Text formatting Question

[RoGuE|SaBeR]

I want to put text into a database then retrive it. This is showing my lack of basic html knowledge but when I lift it out onto a page how do you go about formatting it properly without having to manually add <BR> tags to the text when I enter it into a form?

Ive decided to try web design again after a long time of basically always intending to do something but never actually doing it. So the world of CSS is being slowly opened to me and Im gonna try and do a proper database driven web site rather than just arsing about with asp and not actually DOING anything with it.

If anyone cares to make constructive comments or even just tell me how crap the site is have a gander :

http://www22.brinkster.com/roguesaber/kellsangel/

[Kezzer]

If you want a database you'd be better of using MySQL and PHP which is what i'm doing at the mo' although the PHP side of it is a lot harder than CSS. Even on my database i have to use HTML to make new paragraphs and so forth. It is possible to make the formatting of the page by just hitting return (look at hexus reply box for example)

[Iain]

there's a PHP function called nl2br() short for new line to br which basically takes line breaks entered into a database and automatically creates the <br> tags. I'm not sure if there is a similar function for ASP though

[Shad]

I'm not sure if there is a similar function for ASP though

There isn't, but we can write one:

Function nl2br(txt)
    rslt = txt
    rslt = Replace(rslt,vbcrlf,"<br>")
    rslt = Replace(rslt,"<br><br>","</p><p>")
    rslt = "<p>" & rslt & "</p>"
    nl2br = rslt
End function

Hopefully it's obvious what's going on in there...

[RoGuE|SaBeR]

Think I have a vague idea whats happening...

Couldn't quickly break it down for me? A guy has to learn

[Shad]

Think I have a vague idea whats happening...

Couldn't quickly break it down for me? A guy has to learn

Function nl2br(txt) 'pass the text block you want to convert as parameter txt to function nl2br
    rslt = txt 'assign paramater to local variable
    rslt = Replace(rslt,vbcrlf,"<br>") 'replace crlf's with breaks
    rslt = Replace(rslt,"<br><br>","</p><p>") 'replace two breaks with a new paragraph
    rslt = "<p>" & rslt & "</p>" 'put paragraph tags around the result
    nl2br = rslt 'output result
End function

[Spunkey]

if your text in the database is being entered in through a <TEXTAREA> tag, theres a property called 'wrap'. By default (in IE) this is set to soft which will wrap text in the box, but ignore carriage returns when sent via HTTP, and therefore into the database. if you use wrap="hard" it will send any carriage returns, and will put them in the database.
for a better explanation try the bottom of this page --> http://www.blooberry.com/indexdot/ht...t/textarea.htm

The box used by this forum is an example - it uses hard wrapping to allow people to put text on more than 1 line.

If you're not using a textarea tag then this aint a lot of help

PS *swings pocket watch* ASP is good, use it

[mr_anderson187]

lol @ Harrison,

inspiration, from a mr_anderson187