[SOLVED] To BBCode Or Not To BBCode ... That Is My Question

[NoSalt]

I am working on a site where users can add comments. I have, naturally, stripped any HTML characters out of any user inputs but I would like to give them the ability to use some html (e.g., lists, bold, italics, etc.) I could use BBCode but I was reading on php.net that it is only supported under PHP 5.x and my hosting provider only has PHP 4.x. Another route I was thinking of would be like what is used on Reddit where you can add some mark (e.g., **, '', etc.) that I could translate into HTML on my own. What is the opinion of the PHPFreaks community? Any and all opinions will be welcomed.

 

Thanks for reading 

[RichardRotterdam]

BBCode is not PHP version dependant. it's not even PHP dependant.

[NoSalt]

I was reading this: http://us3.php.net/manual/en/book.bbcode.php

[redarrow]

here a BBCODE it easy

<?php
$string = "I [i]am[/i] so [b]cool[/b] ";

$bb_replace = array('[b]','[/b]','[i]','[/i]');

$bb_replacements = array ('<b>','</b>','<i>','</i>');

$string = str_replace($bb_replace,$bb_replacements,$string);

echo $string;
?>

[NoSalt]

here a BBCODE it easy

<?php
$string = "I [i]am[/i] so [b]cool[/b] ";

$bb_replace = array('[b]','[/b]','[i]','[/i]');

$bb_replacements = array ('<b>','</b>','<i>','</i>');

$string = str_replace($bb_replace,$bb_replacements,$string);

echo $string;
?>

 

So then your opinion is that BBCode is the way to go?

[redarrow]

added a little smiley image for you, So you no how it done ok.

 

YES

 

<?php
$string = "<table><tr><td>I [i]am[/i] so [b]cool[/b]</td><td>[smile]</td> </td><tr></table>";

$bb_replace = array('[b]','[/b]','[i]','[/i]','[smile]');

$bb_replacements = array ('<b>','</b>','<i>','</i>','<img width="50px" height="30px" src="http://tbn2.google.com/images?q=tbn:kq6ay2cATrQg0M:http://www.teacherjoe.com/smiley2.gif">',' ');

$string = str_replace($bb_replace,$bb_replacements,$string);

echo $string;
?>

[premiso]

I am working on a site where users can add comments. I have, naturally, stripped any HTML characters out of any user inputs but I would like to give them the ability to use some html (e.g., lists, bold, italics, etc.) I could use BBCode but I was reading on php.net that it is only supported under PHP 5.x and my hosting provider only has PHP 4.x. Another route I was thinking of would be like what is used on Reddit where you can add some mark (e.g., **, '', etc.) that I could translate into HTML on my own. What is the opinion of the PHPFreaks community? Any and all opinions will be welcomed.

 

Thanks for reading  

 

The reason people use BBCode is to store their data in it so it is parseable. This can be parsed by any language as long as you have it setup in a similiar manner. BBCode is universal just each site may have their own variations.

 

Yep, I would go with BBCode.

[NoSalt]

Well ... thank you all for reading and replying. It looks like I'm going with BBCode then.

 

redarrow ... thank you for the tips.

 

Have a Happy Festivus everybody!!!   

[redarrow]

Now i throw a spanner in the woods lol.

 

There been a huge debaite in the programming world about using javascipt and ajax with

bbcode.

 

will the user have JavaScript on?

 

I think you can add javascipt, and have the smiles and the

bbcode do it all automatically, wrapping the bbcode around the words,

but i beleve useing php on it own, is better dosent look better but you

no every user got no browser confilcts.

 

That the only thing you got to ask your self .

 

Do i use javascript/ajax or just php.

 

it being picky but it a debate world wide.

 

 

 

[NoSalt]

Just F.Y.I. ... Wikipedia has a good article on BBCode plus some links to BBCode implementations:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBCode