Getting Values using Double quote

[BRETTSTEVE]

I have a form in which there is a text box. This text box shows values from the database and might contain single, double quotes. If the user changes some this value and clicks another link on the screen I have a javascript function which checks for the old value (from the database ) and the value that the user changes. If they are not the same I throw an alert prompting for changes.

I store the value from the database in a hidden input element and in the javascript function I check and see the following

if (document.myform.old_value.value == document.myform.current .value)
{
}
else
{
alert("Save your changes"
}

In this "old_value" is a hidden input element and "current" element is a text box.


Without the quotes it works fine. But with the quotes it doens't work.
I tried replacing the double quotes in the value that I get from the database with \" (which I store in the hidden element) but to no avail. Appreciate someone helping me.

[Charles]

If I understand you correctly, the problem is an HTML one; you're ending up with something like:

<input type="hidden" value="I thought I herd her say, "Good girls don't..."">

The solution is to use something like:

<input type="hidden" value="I thought I herd her say, &amp;quot;Good girls don't...&amp;quot;">

[steelersfan88]

Originally posted by BRETTSTEVE
if (!document.myform.old_value.value == document.myform.current .value)
{
}
else
{
alert("Save your changes");
}What happens when you add the red and remove the blue?

And yes, your quotes problem, look above ^

[BRETTSTEVE]

Hi Charles,
If I understand you right do you recommend me replacing the double quotes in the hidden HTML input element with an ampersand, followed by a double quote, followed by a semicolon. Is that right (Replace " with &";)

Thanks.

[steelersfan88]

No, charles wants you to do and ampersand (&) followed by (quot) followed by a semicolon (;): &amp;quot; will do it. Then also, don't forget to change the code and complete your alert with a closing parenthesis.

Dr. Script

[steelersfan88]

Originally posted by BRETTSTEVE
Replace " with &";

Thanks. See above. also, you should check the "Disable" smilies in this post checkbox, because that causes the ;) to become a smily.

[BRETTSTEVE]

Thanks for your reply. Will try it out. Have fun supporting your team this NFL season.

[BRETTSTEVE]

Hi

It still doesn't work. In my web page for the hidden input element I have this (retrieved from the database and after that programatically I Replaced " with &";

<input type="hidden" value="I thought I herd her say, &quot;Good girls don't...&quot;">

whereas in my textarea I have the following text (retrieved from the database).
I thought I herd her say, "Good girls don't"

In my javascript function I check for changes in this text.Though no changes have been made it still seems the old value and current value to be different. I go to view source and in the view source I still see &"; for the hidden input element. What is that I am doing wrong?

[Charles]

Please post the URL.

[nitwit]

What programming are you using at the server? If it's PHP, for example, you can use htmlspecialchars (http://us3.php.net/htmlspecialchars) to 'sanitize' outgoing code.

In any event, you don't need that hidden field: all HTML form controls have DOM properties that store the original values (set in the HTML). So:

if (document.myform.current.value != document.myform.current.defaultValue)
alert("Save your changes");
}

[BRETTSTEVE]

Thanks Charles.

This is what I see when I say view source.


<input name="old_value" type="hidden" value = "Thi&";s i&";s just a T&";Est" >
<td colspan="2" align="left">


This is what it is for the text area. Exact values from the Database
<td colspan="4"> <textarea NAME="current_value" COLS="60" ROWS="5">Thi"s i"s just a T"Est</textarea></td>




Also this is my javascript function

if (document.myform.old_value.value == document.myform.current .value)
{
}
else
{
alert("Save your changes")
}



Even now if I dont make any chanes it still alerts me

[BRETTSTEVE]

It works. Thank you all.

[Charles]

I had a wee boo-boo. It seems that browsers aren't resolving the mnemonic character entity. You'll have to use the character number (34).

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01//EN"
"http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/strict.dtd">
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<meta name="Content-Script-Type" content="text/javascript">
<meta name="Content-Style-Type" content="text/css">
<title>Example</title>
</head>
<body>
<form action="someScript.pl" onsubmit="alert(this.hidden.value == this.area.value); return false">
<fieldset>
<legend>Example</legend>
<input id="hidden" type="hidden" value="Thi&amp;#34;s i&amp;#34;s just a T&amp;#34;Est">
<textarea id="area">Thi"s i"s just a T"Est</textarea>
<button type="Submit">Submit</button>
</fieldset>
</form>
</body>
</html>