HTML text box - impossible to override Ning styling?

[Brian Floe]

Hello Ning and all creators

 

I am very frustrated by how the Ning HTML text box is ruled by the Ning styling. It affects:

 

- tables

- padding

- margin

etc.

 

While the HTML text box is easy for "what you see is what you get", which means adding photos and text, the text box is next to impossible to use for anyone who is coding a page in an external HTML developer app. (like coda).

 

I wish Ning would either:

a) provide a cheat sheet with css code to override the Ning styling

b) give us the option to "check box" an html text box to "override Ning styling"

[Janettee McCrary]

Yes, I agree... Sometimes I find it next to impossible to add code without having issues with the "default" code taking over! Again, I'm all for options... And the second option sounds like a plus... But the minimum of a "cheat sheet" sounds great too.

[solo]

yes

[Brian Floe]

yeah, there should be a way to override all CSS in the HTML text box, so a simple cheat sheet would really break our chains and set us free. I have given up trying to override table cellspacing ...

 

A cheat sheet would be awesome, and I imagine it would not take Ning more than 1/2 hour to produce one for us and make it available. Puff all our problems would be gone.

A more permanent solution could then be added to the roadmap under "unknown timeframe".

[Deirdre Davenport]

I am all for cheat sheets... that's a great idea! Maybe adding custom hook boxes that would override background code... for HTML & CSS.

[Brian Floe]

I fear Ning is missing out on too many ideas from it's community. They have this great brain cluster but no real way for us to suggest additions for the roadmap with a voting system.

 

Too bad for Ning, so too bad for us all.

[Jen]

I add this to all textboxes where I'm adding images or tables. It works perfectly for me:

<style>.xg_module_body img {margin:0px!important;} table, th, td {padding:0px!important;}</style>

 

Not to say it's not aggravating, because it is!

[Brian Floe]

yeah we are flying blind when it comes to HTML on Ning :)

 

Thanks for this tip Jen, this is exactly what I think Ning should make for everyone.

I do not see this working 100% on a /page/ have you had success with that?

[Jen]

For images or tables? Give me an example page, and I'll take a look when I can.

Best,

Jen

[Brian Floe]

Hi Jen

 

Thanks so much. It's my "Investor" page you already looked at before, so I won't take up your time once again with it. It does strange things to cellspacing.

 

I was just wondering if you had any good experience with this code on a Ning /page/. I have added your code but nothing changed.

This means there are different things to override on a /page/ than in a text box I guess.

[Jen]

Oh yeah, I remember that. I just remember I couldn't get it to work as you needed.

 

hmmm, I guess the best way to say what my experience has been: For my pages and Clients pages, I haven't experienced any issues where I couldn't style the page as I wanted it. But like I mentioned in my first post, not easy to format. These pages, broadcast messages, discussion boxes - - all a pain to format.

 

But, in text boxes I kept noticing the nightmare padding. And that's why I came up with that simple CSS to override the Ning table and image padding.

Sorry, wish I could help.

Best,

Jen

[Brian Floe]

Thanks for helping us make this problem known to Ning.

 

What do you think of my two suggestions? Is it even possible?

[Jen]

Sorry Brian, just seeing this. Your suggestions:

I wish Ning would either:

a) provide a cheat sheet with css code to override the Ning styling

b) give us the option to "check box" an html text box to "override Ning styling"

 

I think it's a nice idea. But I also think it would be a real challenge to do more than they are now. With CSS LESS option in place, I'm not sure Ning wouldn't call that overriding since it gives complete control of the themes.

 

On the other side of the coin (Network Creator side), and basically what you've suggested, it would be helpful to offer NCs who don't know a lot of CSS, a sheet of check boxes - - what to override, what not to override. So, all-in-all, I think you may be on to something, as you usually are. ;-)

 

Best,

Jen