When integrating CKEditor with AJAX-loaded content, you may encounter an issue where the CKEditor pane disappears after a second AJAX load. The root cause is that CKEditor transforms the textarea into an editor, and this transformation is lost when the content is reloaded via AJAX.

The Problem

When inspecting the element, you might find the textarea with visibility: hidden after the second AJAX load:

<textarea id="responseContent" style="visibility: hidden;"></textarea>

Even if you manually change the visibility to visible, the issue persists, as it's not a CSS problem but a CKEditor instance management issue.

The Solution

To resolve this, you need to destroy the existing CKEditor instance before reinitializing it after the AJAX content load.

Step-by-step Guide

1. Destroy the Existing CKEditor Instance: Use CKEDITOR.instances['responseContent'].destroy(true) to remove the existing instance.

2. Reinitialize CKEditor: Use CKEDITOR.replace('responseContent') after the AJAX content reload.

Updated Code

<script>
function initializeCKEditor() {
    if (CKEDITOR.instances['responseContent']) {
        CKEDITOR.instances['responseContent'].destroy(true); // Destroy previous instance
    }
    CKEDITOR.replace('responseContent'); // Reinitialize CKEditor
}

$(document).ready(function() {
    initializeCKEditor(); // Initial call

    // Simulating AJAX call
    $('#loadContent').on('click', function() {
        $('#responseContent').val(''); // Reset content
        initializeCKEditor(); // Reinitialize CKEditor after AJAX reload
    });
});
</script>

<button id="loadContent">Load AJAX Content</button>
<textarea id="responseContent"></textarea>

Explanation

1. The initializeCKEditor() function first destroys the existing instance if it exists.

2. The function then reinitializes CKEditor for the textarea.

3. This function is called both when the page loads and after an AJAX reload.

Additional Tips

• Ensure the CKEditor library is fully loaded before executing the script.

• If you are working with multiple CKEditor instances, adapt the code to target each instance appropriately.

Conclusion

By following these steps, you can effectively prevent CKEditor from disappearing after multiple AJAX loads and ensure a smooth user experience.