[SOLVED] trying to use nl2br doesnt work

[Lodius2000]

I am using nl2br and a custom str_replace function which should do the same thing as nl2br

but as you can see neither works, check the code

 

<?php

//connect to db so mysql_real_escape_string works

$string = "this
is
'
\"
\
/
a
test";
print $string;

//the above prints:
//    this is ' " \ / a test 

print "<br />\n";

$newstring = mysql_real_escape_string($string);
print $newstring;

//the above prints:
//     this\nis\n\'\n\"\n\\\n/\na\ntest

print "<br />\n";

print nl2br($newstring);

//the above prints:
//     this\nis\n\'\n\"\n\\\n/\na\ntest

print "<br />\n";

$str     = "Line 1\nLine 2\rLine 3\r\nLine 4\n";
$order   = array("\r\n", "\n", "\r");
$replace = '<br />';
// Processes \r\n's first so they aren't converted twice.
$newstr = str_replace($order, $replace, $newstring);
print $newstr;

//the above prints:
//     this\nis\n\'\n\"\n\\\n/\na\ntest

print "<br />\n";

$str     = "Line 1\nLine 2\rLine 3\r\nLine 4\n";
$order   = array("\r\n", "\n", "\r");
$replace = '<br />';
// Processes \r\n's first so they aren't converted twice.
$newstr2 = str_replace($order, $replace, $str);
print $newstr2;

//the above prints:
//     Line 1<br />Line 2<br />Line 3<br />Line 4<br />

print "<br />\n";

?>

 

Why? what can I do to fix it?

thanks

[moselkady]

 

You are using the variable $newstring in nl2br() and in your first str_replace(). $newstring is escaped and no longer has line-feed. You should use $string and $str instead:

 

<?php

print nl2br($string);

..

..

$newstr = str_replace($order, $replace, $str);

?>

[dannyb785]

new lines made in a text field are only indicated with \n. not \r. so don't include \r in your function

[Lodius2000]

my bad for not commenting off that first use of, $str it should be.

 

but my point here is to show that no use of nl2br or my str_replace function will turn \r, or \n or \r\n into <br /> on a string escaped with mysql_real_escape_string

 

is there another way that works because i cant figure it out

 

what is particularly troubleing is, print nl2br($newstring); does not do what it is supposed to do, in fact it does nothing and that function is designed to convert data that has been escaped

[Lodius2000]

danny, as i understand it, new lines created in a text area on a windows OS use a \r\n, regardless the array $order should sort that out

[moselkady]

 

The new-line character is escaped in $newstring due to mysql_real_escape_string(). Therefore $newstring doesn't have new-line character and nl2br($newstring) will return $newstring as it is. Try the un-escaped string: nl2br($string)

[Lodius2000]

ok so moselkady, that worked:

 

"Try the un-escaped string: nl2br($string)"

 

so now how do I un-escape the string that has been put through mysql_real_escape_string back into a string that looks like $string because strip slashes will leave a whole bunch of n's lying around

 

 

[moselkady]

You can replace the string '\n' with the character "\n"

<?php
$replace = array("\r", "\n");
$order   = array('\r', '\n');
$newstring = str_replace($order, $replace, $newstring);
?>

[Lodius2000]

now we are in business