Unofficial Royal Enfield Community Forum

General Discussion => Forum Improvements => Topic started by: Bert Remington on August 26, 2018, 07:10:29 pm

Title: Special characters result in database error when Post attempted
Post by: Bert Remington on August 26, 2018, 07:10:29 pm

I created a Reply using Notepad and using Charmap inserted the U+00B0 Degree Sign character as in 30 degree angle.  Repeated Post attempts resulted in a database error.  Changing the Degree Sign to "degree" resulted in successful Post.  If full range of Unicode is not accepted, perhaps a character filter when entering text could be added.  Actually this would be an excellent security measure as there are certain Unicode tricks that can be harmful.

Title: Re: Special characters result in database error when Post attempted
Post by: Guaire on August 28, 2018, 03:31:43 am

What does any of that mean in the real world?

Title: Re: Special characters result in database error when Post attempted
Post by: Richard230 on August 28, 2018, 02:14:58 pm

I don't even know what it means in my world, much less the real world.  ::)

Title: Re: Special characters result in database error when Post attempted
Post by: Guaire on August 28, 2018, 03:16:01 pm

Quote from: Richard230 on August 28, 2018, 02:14:58 pm

I don't even know what it means in my world, much less the real world.  ::)

Richard230 - When I get your address I'll send you a postcard from the real world. Then you can say you get mail from the real world.

Title: Re: Special characters result in database error when Post attempted
Post by: Bilgemaster on August 28, 2018, 05:59:13 pm

Quote from: Guaire on August 28, 2018, 03:31:43 am

What does any of that mean in the real world?

What this means in the real world is that if you try to properly spell something with most any letter, numeral or symbol not shown on your Yankee keyboard, and occasionally even a few that are such as apostrophes, then the new Forum system shrugs and takes a shit.

I've noticed some of my past postings with characters such as a degree symbol, fractions, accent marks, umlauts and even humble apostrophes now instead display a consistent jumbly symbol salad like "’" (for an apostrophe) or "è" (for an "e" with an accent aigu (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89), such as found in many French words).

A long series of global replacements run throughout the database tables could repair this, though I would be surprised if the Forum system vendor, Simple Machines (https://support.simplemachines.org/), did not already have an easier fix on tap.

Title: Re: Special characters result in database error when Post attempted
Post by: Arizoni on August 28, 2018, 10:53:30 pm

For what it's worth, I just had the forum refuse to post my latest thoughts in the Iron Barrel section.

I found the reason after reading this topic. 

I had used the "Alt 0 1 7 6" code (without the spaces) that normally creates a degree sign in the text.  It didn't like that at all and kept giving me the thumbs down warning that ends up with Contact an administrator.

I did send a PT (Private Topic) to one of them but at the time I sent it, I didn't know what the problem was.

Now that I know, I'll avoid using the "Alt+number" codes in my posts.