newlines in textarea on different platforms

[Jos van Uden]

Hello,

Recently I created a validation script for a form
that checks a textarea. The visitor is invited to
send a list of 25 words, with each word on a new
line.

Before I submit the list I run a test that checks
the length of each word. In order to do this I split
the content of the textarea to create an array of
words that I can loop through.

For the split I'm using the following code:

var entries = list.value.split("\n");

It works fine with me, but I'm wondering if this
will also work on Mac computers.

Or should I write something like:

if(navigator.appVersion.indexOf("Mac") != -1) {
var entries = list.value.split("\r");
} else {
var entries = list.value.split("\n");
}



Thanks,

Jos

(PS. I know that windows uses "\r\n" but that is
dealt with in the subsequent code).

 

[ASM]

Hello,

Recently I created a validation script for a form
that checks a textarea. The visitor is invited to
send a list of 25 words, with each word on a new
line.

Before I submit the list I run a test that checks
the length of each word. In order to do this I split
the content of the textarea to create an array of
words that I can loop through.

For the split I'm using the following code:

var entries = list.value.split("\n");

It works fine with me, but I'm wondering if this
will also work on Mac computers.

yes '\n' works fine on (my) Mac

<form>
<textarea name="vue" cols=30 rows=10></textarea>
<a href="#"
onclick="alert(document.forms[0].vue.value.split('\n'));">voir</a>
</form>

 

[Fred Oz]

Jos van Uden wrote:
[...]

yes '\n' works fine on (my) Mac

<form>
<textarea name="vue" cols=30 rows=10></textarea>
<a href="#"
onclick="alert(document.forms[0].vue.value.split('\n'));">voir</a>
</form>

Here's an alternative, provided a 'word' is delimited by any amount of
white space (including returns, newlines, tabs, whatever). I can't
think of any words that have whitespace in them, but I don't know many
languages!

<form action="">
<textarea name="ta"></textarea>
<input type="button" value="click me" onclick="
var x = this.form.ta.value.split(/\s+/);
alert(x.join('\n'));
">

 

[Mick White]

Hello,

Recently I created a validation script for a form
that checks a textarea. The visitor is invited to
send a list of 25 words, with each word on a new
line.

Before I submit the list I run a test that checks
the length of each word. In order to do this I split
the content of the textarea to create an array of
words that I can loop through.

For the split I'm using the following code:

var entries = list.value.split("\n");

var entries = list.value.split(/[\r\n]/);

Mick

 

[VK]

For the split I'm using the following code:

var entries = list.value.split("\n");
It works fine with me, but I'm wondering if this
will also work on Mac computers.

It works everywhere *within JavaScript*. Its "\n" sequence became kind
of getSystemDelimiter() from Java. So if you do:
myTextArea.value = string1 + "\n" +string2;
everyone will be happy:
Mac users will get "\r", Linux users will get "\n", Win users will get
"\r\n";

But if your are dealing with some text generated outside of JavaScript,
then of course "\r\n" or "\r" or "\n" are very different. Mick White
gave you an universal split().