Legacy hash tags and bbcode formatting

[zfx]

As mentioned in the following closed thread,

http://www.dragonbyte-tech.com/f33/hash-does-not-work-inside-bbcode-format-codes-18196/

when bbcode text formatting exists as the default on one's forum site, hash tags do not become clickable links if entered within post bodies, unless they are first moved outside of the bbcode formatting tags. I understand the response in the above cited thread, that this is by design and serves to avoid conflict with the bbcode tags. But since the workaround is switching the editor mode to view the formatting tags and then moving the hash tag references outside of any bbcode enclosures, it tends to pose somewhat of an inconvenience for many users. My only concern is that the current state of the matter may deter the use of hash tag references by members - since it's kind of a PITA for them to worry about moving their hash tags.

Is there any better workaround that would make using hash tags easier for members? Preferably some technique that would allow them to create active hash tag references within their pre-formatted message text?

Thanks

 

[zfx]

Actually, I find that I cannot separate my included hash tags from the bbcode formatting during an initial message creation session. The formatting isn't applied until the message is published. So once a message has been published, I am able to easily edit it and move any hash tags out of the formatting code enclosures. But I'm fairly sure our members aren't going to want to edit their messages in this way in order to activate the hash tags they've included. This couldn't be the way it's supposed to work. I really must be missing something obvious here. Any suggestions will be appreciated.

Thanks


EDIT: There must be a simple answer to this or I'd think there would be quite a lot of discussion about it. Hopefully someone here will enlighten me

 

[zfx]

Okay, so much for a fix any time soon. I understand that this issue is not a bug. I'd say that it's more of a known compromise with no workaround - at least right now. As I've mentioned, when I have font formatting enabled and I type a # tag name during message creation, the presence of the font formatting code surrounding the # tag renders it inactive within the published message. But I've already stated this, as has the OP in the other thread. And DB Tech is well aware of the matter because they themselves implemented it starting at some point around v3, apparently in order to avoid some conflicting behavior.

Considering that when I remove font formatting and then create a # tag, the # tag will in fact become active within the published post, I've decided the thing for me to do (for now) is simply inform the community members that they won't be able to publish # tags unless they first disable their font formatting.

Since there have been no responses here yet, it will be fine with me if this thread is simply closed.

 

[Fillip H.]

Sorry, I have been massively busy in real life over the weekend, so I have been unable to answer many support tickets.

I'll change this thread to a Feature Request and investigate the possibility of adding a setting that lets you enable the functionality you want (leaving it disabled by default, and with heavy warnings).

Please bear in mind that Feature Request threads are not entered into our support ticket queue, so further responses to this thread will be limited.

 

[zfx]

Thanks very much for your reply and for your willingness to investigate the possibility of making the function optional. I'll watch this thread for any possible developments.

 

[zfx]

Question:

I was just wondering if there's some code that I code use to create a custom bbcode item that would escape the effect of existing font code and wrap something like [hashtag][/hashtag] around a given word, thus converting that word to an active # tag within a message body? I could then create a button for the [hashtag][/hashtag] wrap on the editor to make it even more convenient for users.

I'm simply adding this query because it seems relevant to my initial question/request.

Thanks

 

[zfx]

I believe the two URLs below are relevant to the vulnerability that has resulted in the feature at issue becoming disabled...

http://www.dragonbyte-tech.com/f4/security-hotfix-advanced-user-tagging-v3-0-6-pro-11032/

https://www.exploit-db.com/exploits/26734/

Leaving the hash tag functionality unpatched wouldn't have made good sense. It's easy to understand why the hotfix was necessary. So your comment about adding "heavy warnings" if and when you implement a toggle for html code functionality is certainly reasonable. While it appears that it would be easy enough for me to revert to the former, vulnerable state (i.e., TYPE_NOHTML back to TYPE_STR), thinking it over I've decided that I'd rather not risk it.

Is there any possibility that instead of providing the option to easily toggle back to the vulnerable state (with a warning), that the hash tags could be placed in an exclusively separate field -perhaps above or below the message body- and that doing so could keep the # tags within said added field isolated from all message body html formatting? Something like that seems like it may be the best of all worlds. I'm guessing though that it would make quite a bit of extra work for you and that it would have to happen on a major version release. It's only a suggestion. But it's one that I would like to see happen if possible

Thanks

EDIT: Or, as a further thought, the aforementioned additional field could even be a *selectable* option. That way, those forum owners who preferred to use active # tags within the message bodies could still do so. But it's probably way too much trouble to implement for only a couple of complaints concerning the current lack of pre-formatted text functionality. I just thought I'd ask.