Thread

Is there a way to truncate a entry body into an excerpt with a {exp} tag?

I dont want to have another custom field just for an excerpt, I’d rather just take like the first 20 or 25 words and then put an ellipsis at the end for the preview.

I don’t think that there is a built-in EE tag, but I’ve seen a number of extensions that handle this; see, for example:

http://devot-ee.com/add-ons/power-truncate/

I’d rather not use an addon, so I tried to add some PHP to do this (real quick test, its not finished). Only way I could figure out to get the value out was to use heredoc

<?php
//REQUIRES PHP TO BE ENABLED IN SETTINGS OF TEMPLATE
 $news_body = <<<END_OF_DATA
{news_body}
END_OF_DATA;

echo substr($news_body, 0, 50);
?>

Just out of interest I’m wondering why you don’t want to use an add-on?

There are some very capable ones out there and they help keep your templates nice and tidy and easy to read instead of having the PHP in the templates. Plugins are after all just PHP in exactly the same way as your code above would be but using a plugin allows you to keep your templates neat and tidy.

Just wondering what the reason is really though?

Best wishes,

Mark

Plugins often break or require updates over time, so I don’t like to rely on them too much. A lesson I’ve learned this from various CMSes and webapps I’ve used.

Plugins often break or require updates over time, so I don’t like to rely on them too much. A lesson I’ve learned this from various CMSes and webapps I’ve used.

Fair point although with these types of plugins they are ‘quite’ simple in the way they do things and do usually get updated for new version changes very quickly.

That said there’s not a lot that changes between point releases that affects this kind of plugin though so usually fairly safe in using these.

Best wishes,

Mark

There are also 1st party plugins developed by Elisalabs here: http://expressionengine.com/downloads/details/word_limiter/

I’ve been using Trunchtml for years without an issue. It’s a very stable add-on.

I’ve been using Trunchtml for years without an issue. It’s a very stable add-on.

i second TruncHTML, works great for me.

I’m not aware of any truncate plug-ins that are compatible with multiple site manager so I had to use php.