newbie question

hpi · Nov 4, 2003

Hi,

I have a cgi script generating text output I simply want to show
unformatted.

This text also contains stuff like: <hello>

I tried the <PRE> tag but the <hello> disappears, the browser thinks it's a
tag.

If I use <textarea> the <hello> says but wide lines get wrapped and I want
to use the horizontal scrollbar to see wide lines.

Which tag should I use?

tx

HPI

PeterMcC · Nov 4, 2003

hpi said:
Hi,

I have a cgi script generating text output I simply want to show
unformatted.

This text also contains stuff like: <hello>

I tried the <PRE> tag but the <hello> disappears, the browser thinks
it's a tag.

If I use <textarea> the <hello> says but wide lines get wrapped and I
want to use the horizontal scrollbar to see wide lines.

Which tag should I use?

Try using the named character entities:
http://www.w3.org/TR/WD-html40-970708/sgml/entities.html

<hello&rt;

Steve Pugh · Nov 4, 2003

I have a cgi script generating text output I simply want to show
unformatted.

This text also contains stuff like: <hello>

I tried the <PRE> tag but the <hello> disappears, the browser thinks it's a
tag.

Of course. It is a tag.

If I use <textarea> the <hello> says but wide lines get wrapped and I want
to use the horizontal scrollbar to see wide lines.

Which tag should I use?

None.

Convert < to < (and to be extra-safe > > though that's not
strictly need in the majority of cases).

<hello>

Steve

Steve Pugh · Nov 4, 2003

PeterMcC said:
<hello&rt;

&rt;? What's that? Other than a typo?

;-)

Steve

Owen Jacobson · Nov 4, 2003

hpi said:
Hi,

I have a cgi script generating text output I simply want to show
unformatted.

So send it to the browser as Content-Type: text/plain, not text/html.

(IE may still second-guess you if there's an <html> tag near the
beginning of the output.)

Alexander Duerloo · Nov 4, 2003

use the <plaintext></plaintext> tag

Steve Pugh · Nov 4, 2003

Alexander Duerloo said:
use the <plaintext></plaintext> tag

That would be the <plaintext> tag that was listed as obsolete in HTML
2 and which doesn't even exist in HTML 4?

Good idea.

Steve

PeterMcC · Nov 4, 2003

Steve said:
&rt;? What's that? Other than a typo?

;-)

It's a typo (_8(<) Doh!

How about <abd> ?

Thanks, Steve. Must have got half way through and swapped to l/r as in
&*dquo; (which I use much more often) rather than l/g in &*t;
Attention span must be functioning at <11 characters.

Toby A Inkster · Nov 4, 2003

hpi said:
I have a cgi script generating text output I simply want to show
unformatted.

This text also contains stuff like: <hello>

In Perl:

$out = $the_stuff_that_i_want_to_display;
$out =~ s#\&#&#;
$out =~ s#\>#>#;
$out =~ s#\<#<#;
print "<pre>$out</pre>\n";

Demonstration perl script to run from the command line:

#!/usr/bin/perl
while ($out = <>) {
$out =~ s#\&#&#;
$out =~ s#\>#>#;
$out =~ s#\<#<#;
print $out;
}

hpi · Nov 8, 2003

Hi,

I have a cgi script generating text output I simply want to show
unformatted.

This text also contains stuff like: <hello>

I tried the <PRE> tag but the <hello> disappears, the browser thinks
it's a tag.

If I use <textarea> the <hello> says but wide lines get wrapped and I
want to use the horizontal scrollbar to see wide lines.

Which tag should I use?

tx

HPI

thanks people for all your help.
Of course I know I should use the < etc. but then I should write
some conversion program converting ALL of these things.
I wasn't up for that.

But it seems <XMP>tag <hello></XMP> works ok too.
However this one is replaced by <PRE> which doesn't leave the
tags alone.

anyway, thanks all

HPI

hpi · Nov 8, 2003

So send it to the browser as Content-Type: text/plain, not text/html.

(IE may still second-guess you if there's an <html> tag near the
beginning of the output.)

I think this is the only good answer for me.

I don't want to use HTML, I just want to see my plain output in a browser.
I still have to test a little with tabs and stuff but this one works for
me in IE6 and that's enough for now.

thanks Owen!

HPI

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newbie question

hpi

PeterMcC

Steve Pugh

Steve Pugh

Owen Jacobson

Alexander Duerloo

Steve Pugh

PeterMcC

Toby A Inkster

hpi

hpi

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