auto format .txt files for web..?

[ag3nt42]

Hello all,

 

I've got a need to build a web app that will automatically format txt from a txt file..

 

I'm just wondering if there is already something out there that does this or if somone thinks this cannot be done..

 

Thanks for your thoughts,

 

~ag3nt42

[DarkWater]

Just read the file in and format it...what's so hard about it?

[severndigital]

format it how??

 

if you simply want to put

<BR>'s

 

http://us2.php.net/manual/en/function.nl2br.php

 

 

[ag3nt42]

I don't know I know i've tried before to get something like this to work and it never looks right on the page..

 

I mean I have people who have ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA how to code for the web.. basic HTML

 

So my only option for them is to let them make a .txt file and drop it into a folder which then I'll have to have code setup to format it and paste it to the web.

 

 

the nl2br() function won't work because you have to enter in \n for your line breaks.

 

they do not want to have to do ANY coding.

[ag3nt42]

Just read the file in and format it...what's so hard about it?

 

 

nice dark..

 

so

 

get_contents($FILE);

 

format_for_web($FILE);

 

right?

[DarkWater]

\n is automatically in textboxes when Return is pressed on the keyboard, so nl2br() should work in that regard.  And yes actually, that's all you need to do pretty much:

 

$file = file_get_contents('somefile.txt');

echo some_function_that_does_what_you_want($file);

 

What do you actually want "formatted" in the file?  I'll try to help out a bit with writing "some_function_that_does_what_you_want()". xD

[severndigital]

do they have access to ms word??

 

 

there are a few phpclasses that will format basic msWord files correctly for the web.

 

The ones i've used in the past were very basic

 

handled Bold, color, and alignment.

 

that might be an option for you.

 

what about having a form field for adding text with formatting options.

 

If you allow them to simply upload txt files... you will have alot of work to format every text file correctly.

 

Unless you train them on creating the text file exactly right ..

 

i.e.

Title on line one.

empty line

Start typing here.

 

 

and suppose some wants a line or two bolded or italic.

 

 

for example ... if you type a simple doc in wordpad and apply formatting, you need to save it as an rtf file so keep the formatting.

when you open that file in notepad .. you would see something like this.

 

{\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252\deff0\deflang1033{\fonttbl{\f0\fswiss\fcharset0 Arial;}}
{\colortbl ;\red255\green0\blue0;}
{\*\generator Msftedit 5.41.15.1507;}\viewkind4\uc1\pard\b\f0\fs20 This is bold\b0\par
\par
This is not\par
\par
\cf1 This is a color\cf0\par
}

 

i suppose you could write a preg_replace function or class to parse through and swap out all the information...

 

but you will still need to train the 'poster' on correctly saving the file and assume they are all using the same ansi or language codes.

 

 

in my past experience, it's been easier to put tools in place that allow the user to easily format for the web, and correctly train them rather than spend countless hours writing band-aide functions.

 

-C

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ag3nt42]

\n is automatically in textboxes when Return is pressed on the keyboard, so nl2br() should work in that regard. And yes actually, that's all you need to do pretty much:

 

$file = file_get_contents('somefile.txt');

echo some_function_that_does_what_you_want($file);

 

What do you actually want "formatted" in the file? I'll try to help out a bit with writing "some_function_that_does_what_you_want()". xD

 

 

well i guess really all it needs to do is keep the file exactly as the user wrote it.

hold line breaks and spaces.

 

the nl2br() is working without \n

 

well thanks guys.. i guess this will just have to do and I'll have to make up some bbcode or something...

 

quick question how would I do the thing where, like on these forums, you could highlight a string of words then click on the bbcode button and it wraps tags around it...

 

how can I do that?

[severndigital]

the nl2br() is working without \n

 

FYI ..

 

it's not that nl2br() is working without \n.

 

the \n is there you just don't see it.

 

when the user hits the return key the \n command is entered automatically.

 

**EDIT**

 

for BBCODE formating, you would need a BBCODE Formatter

 

or use Javascript to swap add the text.

 

 

[ag3nt42]

well then they shouldn't put it in the examples.. cuz its just confusing.

[DarkWater]

What?  It's in there so it functions correctly in the string for the example...

[ag3nt42]

Sooo your saying if.. I was to say

 

nl2br('

Something or other this.

And then something or other that. 

');

 

the above would not work?

[DarkWater]

You pressed Return, didn't you?  That puts \n in there.  Try it.

[ag3nt42]

See but thats what I'm saying tho..

 

if thats the case why isn't it in the explanation?

 

I get the feeling everyones like "DUH! IDIOT"

 

But yet stuff like this never gets explained.

[wildteen88]

The description for the nl2br function explains it quite well.

Description

string nl2br ( string $string )

 

Returns string with '<br />' inserted before all newlines.

 

Also you might want to look into incorporating a Rich Text editor (such as FCKEditor or TinyMCE) rather than BBCode. Because if you're going to add BBCode you may as well teach your client HTML, as BBCode is basically HTML.

[jonsjava]

a simpler function, which is built into HTML, is the

<pre></pre>

tags. If you are just wanting it to print to screen exactly as it shows up in the text file, this is the solution for you.