting in nothing being displayed. Do you have any suggestions on how to proceed?

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Answer №1

Currently, I am also tackling a similar project to yours. I am in the process of developing a content management system for users to create and style their own pages.

My approach involves assigning each user their own subdomain. By using a before_filter, I can retrieve the current user's subdomain and load their respective website.

When it comes to styling, I prefer to store the style sheet as a physical file. This method offers greater flexibility when it comes to editing the style sheet, as opposed to embedding the code directly into the page. Users can then upload their own style sheets using Paperclip.

Upon site load, I retrieve the CSS paths from the database and load the style sheet from the designated path.

In the future, I plan to read the file and display it in a textarea, allowing users to make edits to their style sheet and save changes that will override the existing file.

Additionally, I utilize Liquid for layouts.

Cheers,

Sameera

Answer №2

One approach could be to enable customizable elements on your webpage, and then save each style rule as a separate field (or combine them into a single large field) in the database. Implement validation measures to prevent any misuse (for example, if they are only editing specific div elements, they shouldn't require the use of curly braces).

Subsequently, dynamically generate the CSS when needed.

Why take this route? Allowing users to upload their entire CSS could potentially result in them hiding advertisement divs with ease.

It might be considered a "safer" option to limit what users can customize; although this may not please more advanced users, it's vital to avoid becoming the next MySpace. After all, do you really want to go down that path? ;-)

Answer №3

When dealing with an excessive amount of code, it's a good idea to serialize the data and save it as text in the database. This method is more efficient and effective in my opinion.

Answer №4

If you're considering giving users the ability to fully customize their CSS, it might be best to steer clear of using a traditional database setup and opt for a structured file system instead. By creating individual sub-domains or folders for each user with a main.css file, you can easily accommodate future feature expansions such as adding images.

However, it's important to heed Robbie's advice and impose some limitations on the styles users can manipulate. Without restrictions, things could quickly spiral out of control. In this case, utilizing the database to store property values of editable elements would be a wise choice.

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