Re: lynx-dev non-breaking space in input forms

[Philip Webb]

981212 Thomas Dickey wrote:
> 981212 Larry Virden wrote:
>> Look at  http://www.lycos.com/  and the 3rd link on the page: 
>> the text entry search field positions the cursor midway in the field.

not exactly: it's 5th out of  24  positions.

>> I grabbed the source and discovered they have attempted
>> to set the word "for:" apart from the selection box & text entry field
>> with &nspc; characters, which cause Lynx to position the input cursor
>> in the middle of the text field. 
> perhaps they're doing something that assumes the font's proportional
> and trying to compensate for it with spacing...

no, that's not what's wrong.  the relevant source & Lynx rendering are:

<form ACTION="/cgi-bin/pursuit" METHOD="GET">
...
<p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Search&nbsp;  &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
<select NAME="cat" size="1">
<option SELECTED VALUE="lycos">The Web </option>
...
<option VALUE="ups">UPS Tracking # </option></select>
&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; for:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
 <input TYPE="text" NAME="query"  VALUE="" SIZE="20">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
 <input type=submit value="Go Get It!"></p>
... 
</form>

[end of source; beginning of rendered]

       Search      [2][(1)__The Web...........]    for:
   [3]____________________    [4]Go Get It!

[end of rendered]

note that the spaces & non-break-spaces are all rendered faithfully,
EXCEPT that the  4  &nbsp's following `for:' are included
BEFORE the link number [4] above, BUT appear on my screen
as  4  extra  _'s  before the beginning of the  20-space  input field,
which abuts immediately on the [4] on the screen:
if you enter  left-arrow  at the 5th (starting)  _ , you exit the doc.

surely, Lynx is not rendering the source correctly;
nor is the different version saved via the Print screen correct.
   
-- 
========================,,============================================
SUPPORT     ___________//___,  Philip Webb : address@hidden
ELECTRIC   /] [] [] [] [] []|  Centre for Urban & Community Studies
TRANSIT    `-O----------O---'  University of Toronto