Need help displaying text in an asp.net table

[Craig HB]

I am using an asp.net table to display postings in a classifieds website.

This is a section of the HTM I am using...

<asp:table id="tblAdvert" Width="466px" Height="78px" runat="server"
BackColor="Gainsboro" BorderStyle="Solid" BorderWidth="1px"
BorderColor="MidnightBlue" GridLines="Both" CellSpacing="0">
<asp:TableRow>
<asp:TableCell></asp:TableCell>
</asp:TableRow>
...
<asp:TableRow>

And then I fill the table like this (in the code-behind) ...
tblAdvert.Rows(3).Cells(0).Text = advert.Description

The problem is that the text all gets displayed in one paragraph, even
though the user might have added lines when they entered the posting.

So I tried this...
tblAdvert.Rows(3).Cells(0).Text = "<pre class=advertdescription>" &
advert.Description & "</pre>"

This expands the table so that it stretches out, and the user has to scroll
horizontally to see the whole posting.

Any suggestions ? Thanks,
Craig

[Lowell Heddings]

You are either going to want to force your users to use HTML tags in
their description, or do a replace on the linebreaks, and push in <br> tags.

Something like Description.Replace(Environment.NewLine,"<BR>")

Also, I'd probably be using a label control instead of picking the table
cell through code. That way you seperate out the logic from the UI a
little more.

Lowell


Craig HB wrote:

I am using an asp.net table to display postings in a classifieds website.

This is a section of the HTM I am using...

<asp:table id="tblAdvert" Width="466px" Height="78px" runat="server"
BackColor="Gainsboro" BorderStyle="Solid" BorderWidth="1px"
BorderColor="MidnightBlue" GridLines="Both" CellSpacing="0">
<asp:TableRow>
<asp:TableCell></asp:TableCell>
</asp:TableRow>
...
<asp:TableRow>

And then I fill the table like this (in the code-behind) ...
tblAdvert.Rows(3).Cells(0).Text = advert.Description

The problem is that the text all gets displayed in one paragraph, even
though the user might have added lines when they entered the posting.

So I tried this...
tblAdvert.Rows(3).Cells(0).Text = "<pre class=advertdescription>" &
advert.Description & "</pre>"

This expands the table so that it stretches out, and the user has to scroll
horizontally to see the whole posting.

Any suggestions ? Thanks,
Craig

[Craig HB]

Thanks Lowell.

"Description.Replace(Environment.NewLine,"<BR> ")" worked !

"Lowell Heddings" wrote:

You are either going to want to force your users to use HTML tags in
their description, or do a replace on the linebreaks, and push in <br> tags.

Something like Description.Replace(Environment.NewLine,"<BR>")

Also, I'd probably be using a label control instead of picking the table
cell through code. That way you seperate out the logic from the UI a
little more.

Lowell


Craig HB wrote:

I am using an asp.net table to display postings in a classifieds website.

This is a section of the HTM I am using...

<asp:table id="tblAdvert" Width="466px" Height="78px" runat="server"
BackColor="Gainsboro" BorderStyle="Solid" BorderWidth="1px"
BorderColor="MidnightBlue" GridLines="Both" CellSpacing="0">
<asp:TableRow>
<asp:TableCell></asp:TableCell>
</asp:TableRow>
...
<asp:TableRow>

And then I fill the table like this (in the code-behind) ...
tblAdvert.Rows(3).Cells(0).Text = advert.Description

The problem is that the text all gets displayed in one paragraph, even
though the user might have added lines when they entered the posting.

So I tried this...
tblAdvert.Rows(3).Cells(0).Text = "<pre class=advertdescription>" &
advert.Description & "</pre>"

This expands the table so that it stretches out, and the user has to scroll
horizontally to see the whole posting.

Any suggestions ? Thanks,
Craig