Something has changed with vB tags

[BobBrazeal]

I've seen several people with this same problem. I just posted a reply to jimmiej about their problem but that isn't the first that I've seen. I think there are a lot of others out there that just haven't reported it.

Of course vB tags are translated into HTML code when the page is generated. It seems that, maybe with the board update, that the translation of the vB code IMG tag is not working the same as it was before. Here is the reply that I posted to jimmiej as an example. You can see that the vB code should have worked. It should translate into a &ltimg src= but if you look at the HTML source for the page you will see it was instead translated into a &lta href=


Be sure and read my reply to myself below. I've expanded my thought process down there. Maybe understanding the issue better.

It seems that vB codes are not working exactly as they should. vB codes are the ones that appear within brackets &#91 and ]. Try the HTML code for displaying your clipart. I've shown it below.

&#91img]http://www.disneyclipart.com/cgi-bin/jump.cgi?ID=685&#91/img] should display the clipart but instead comes up as a link like this

. It seems to have to do with certain characters in the URL like "-", "?", "=", etc. This seems to have occured either with the update to the boards last weekend or sometime after that.

Where as if I use the HTML code &ltimg src="http://www.disneyclipart.com/cgi-bin/jump.cgi?ID=685"> this is what we get..

<img src="http://www.disneyclipart.com/cgi-bin/jump.cgi?ID=685">

 

[BobBrazeal]

Of course it has dawned on me after thinking about this that it might very well not be the "special" characters at all! It may be that it parses the URL when the translation is done and in finding that the reference is to a cgi-bin folder (and app), it treats it differently.

Heading out now but when I get back, I'll see if I can isolate this further.

I did notice that one of the other DIS'ers that was having this same problem was also posting a URL that was using an isapi.

I should have noticed right away that the URL was to a cgi or isapi app and not to an image file. I'm guessing now that could be the issue.

Sorry, just talking to myself here and trying to keep a record of my thoughts on this.

 

[LisaTx]

You're quite the detective, Bob.

Now about this little talking to yourself problem....

 

[BobBrazeal]

Lisa,

As long as I've been living by myself, it is either that or no conversation at all when I'm at home. I think that is one of the many things that I've enjoyed about being here on these boards. Look at all the nice people that I can chat with now. I don't have to talk to just myself as much.

 

[BobBrazeal]

Well, I've figured it out!! It is a bit of both of the things that I was speculating about.

It is an administrative option that can be set to allow or disallow "dynamic URL for &#91IMG] tags". It is like I figured, it is to protect from getting anything other than an actual image format file (gif, jpg, etc) into a vB IMG tag. But I was also right about what it triggers on.

And no, I've not been hacking at all if anyone is thinking that!!

I've just been studying. I've been going through the vBulletin manuals, trying to better understand the software. I've been playing with a demo that shows the admin functions and lets you work with them. Now I know about all those mystical powers that you weild!!

And yes, I need a life!!!

The bottom line for the tech board is: If we see someone that has had an image that used to work with the vB image tags &#91IMG] ... &#91/IMG] but isn't now, check the URL and make sure that it points to an image file. If it doesn't, they will need to change the reference to get it to work.

 

[Cricket2]

Sorry Bob!

I meant to answer you about this this morning. We figured this out last week. It is the same thing that stops flash files from being used with a different file extention. If you say it's a .gif then the board will treat it as a .gif regardless of what the file actualy is. The difference is it never happened before with the "IMG" tag and now it does.

It's a security measure and that's all.

Sorry about not posting this sooner.

Now I'll duck and go hide..........

JC

 

[BobBrazeal]

No problem. That is usually the situation. It is a simple change and a straightforward issue but if you don't know about it, it takes some time to figure it out coming at it from the opposite direction. Well it was a good mystery to keep me occupied and my mind working this weekend. And because of all my research, now I know how to move, close, open, prune, split and all those other good things even if it is just on my own little sample vBulletin board. Learning is always a good thing. Mystical powers, demystified!

I just thought it needed some research as people were coming to the tech board looking for help and no one knew what was happening or why. We lurkers have to fend for ourselves, we don't always get all the memos!!

 

[Cricket2]

What memo? I figured it out the same way you did. I can't say that I've installed the program at home so I could see the admin panel but, I watch the vB boards too. This one wasn't very hard though. The evidence has shown me the way......

JC