How to Convert HTML to Raw in PHP while Retaining Breaklines

Learn how to effectively convert HTML content to raw text in PHP, ensuring that breaklines and spacing are maintained for a seamless user experience.
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How to Convert HTML to Raw in PHP while Retaining Breaklines

In web development, there are numerous scenarios where you might need to process user-generated content. One common challenge arises when transitioning from <textarea> inputs to a more complex contenteditable div. This change can lead to difficulties in handling line breaks and spacing when converting HTML to plain text. Today, we'll address how to convert HTML to raw text in PHP while ensuring that breaklines are properly retained, especially when it comes to sending this data to social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.

The Challenge: Retaining Line Breaks and Spacing

The Scenario

Originally, you might be used to pushing the value of a <textarea> into PHP, which behaves predictably. However, when the requirement changes to using a contenteditable <div>, you might find that the output differs from the input. Here’s a brief overview of the process:

User Input: Content is entered in a contenteditable field, which allows rich text formatting, including mentions and links.

Sending Data: Instead of plain text, you send the HTML content to PHP for processing.

Data Parsing: The challenge arises in parsing this HTML correctly while maintaining the formatting; otherwise, line breaks and spaces may be lost, leading to undesired output.

Example Input

When a user types the following in the contenteditable div:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

The HTML sent to PHP might look like this:

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After parsing, the output stored in your database might resemble:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

The issue here is that the intended formatting has been compromised, leading to difficulties in displaying the content as the user intended.

The Solution: Retaining Line Breaks in PHP

To resolve this issue and ensure that the output maintains the original formatting, we can make a few modifications to our PHP parsing logic. By carefully replacing the HTML tags with the appropriate newline characters, we can keep both the line breaks and spaces intact.

Step-by-Step Breakdown

Replace <div> tags with \n (newline):
When a user presses ENTER in the contenteditable field, a new <div> is created. To maintain line breaks when converting to raw text, we replace these <div> tags with newline characters.

Sanitize the HTML:
Use a regex to remove any other HTML tags that shouldn't be in the final output.

Handle White Space:
Replace HTML non-breaking spaces ( ) with a regular space to ensure a smooth output.

Code Implementation

Here’s the adjusted code that properly processes the incoming HTML content:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Results of the Solution

Implementing this version of the code provides the following benefits:

Stored in the DB with the breaklines.

Displayed correctly in the contenteditable with breaklines without the need for nl2br() function.

Sent to Facebook and Twitter with correct formatting.

Conclusion

Managing user-generated content often comes with its set of challenges, particularly when dealing with rich text input formats. By taking the necessary steps to convert HTML to raw text while maintaining breaklines and formatting, you can significantly enhance the usability and appearance of the content stored and shared across platforms. Implementing the provided PHP code will help you effectively address common pitfalls associated with this process.

With these adjustments, you can ensure that your project runs smoothly, making it easier to provide a consistent user experience.