Using EE 1.6.4, Comment HTML Formatting Buttons plugin v1.2.1 (I’ve verified this on two other blogs using EE 1.6.4 as well).

In IE6/7, when I select text on the page and press the quote button, the selected text is inserted surrounded by quote tags. If no text is selected quote tags are inserted at the cursor.

In Firefox 2, however, when the quote button is pressed, quote tags are inserted into the comment body surrounding the user-entered text, regardless of whether the user has selected text or not.

This was reported to me by a user who I noticed was quoting snippets by inserting italicized text rather than quoting via quote tags. When I asked him why, he explained to me that nothing happened when he selected text and pressed the quote button. I have verified this myself on multiple systems and multiple instances of EE 1.6.4

Any suggestions appreciated.

Could you verify that this is only in FireFox 2? I can’t seem to re-produce in any other browser including FIreFox 3.

I’ll go get FF3 and get back to you. I have tested with IE6 (on 2 systems), IE7 (on one system) and FF2 (on 2 systems), all on WinXP SP2. Correct operation with IE6/7, incorrect with FF2, as my user also reported. I tested it on 2 other blogs running EE 1.6.4 as well (to make sure I hadn’t messed anything up on my end). JavaScript is enabled in all browsers.

I’ll post a reply after I test FF3. Thanks.

OK, I just downloaded FF3 onto one of the IE6 systems. Same problem in FF3; works fine in IE6 on the same box.

May I see the page in question? You can PM me the link if you wish.

PM sent. Thanks.

So far I have been unable to replicate on winXP IE6/7 and FireFox 2.0.11/3.0.1 - Is there anything specific you’re doing? I’m opening an entry, typing into the comment box, hitting quote (quotes the very end), selecting text (quotes the text) and then clicking the cursor somewhere in the text (inserts at cursor).

1) Go to any comments page
2) Put the cursor in the comments box
3) Select text anywhere on the page
4) Hit the quote button

At this point, you see quote tags inserted into the comment box, no text in between them

5) Delete the quote tags
6) Type some text
7) Move the cursor to the start of the text
8) Select text anywhere on the page
9) Hit the quote button

At this point, quote tags get inserted around the text you previously typed, and the selected text is not inserted.

I get this with FF2 & FF3, on my site and 2 other sites with EE 1.6.4; with IE6/7, everything works as expected.

Wait, are you saying that in IE6/7 you can select text elsewhere on the page and the formatting button will use that within the quote tags?  If so that would be the exception and not the intention.  In all other browsers (Firefox, Safari, Opera, etc.) if you select text on the page, the cursor will no longer be in the comment box, and empty quote tags would be inserted.  It is designed to quote selected text within the comment box.  Like the other formatting buttons, it’s merely a syntax helper, not something meant to interact with the rest of the browser UI.

Edit: Well I’ll be…Opera allows it too.  That’s cool, but not intentional.  I’ll check and see if a simple change would allow that for all browsers, or if it’s a difference of interpretation by the vendors.

Heh. This is how I always used the quote button at the other blogs I mentioned, before I wound up as administrator of this one. It appears that my users expect it to work that way too. It seems the obvious way to go about quoting text you’re going to comment on.

Law of unintended consquences?

However, it is still a bug that on FF2/3, it is wrapping the entered text with quote tags rather than just inserting an empty tag sequence, when nothing is selected. It actually makes it rather useless to try to use the quote button for copy->quote->paste behaviors.

That’s not a bug, it’s intentional.  Each browser implements selections differently, and the script’s intention is to do something useful in each browser in accord with those differences, not necessarily to have identical behavior across each.  Still looking at getting FF and Safari able to take the selection though, as that is a useful tidbit that simply wasn’t possible years ago when the javascript was written.

I’ve had the version of the file you sent me up on the site since Friday, and the only reports I’ve gotten from users in response to my notice about the change have been positive ones. So I think we can considered this fixed. Thanks for the assist.

Glad we could get this sorted out for you. I honestly never thought to quote text that way, definitely learned something new =). Resolving the thread.