Spaces, Tabs, an styling of code

[siMKin]

I mainly use the programmer forums and something i have a lot of diffulties with is the lack of support for 'code'. All the styling, you put as a programmer in your code, gets lost once you post it on the forum. Especially when someone posts a large amount of code (s)he has a problem with, it is very hard to see what is wrong, because of the lack of indentation. Of course, colour-coding would be nice as well (different colours depending on the meaning of the syntax), but i won't be greedy and ask for that much :-) (even though it's relatively simple to implement). If only the TABS could be fixed (now, all tabs are deleted), i would be very happy.

[Brett_Tabke]

That is something we are looking at for the next version. In that past, certain browsers would spew out the entire textarea formated with spaces just as you see it on your screen (even the right side spaces). Most of that was coming from people that used default alternative character sets (eg: nonenglish folks). Textarea forms are still rather 'potluck' at times and you don't know what you will be getting back.

Additionally, you will have people that feel that post beautification is their singular goal in life. Some can put twice as many spaces in their post as they have text.

Then there are out linux and script junkies. There are atleast 10 people in the forums running a script to post. That script runs on there local machine and then posts their program to the board here when they are ready. That script does the "default" format thing where it spews out hundreds of spaces (a trick used for vbb).

There is also a related security issue. I know of an exploit for a popular bbs system that is now making the rounds on irc. It gives you full access and works off an exploit of form submission using "code" support dealing with this very issue.

Then there is the stylist and support issues. We do not want to encourage the wholesale posting of code in forums. We are not a script repositiory or a "fix my script/do my home work/ do my job" forum. Those forums turn off members and die quickly. Good forums are built on interaction and discussion.

That said - which is mostly a historical view of the associated problems. I do expect to support a limited form of code beautification in the next update.