Assign Class to CKEditor using a DIV - class

Question

I am using CKEditor in DIV mode, as compared to an IFRAME and I am attempting to assign a class to the editor itself. I have found where to add it to things within the editor, but not the editor itself. And, I would prefer to not wrap the editor within another DIV to get the effect I want.
I am also using version 4 of CKEditor.
Edit: The following was my questions to Reinmar after he suggested the Shared Space plugin, which at least for now I have chosen not to use.
Edit: In response to Reinmar I have begun using the Shared Space plugin, and do see the potential benefits of using it over a DIV.
With that said I have the following code:
<div id="topSpace"></div>
<textarea name="data[ArchiveQuarter][description]" class="userContent" id="editor1" cols="30" rows="6"></textarea>
At the bottom of the page I have:
<script type="text/javascript">
CKEDITOR.disableAutoInline = true;
CKEDITOR.replace( 'editor1', {
extraPlugins: 'sharedspace',
sharedSpaces: {
top: 'topSpace',
}
});
</script>
It currently creates the toolbar within the top space, and has the textarea, but both of them are disabled. I probably just messed up some of the configuration, but I'm not sure what.
I would greatly prefer it to use the textarea configuration as it is part of a form instead of extracting the data from inline.

Answer 1

You might be interested in using Shared space plugin:
addon page,
sample.
I'm proposing this instead of using div, because I've got mixed feelings regarding divarea plugin. Your original container is wrapped with editor's structure what changes the real context. IMO it's better to use real inline editing + the shared spaces feature to place toolbar and bottom bar where you need them.
Update:
When you're using inline editor, you don't need textarea. Textarea is only a data container which framed or div based editors replace with themselves.
Inline editing is all about editing real existing elements. So this can be your HTML:
<div id="topSpace"></div>
<div class="userContent" id="editor1"><h1>My page</h1><p>Fooo!</p></div>
And JS:
<script type="text/javascript">
CKEDITOR.disableAutoInline = true;
CKEDITOR.inline( 'editor1', {
extraPlugins: 'sharedspace',
sharedSpaces: {
top: 'topSpace',
}
} );
</script>
Note that I used CKEDITOR.inline not CKEDITOR.replace.
And the huge advantage of inline editing is that that <div> is a real element on your page - it is not wrapped (as in div based editor) and its contents is not moved to the frame (as in framed editor). So your content will inherit styles of your page.
The downside is that you need to implement custom data saving, because there's no form. The simplest way is to add a "save" button which clicked will send editor.getData() via AJAX to your server.
BTW. You probably was confused by the fact that in the shared spaces sample 2 editors are framed and 2 are inline. All of them reuses one top space and one bottom space.
BTW2. To make use of inline editing you don't need shared spaces in fact. Then the "floating toolbar" will be used as in here: http://ckeditor.com/demo#inline