Thread: Ampersands in the output...
I'm using postgres to return business names via a function. In the function I "xml-ify" the output by taking the name and wrap it with start/end tags, as in "<name>name</name>" (there's a lot more to this and I'm simplifying greatly). However, the problem is that some of the names have "&" in them, like "Joes Bar & Grill", which really should be escaped in XML. Any ideas how to escape those things before they get to the recipient (i.e. my application, IE, Mozilla, etc.)? Is there a built-in function or something I could make use of? I suppose I could write a little more code in my function to look in the field and try to do a string replace or something, but is that the most efficient method? Thanks in advance! :-) Bret
Hi Bret,
That sounds most likely served best at the application layer - for
example, if your application is written in PHP, you can use the PHP
function:
http://us3.php.net/htmlentities
You can also use regular expressions or PHP's str_replace to just
replace all instances of '&' with '&'.
Pretty sure other languages have their own methods as well.
-- Mitch
On Wed, 12 Jan 2005 16:22:41 -0800, Schuhmacher, Bret
<Bret.Schuhmacher@aspect.com> wrote:
> I'm using postgres to return business names via a function. In the
> function I "xml-ify" the output by taking the name and wrap it with
> start/end tags, as in "<name>name</name>" (there's a lot more to this
> and I'm simplifying greatly). However, the problem is that some of the
> names have "&" in them, like "Joes Bar & Grill", which really should be
> escaped in XML.
>
> Any ideas how to escape those things before they get to the recipient
> (i.e. my application, IE, Mozilla, etc.)? Is there a built-in function
> or something I could make use of? I suppose I could write a little more
> code in my function to look in the field and try to do a string replace
> or something, but is that the most efficient method?
>
> Thanks in advance! :-)
>
> Bret
>
> ---------------------------(end of broadcast)---------------------------
> TIP 1: subscribe and unsubscribe commands go to majordomo@postgresql.org
>
Thanks, Mitch. Yes, you're right, I can definitely do it in the calling servlet, but I was wondering if there's an easy way to do it in Postgres. I'll take care of it in Java, then :-). Rgds, Bret > -----Original Message----- > From: Mitch Pirtle [mailto:mitch.pirtle@gmail.com] > Sent: Wednesday, January 12, 2005 7:50 PM > To: Schuhmacher, Bret > Cc: pgsql-novice@postgresql.org > Subject: Re: [NOVICE] Ampersands in the output... > > Hi Bret, > > That sounds most likely served best at the application layer > - for example, if your application is written in PHP, you can > use the PHP > function: > > http://us3.php.net/htmlentities > > You can also use regular expressions or PHP's str_replace to > just replace all instances of '&' with '&'. > > Pretty sure other languages have their own methods as well. > > -- Mitch > > On Wed, 12 Jan 2005 16:22:41 -0800, Schuhmacher, Bret > <Bret.Schuhmacher@aspect.com> wrote: > > I'm using postgres to return business names via a function. In the > > function I "xml-ify" the output by taking the name and wrap it with > > start/end tags, as in "<name>name</name>" (there's a lot > more to this > > and I'm simplifying greatly). However, the problem is that some of > > the names have "&" in them, like "Joes Bar & Grill", which really > > should be escaped in XML. > > > > Any ideas how to escape those things before they get to the > recipient > > (i.e. my application, IE, Mozilla, etc.)? Is there a built-in > > function or something I could make use of? I suppose I > could write a > > little more code in my function to look in the field and > try to do a > > string replace or something, but is that the most efficient method? > > > > Thanks in advance! :-) > > > > Bret > > > > ---------------------------(end of > > broadcast)--------------------------- > > TIP 1: subscribe and unsubscribe commands go to > majordomo@postgresql.org > > >
There is always pl/php or pl/java, if you really want to put the code in the backend. --- "Schuhmacher, Bret" <Bret.Schuhmacher@Aspect.com> wrote: > Thanks, Mitch. Yes, you're right, I can definitely > do it in the calling > servlet, but I was wondering if there's an easy way > to do it in > Postgres. I'll take care of it in Java, then :-). > > Rgds, > > Bret > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Mitch Pirtle [mailto:mitch.pirtle@gmail.com] > > > Sent: Wednesday, January 12, 2005 7:50 PM > > To: Schuhmacher, Bret > > Cc: pgsql-novice@postgresql.org > > Subject: Re: [NOVICE] Ampersands in the output... > > > > Hi Bret, > > > > That sounds most likely served best at the > application layer > > - for example, if your application is written in > PHP, you can > > use the PHP > > function: > > > > http://us3.php.net/htmlentities > > > > You can also use regular expressions or PHP's > str_replace to > > just replace all instances of '&' with '&'. > > > > Pretty sure other languages have their own methods > as well. > > > > -- Mitch > > > > On Wed, 12 Jan 2005 16:22:41 -0800, Schuhmacher, > Bret > > <Bret.Schuhmacher@aspect.com> wrote: > > > I'm using postgres to return business names via > a function. In the > > > function I "xml-ify" the output by taking the > name and wrap it with > > > start/end tags, as in "<name>name</name>" > (there's a lot > > more to this > > > and I'm simplifying greatly). However, the > problem is that some of > > > the names have "&" in them, like "Joes Bar & > Grill", which really > > > should be escaped in XML. > > > > > > Any ideas how to escape those things before they > get to the > > recipient > > > (i.e. my application, IE, Mozilla, etc.)? Is > there a built-in > > > function or something I could make use of? I > suppose I > > could write a > > > little more code in my function to look in the > field and > > try to do a > > > string replace or something, but is that the > most efficient method? > > > > > > Thanks in advance! :-) > > > > > > Bret > > > > > > ---------------------------(end of > > > broadcast)--------------------------- > > > TIP 1: subscribe and unsubscribe commands go to > > majordomo@postgresql.org > > > > > > > ---------------------------(end of > broadcast)--------------------------- > TIP 8: explain analyze is your friend > __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - Easier than ever with enhanced search. Learn more. http://info.mail.yahoo.com/mail_250