Warning for Bad Markup

[melannen]

Title:
Warning for Bad Markup

Area:
entries

Summary:
When you have bad markup in an entry, DW fails with an error message in the displayed post. Instead, it should warn you about the bad markup before posting, and give you a chance to go back and edit.

Description:
DW clearly has a way to check the markup in a post for basic problems, since it displays some really ugly error text when it happens, and I remember a time on LJ before the error text was there.

The current behavior is to interrup the post at the point where the error occurs, with the message [Error: Irreparable invalid markup ('<foo [...] bar>') in entry. Owner must fix manually. Raw contents below.] followed by the complete raw text of the entry.

I see this message, um, pretty much every time I attempt to make a post with more than a couple bits of mark-up in it. It's ugly, it breaks cut-tags, and with a long and complicated post, it's easy to miss it on preview. We hates it, precious.

It would be really nice if, instead of posting the entry complete with error text and raw code, DW instead gave you some kind of really noticeable warning that there was bad markup (a pop-up, or a big screaming message, or something difficult to miss) and offer to send you back to the entry to fix before posting. (Give the user the option to post anyway, but let them know there will be errors.)

I have no idea how this would work with clients, but even if it only worked from the web form, it would be an amazingly helpful improvement for me.

(And aside from that, some sort of polish to the current behavior would be great. I suggest post the entire entry in raw HTML but behind a cut, with the error message as the cut text. That way at least it wouldn't take over everyone's flists.)

Poll #872

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 48

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This suggestion:

View Answers

Should be implemented as-is.
39 (81.2%)

Should be implemented with changes.
7 (14.6%)

Shouldn't be implemented.
1 (2.1%)

(Other: please comment)
1 (2.1%)

Comments

[susanreads]

I haven't seen this on entries, but I have seen it on comments, which usually can't be edited, so I think it would be even more useful when posting comments.

[snakeling]

Yes, this mostly.

[melannen]

I haven't actually noticed this on comments to speak of (and can't get the error to reproduce at my current level of thinkingness) but I would certainly support a similar check for comments.

(Also a check for the bad_username error before posting, and the option to post with the bad username anyway. That does happen a lot in comments that I see, and is _very_ annoying.)

[azurelunatic]

When the post is through a client or email, also send back a notification that it posted, but has irreparable markup.

[zvi]

this is great for post by e-mail (do we support post by jabber bot yet?), but how many clients will we break if we send them back a strange notice?

[melannen]

Could posting from a client also send a notice to your e-mail, maybe? (I know nothing of the strange magic of clients.)

[kyrielle]

For entries, for comments, and also for entries add the cut, yes. That would rock.

[msilverstar]

+1 for sure

I'm using XJournal sometimes, and it's not quite the same in HTML formatting -- I was very sad when I posted something that looked fine in its preview but failed miserably on DW.

[montanaharper]

I love the idea, so long as it can be implemented in a way that doesn't break third-party clients. It doesn't have to give them a readable error message or anything, but I think it needs to not lock them up or crash them, etc.

[cesy]

An error message by email for posting by email, and a note for comments, and putting the broken bit behind a cut all sound like good ideas, as does the original suggestion.