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Could we fix the URL highlighter?

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posted on Aug, 14 2012 @ 03:06 PM
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I have noticed this a few times myself, and seem to be coming across more and more posts that have this problem. Because all URLs are automatically linked, the 'url' tag is only useful for naming links and it cannot overcome the problems of incorrect url parsing.

The symptoms of the problem can be seen here for example: www.abovetopsecret.com...

The URL itself works, because the section cut off was non-essential, but the URL parser itself should have no reason whatsoever to cut this section off. It's clearly a software bug.

I don't know if ATS is open source or closed, I haven't seen any mention of what software it runs on or is based off, but I would be happy to fix this problem myself and give you the solution. It seems one of a few minor bugs that exist on an otherwise excellent forum.



posted on Aug, 14 2012 @ 05:19 PM
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Originally posted by exponent
Because all URLs are automatically linked, the 'url' tag is only useful for naming links and it cannot overcome the problems of incorrect url parsing.


It is good practice to always use the 'URL' tag for links, not just for naming links, that way you will never encounter a URL parsing problem. All you have to do is click the "LINK" button above a reply and type / past the URL and you are good to go. There is no reason to not use the URL tags. The "automatic link parser" is only for simple URL's...
edit on 14-8-2012 by senselessness because: (no reason given)



posted on Aug, 14 2012 @ 08:09 PM
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reply to post by senselessness
 


No, it does screw up some links. I have seen it happen on many occasions. No matter what you try to do to fix it, it just never works properly.
edit on Tue, 14 Aug 2012 20:11:00 -0500 by TKDRL because: (no reason given)



posted on Aug, 14 2012 @ 08:50 PM
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reply to post by TKDRL
 


If you use the URL tags, the URLs do NOT get screwed up. The only time URL's get screwed up is if you don't use the URL tags, and try to just type the URL and have the forum auto parse and detect it.

The only reason the example link the OP provided doesn't work is because he was too lazy to use the URL tags.

The auto URL parser only accepts a certain range of characters. If a URL contains characters that the auto URL parser doesn't accept, it will cut the URL short at that character. If you use the URL tags then that issue doesn't happen.

I believe the reason the auto URL parser ignores certain characters is because those characters are reserved for other things like BBCode. Although there is a way to make the auto url parser work, it would possibly break functionality elsewhere. Also, it may even create some security issues.

For example, some URLs can contain brackets "[", but this forum uses a type of BBCode format which uses brackets for other things, so the auto URL parser will ignore brackets.

Here is a URL that has a bracket in it. As you see, the auto url parser stops at the bracket character:

www.google.com...[test

However, if you encase the URL in URL tags, and give it a name, the URL works perfectly with the bracket in it:

this url works

The OP's example URL didn't work because he didn't use the URL tags...

Here it is without tags (broken):
techland.time.com...-innovative-advanced-concepts-niac-program

Here it is with tags (fixed):
h ttp://techland.time.com/2012/08/13/whats-next-for-nasa-10-wild-newly-funded-projects/?hpt=hp_t2#nasa-innovative-advanced-concepts-niac-program

Just don't be lazy, and use the URL tags....
edit on 14-8-2012 by senselessness because: (no reason given)



posted on Aug, 15 2012 @ 12:29 AM
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reply to post by senselessness
 


I am not stupid. I have used the link button to try to fix broken links before.
The one you made saying "this url works" does not work for me. I get "404. That’s an error. " when clicking on it.



posted on Aug, 15 2012 @ 10:30 AM
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Originally posted by TKDRL
reply to post by senselessness
 


I am not stupid.

The one you made saying "this url works" does not work for me. I get "404. That’s an error. " when clicking on it.



Lol, the "this url works" url was just an example, and if you hover your mouse over it, or click on it, you will see it successfully navigates you to that URL with the "[" bracket in it. However, it's not a real url to a real webpage, it just leads to google with an extension that doesn't exist.... rofl

From that, I think you are stupid.




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