Topic: posting html inside a text box

man, i'm just racking up the posts!


anyway, there's a text box on a page that sends out an email to all the users of the site. how can i post html inside the text box and have it viewed as html? kinda like this box...see how there's the option to turn html on...that option doesn't exist. i've noticed that it places what's posted inside a <pre> tag...as far as i know, html tags are not effected by this, only plain text.

what happens when i send it is, in my yahoo mail, just the html code is shown. in my aol mail, some code and some really f-ed up tables show.


i've noticed that, for the optional button to add html, sets the text box to a preset mode.

"<input type="radio" name="postType" value="html" onclick="setMode(2)">"


is there a way to set the text bos permanately to post html?

here's the code for the text box i'm working with...

"<TEXTAREA NAME="Start" COLS="33" ROWS="7" WRAP="virtual"><iHTML DBNAME=":datasource" LOGIN=":loginname" SQL="SELECT body FROM messages WHERE title='PROMOTESTART' AND storeid=:storeid" OUTPUT=":1"></TEXTAREA>"


once again, i'd like the answer, but i'm not affraid to read...normally when i post somethign it's after i've spent a few good hours looking for it on the net. so, any help would be much appreciated...THANKS AGAIN!!!


chis

You're not saying how you're sending the mail. PHP? ASP? CGI?

With PHP you have to set the headers for HTML.

sorry, it's an ihtml based server...see the ihtml inside the textinput tag. but, i would think it's mostly based on php.

header? header of the textarea, or place my html to be posted inside an html tag?


"<TEXTAREA NAME="Start" COLS="33" ROWS="7" WRAP="virtual"><iHTML DBNAME=":datasource" LOGIN=":loginname" SQL="SELECT body FROM messages WHERE title='PROMOTESTART' AND storeid=:storeid" OUTPUT=":1"></TEXTAREA>"

no takers???

i'm really stuck here... i can't even find anything on enabling html inside a textarea...

Well, for starters, I've never heard of iHTML.
I would have to assume though, that there is documentation for this language?

Secondly - you don't "enable html in a textarea".

You can always type HTML into any type of form input. What happens with that HTML code is a different story, and has nothing to do with the textarea - it is completely dependent on what type of processing the form is subjected to - is it put in a Database? Saved as a text-file? How? What are you currently doing that does *not* allow the HTML to be properly processed?

If you type HTML into this textarea at the forum, the server ensures that the brackets are converted to character entities so that you see the type code rather than the processed code. Without the scripting in place to do that, it would just be processed as if it were hard coded into the page.

IF that all makes sense, maybe we can get more specific and get somewhere....

yes, that does make sense...i'll dig into it a little deeper. but, this ihtml crap has been giving me a hard time with everything.

what my client is using is found here. http://www.ihtml.com it's the merchant ihtml shopping cart program. i've been running into to trouble alot of places...but seem to work through it, but i ahve to learn this god forsaken language.

anyhow...what this email form does, or is supposed to be used for...is adding a regular text greeting (the text area) and you have the option to have it pull the new and/or special items from the database, list them, and add it to the mail.

whenever html is sent through, it just shows the code or is completely messed up.

so, this must mean, like you were saying, it's processed sever side, and does not allow the html to be processed.


here's the form and surrounding code of the form page.


<iCASE ALIAS="step" VALUE="3">
<TR BGCOLOR="#003366">
<TD COLSPAN="2" ALIGN="left">
<A HREF="#" onClick="window.open('help/email_emailmethod.html', 'MercHelpWin', 'status,resizable,width=600,height=400,left=100,top=100,scrollBars=1');return false"><IMG SRC="graphics/help.gif" ALIGN="right" VSPACE="2" HSPACE="2" HEIGHT="15" WIDTH="15" BORDER="0"></A>
<FONT FACE="verdana,tahoma,arial" COLOR="#ffffff" SIZE="-1"><B>&nbsp;&nbsp;E-Mail Method - :g_stitle</B></FONT>
</TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD COLSPAN="2"><FONT FACE="verdana,tahoma,arial" SIZE="-2">Only customers who have said yes to receiving catalogs or special offers will be included in these mailings.</FONT></TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD COLSPAN="2"><IMG SRC="graphics/spacer.gif" WIDTH="400" HEIGHT="5" BORDER="0"></TD>
</TR>

<FONT FACE="verdana,tahoma,arial" SIZE="-1">
<iEQ NAME="count" VALUE=`<iHTML DBNAME=":datasource" LOGIN=":loginname" SQL="SELECT count(id) FROM customers WHERE maillist=1 AND (email <> '') AND storeid=:storeid" OUTPUT=":1" NOOUTPUT="0">` EVAL="true">
<iIF COND=":count" ALIAS="IsCustomers">
<TR>
<TD COLSPAN="2"><FONT FACE="verdana,tahoma,arial" COLOR="#003366" SIZE="-1">There will be :count customers receiving this E-Mail.</FONT></TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD COLSPAN="2"><IMG SRC="graphics/spacer.gif" WIDTH="400" HEIGHT="5" BORDER="0"></TD>
</TR>

<FORM ACTION="email.ihtml" METHOD="post">
<TR>
<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="middle"><A HREF="#" onMouseOver="togglePopUpHelp(true, 107, event);return false" onMouseOut="togglePopUpHelp(false, 107, event);return false"><FONT FACE="verdana,tahoma,arial" COLOR="#003366" SIZE="-1"><B>Subject:</B></FONT></A></TD>
<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="middle"><INPUT TYPE="text" NAME="subject" SIZE="37" MAXLENGTH="255"></TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top"><A HREF="#" onMouseOver="togglePopUpHelp(true, 108, event);return false" onMouseOut="togglePopUpHelp(false, 108, event);return false"><FONT FACE="verdana,tahoma,arial" COLOR="#003366" SIZE="-1"><B>Beginning:</B></FONT></A></TD>
<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="middle"><TEXTAREA NAME="Start" COLS="33" ROWS="7" WRAP="virtual"><iHTML DBNAME=":datasource" LOGIN=":loginname" SQL="SELECT body FROM messages WHERE title='PROMOTESTART' AND storeid=:storeid" OUTPUT=":1"></TEXTAREA></TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="middle"><A HREF="#" onMouseOver="togglePopUpHelp(true, 109, event);return false" onMouseOut="togglePopUpHelp(false, 109, event);return false"><FONT FACE="verdana,tahoma,arial" COLOR="#003366" SIZE="-1"><B>Specials:</B></FONT></A></TD>
<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="middle"><FONT FACE="verdana,tahoma,arial" COLOR="#003366" SIZE="-1"><B><INPUT TYPE="radio" NAME="specials" VALUE="true" CHECKED> Yes&nbsp;&nbsp;<INPUT TYPE="radio" NAME="specials" VALUE="false"> No</B></FONT></TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="middle"><A HREF="#" onMouseOver="togglePopUpHelp(true, 110, event);return false" onMouseOut="togglePopUpHelp(false, 110, event);return false"><FONT FACE="verdana,tahoma,arial" COLOR="#003366" SIZE="-1"><B>New Products:</B></FONT></A></TD>
<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="middle"><FONT FACE="verdana,tahoma,arial" COLOR="#003366" SIZE="-1"><B><INPUT TYPE="radio" NAME="new" VALUE="true" CHECKED> Yes&nbsp;&nbsp;<INPUT TYPE="radio" NAME="new" VALUE="false"> No</B></FONT></TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="middle"><A HREF="#" onMouseOver="togglePopUpHelp(true, 111, event);return false" onMouseOut="togglePopUpHelp(false, 111, event);return false"><FONT FACE="verdana,tahoma,arial" COLOR="#003366" SIZE="-1"><B>Test Message:</B></FONT></A></TD>
<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="middle"><INPUT TYPE="checkbox" NAME="TestOnly" VALUE="true" CHECKED><FONT FACE="verdana,tahoma,arial" COLOR="#003366" SIZE="-1"><B> Test Only</B></FONT><BR><FONT FACE="verdana,tahoma,arial" COLOR="#003366" SIZE="-2">(Sends a copy of the message to you <B>only</B> )</FONT></TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="top"><A HREF="#" onMouseOver="togglePopUpHelp(true, 112, event);return false" onMouseOut="togglePopUpHelp(false, 112, event);return false"><FONT FACE="verdana,tahoma,arial" COLOR="#003366" SIZE="-1"><B>Ending:</B></FONT></A></TD>
<TD ALIGN="left" VALIGN="middle"><TEXTAREA NAME="end" COLS="33" ROWS="7" WRAP="virtual"><iHTML DBNAME=":datasource" LOGIN=":loginname" SQL="SELECT body FROM messages WHERE title='PROMOTEEND' AND storeid=:storeid" OUTPUT=":1"></TEXTAREA></TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD COLSPAN="2"><IMG SRC="graphics/spacer.gif" WIDTH="400" HEIGHT="5" BORDER="0"></TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD ALIGN="right" VALIGN="top" COLSPAN="2">
<INPUT TYPE="hidden" NAME="step" VALUE="4">
<INPUT TYPE="submit" NAME="sumbit" VALUE="Save & Send">&nbsp;<INPUT TYPE="reset" VALUE="Reset Form">
</TD>
</TR>
</FORM>
<iELSE ALIAS="IsCustomers">
<TR>
<TD COLSPAN="2"><FONT FACE="verdana,tahoma,arial" COLOR="#003366" SIZE="-1">There are no customers wishing to receive an E-Mail about specials or new products.</FONT></TD>
</TR>
</iIF ALIAS="IsCustomers">

<TR>
<TD COLSPAN="2"><IMG SRC="graphics/spacer.gif" WIDTH="400" HEIGHT="5" BORDER="0"></TD>
</TR>
</iCASE ALIAS="step">

i'm not sure where to go to adjust what it processes.


thanks for the reply!!!

I missed the part where you mentioned it being an email.

Well, there are a variety of possible issues, and I'm certainly no expert on any of them.

Number 1 - HTML email depends on the recipient having HTML enabled in their email client.

Number 2 - I don't know what kind of issues are involved in sending an email with via this type of process. Again, it probably depends on the 'ihtml' specifc setup.

It would probably be a good idea for a Mod to move this over the the Server Side forum where it might get better attention...