how to make text wrap and get line returns in a text entry box
Here's the situation:
I have a website where people fill out a form to get a profile that comes up with a number of pages.
One of the fields in the form is called Information/Overview where they can write some paragraphs about themslelves and tell people how wonderful they are.
What is happen is that when they do that and submit the entry... the information that they had input comes out like one long line with no breaks or returns or anything. I had this progrmamed for me about 4 years ago and never used it and now I am and find this out.
Is there a way to put in an html editor or make the data that was entered appear in the format it was input in? Hope this make sense.
I looked for the answer here but didn't find it.... tks.
JeevesBond posted this at 00:59 — 21st February 2008.
He has: 3,956 posts
Joined: Jun 2002
If you look in the source code of the pages this script outputs is the formatting correct. i.e. are all the breaks in the HTML source code?
cbc58 posted this at 02:18 — 21st February 2008.
They have: 140 posts
Joined: Nov 2003
I think so. When I look at the source code it looks like how I typed it into the system with the breaks in lines in all, but it is running altogether as one long sentence when outputted to the screen.
JeevesBond posted this at 04:09 — 21st February 2008.
He has: 3,956 posts
Joined: Jun 2002
That's what I was talking about, yes. The only whitespace a browser will take any notice of is a space (and it will ignore any other spaces after the first too), this is so that developers can format their code nicely (indent tags, enter comments etc.)
So when that system outputs the text exactly as it was entered, Web browsers will all ignore almost all of it. You need to convert those returns into
<br />or<p> ... </p>Assuming you're using PHP, run the return from the database through this function:
function nl2p($text) {
// Use \n for newline on all systems
$text = preg_replace("/(\r\n¦\n¦\r)/", "\n", $text);
// Only allow two newlines in a row.
$text = preg_replace("/\n\n+/", "\n\n", $text);
// Put <p>..</p> around paragraphs
$text = preg_replace('/\n?(.+?)(\n\n¦\z)/s', "<p>$1</p>", $text);
// convert newlines not preceded by </p> to a <br /> tag
$text = preg_replace('¦(?<!</p> )\s*\n¦', "<br />", $text);
return $text;
}
(above nabbed from: http://www.webmasterworld.com/forum88/4829.htm )
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cbc58 posted this at 13:58 — 21st February 2008.
They have: 140 posts
Joined: Nov 2003
Hi -
Thanks for the reply.
I'm not sure where to put that in the code........ i've tried a few spots but keep getting php errors. I'll keep trying but if you read this maybe you can make a recommendation.
Thanks again for your help.
Chris
JeevesBond posted this at 16:39 — 21st February 2008.
He has: 3,956 posts
Joined: Jun 2002
It's a bit difficult without knowing how your application works. We'll need to see the bit of code that prints this to the page from the database, are you able to get that and paste it in here? Just put
<code>tags around it.Also, what error are you getting from PHP?
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webwiz posted this at 22:09 — 21st February 2008.
He has: 629 posts
Joined: May 2007
Try adding the (non-standard) "wrap=soft" attribute to the textarea.
Let us know if this works, okay?
cbc58 posted this at 22:56 — 21st February 2008.
They have: 140 posts
Joined: Nov 2003
Hi-
I paid someone to do this because I needed it figured out... and they put in a "nl2br" tag and changed around a few brackets and it's working.
I tried to do it but couldn't.
Thanks for all the help and advice.
Chris
JeevesBond posted this at 15:03 — 22nd February 2008.
He has: 3,956 posts
Joined: Jun 2002
Fair enough. If you needed the work done quickly without having to learn to code, that's the fastest way to do it.
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