trying to strip formatting from input text field

2009-06-28

hello,

I am not sure if I can word this correctly:
I am using Flash CS3 (but using actionscript 2.0 due to some constraints).

I have a text input box called 'chart_history' which is a multiline input text field.
When I send it to either a url or use mailto to send an email message, I get a lot of extra information about the text such as:
<TEXTFORMAT LEADING="2">asdf</TEXTFORMAT>

how do I strip this out?
for the properties for the input box, I made sure that the option for 'Render text as HTML' is unchecked (and I tested with this both checked and unchecked and both times I get this).

my line to send via email:
getURL("mailto:"+to+"?subject="+subject+"&body="+body);

(where body is chart_history + <other boxes>).

thank you for looking at this.

Nutrox · 2009-06-28 #2

It sounds as though you are reading the HTML from the text field instead of the plain text. Internally, Flash always uses HTML regardless of the render setting, the render setting simply changes the way the text field content is displayed.

Code:

var body:String = myTextField.text;

greebzilla · 2009-06-28 #3

is this version/actionscript version dependent?

if I trace myTextField.text, it returns undefined
if I trace myTextField, it returns the entry (plus all the HTML formatting)

the .text part does have a blue color so it does appear to be a reserved word.

var v4:String = "Complaint/history: " + chart_comp_hist.text;
trace(chart_comp_hist.text);
trace(chart_comp_hist);

I input 1234 in the box, and from the trace output:

undefined
<TEXTFORMAT LEADING="2">1234</TEXTFORMAT>

Nutrox · 2009-06-28 #4

Yep, the code is AS version dependent but the code I posted is AS2 so it should be working fine.

Are you sure the chart_comp_hist variable is referencing the text field?

Running the following code will help:

Code:

trace( typeof chart_comp_hist );

greebzilla · 2009-06-28 #5

I believe it is referencing the text field correctly:

trace( typeof chart_comp_hist); returns string
trace (chart_comp_hist.text); returns undefined
trace (chart_comp_hist); returns the text I input, along with the formatting tags.

I create a text input box, then under the Var field in properties subwindow, gave it the name chart_comp_hist. When refering to chart_comp_hist in another scene, it does display the data properly within the flash file. It just gets this formatting text along with the data when I attempt to send the data from the input box to either a url or to an email.

Nutrox · 2009-06-28 #6

Quote: Originally Posted by greebzilla

trace( typeof chart_comp_hist); returns string
....
I create a text input box, then under the Var field in properties subwindow, gave it the name chart_comp_hist.

Ok, that is the problem. Instead of giving the text field the variable name "chart_comp_hist" give it the instance name "chart_comp_hist", the chart_comp_hist variable in the code will then reference the actual text field and not the text field content (which is what it is doing at the moment).

greebzilla · 2009-06-28 #7

ok. I was looking at another discussion on the Adobe forums, and it looks like I should be using the instance field rather than the variable field to avoid this issue. (I will need to look into the difference in use between instance and variable). Creating instance names and refering to them got around the issue.

next is trying to figure out how to convert newline to \n or some such

thank you for looking at the problem!

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	Nutrox 17 Creative Assets	2009-06-28 #2
	It sounds as though you are reading the HTML from the text field instead of the plain text. Internally, Flash always uses HTML regardless of the render setting, the render setting simply changes the way the text field content is displayed. Code: var body:String = myTextField.text;

	greebzilla	2009-06-28 #3
	is this version/actionscript version dependent? if I trace myTextField.text, it returns undefined if I trace myTextField, it returns the entry (plus all the HTML formatting) the .text part does have a blue color so it does appear to be a reserved word. var v4:String = "Complaint/history: " + chart_comp_hist.text; trace(chart_comp_hist.text); trace(chart_comp_hist); I input 1234 in the box, and from the trace output: undefined <TEXTFORMAT LEADING="2"><P ALIGN="LEFT"><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE="14" COLOR="#000000" LETTERSPACING="0" KERNING="0">1234</FONT></P></TEXTFORMAT>

	Nutrox 17 Creative Assets	2009-06-28 #4
	Yep, the code is AS version dependent but the code I posted is AS2 so it should be working fine. Are you sure the chart_comp_hist variable is referencing the text field? Running the following code will help: Code: trace( typeof chart_comp_hist );

	greebzilla	2009-06-28 #5
	I believe it is referencing the text field correctly: trace( typeof chart_comp_hist); returns string trace (chart_comp_hist.text); returns undefined trace (chart_comp_hist); returns the text I input, along with the formatting tags. I create a text input box, then under the Var field in properties subwindow, gave it the name chart_comp_hist. When refering to chart_comp_hist in another scene, it does display the data properly within the flash file. It just gets this formatting text along with the data when I attempt to send the data from the input box to either a url or to an email.

	Nutrox 17 Creative Assets	2009-06-28 #6
	Quote: Originally Posted by greebzilla trace( typeof chart_comp_hist); returns string .... I create a text input box, then under the Var field in properties subwindow, gave it the name chart_comp_hist. Ok, that is the problem. Instead of giving the text field the variable name "chart_comp_hist" give it the instance name "chart_comp_hist", the chart_comp_hist variable in the code will then reference the actual text field and not the text field content (which is what it is doing at the moment).

	greebzilla	2009-06-28 #7
	ok. I was looking at another discussion on the Adobe forums, and it looks like I should be using the instance field rather than the variable field to avoid this issue. (I will need to look into the difference in use between instance and variable). Creating instance names and refering to them got around the issue. next is trying to figure out how to convert newline to \n or some such thank you for looking at the problem!