What is it
The Atto editor was built specifically for Moodle, and is the default text editor in Myplace. It provides a set of buttons and functionalities that allow users to create content in a simple and familiar way.
Deprecation roadmap
Moodle are working towards retiring the Atto plugin and replacing it with TinyMCE. Support was dropped in November 2023 (and security fixed will go until end of 2025).
Moodle HQ timeline for retiring Atto (it may change)
From Moodle 4.1:
The default editor for new and existing installs is still Atto
The legacy version for TinyMCE (TinyMCE 3) is still available
TinyMCE 6 is available as an administrator setting, or user preference
Developers are working on creating and/or migrating plugins that were available for Atto to TinyMCE 6. We are planning to work on changes to make it easier to use native TinyMCE plugins too but these are not yet complete and our investigation is not complete.
From Moodle 4.2:
the legacy version of TinyMCE has been removed
TinyMCE 6 becomes the default editor for new installations of Moodle
there is no change to the default editor for existing installs
From Moodle 4.4:
TinyMCE 6 will become the default editor for existing installations
From Moodle 4.5:
Atto will be removed but can still be installed from the plugins database
From Moodle 4.6:
The underlying libraries that Atto uses are planned for removal and it will no longer be possible to use Atto at all.
What does it mean for Myplace?
Myplace will still use the Atto editor until the end of the 24/25 academic year as the default as some of the functionalities are not yet available for TinyMCE.
We believe that Myplace will move to TinyMCE by the start of the 25/26 academic year. Please keep in mind that we may have to change our plans if any majoir issues arise with the Atto editor.
Accessibility
We are aware of a few existing accessibility and usability issues with the Atto editor. As this part of Moodle core, and Moodle has dropped support for the Atto plugin, these are unlikely to be fixed before a the switch to the new editor is completed. We will however ensure that the same issues are not persisted in the TinyMCE.
More info
MDL-77325 Make TinyMCE the default editor for existing installs