Browse EIP text field will not span columns in MSIE

[Rob Kolanko]

If a multi row browse has a EIP text field on one of the rows and on the NetWebBrowse template, the field has been checked to span columns,  the text input field will not span columns when viewed with MSIE (both IE 8 and IE 9). The text input field does span columns when view with Firefox.  This is a text input field as opposed to my previous question regarding displaying text in a browse.  In MSIE, the text input field occupies a single column and pushes the columns on the other rows off to the right.  I have check the generated HTML from both browsers. The code is the same.
<td colspan="3">
<div id="div4188123729_div" class="adiv"><textarea id="inp3188474537" name="LDQ__ANSWER" rows="3" cols="80" class="nt-browse-entry"  data-do="eip"></textarea>
</div>
</td>
The colspan attribute is being generated but is ignored in MSIE. I have read on a blog that using CSS to define textarea width and height will solve the problem. The  “rows” and “cols”  attributes are required but are overridden by CSS. But the problem being described in the blog was not specific to MSIE.  On the opposite side,  I am converting a application the was written clarion’s web builder. The HTML generated for the text area from this application is shown below which contains no CSS class and the text field here does span columns in MSIE.
<TR><TD WIDTH="100%" COLSPAN=5>
<!-- Text.htm -- Start -->
<textarea rows='3' cols='106' wrap=soft name='Q01_ANSWER_2'></textarea>
<!-- Text.htm -- End -->
</TD>
</TR>
Help Bruce.

[Bruce]

Hi Robert,

I tried duplicating the effect in the Multi-Row example, by making the description field EIP.
Unfortunately I'm not getting the effect you mentioned.

Can you maybe try the example and see if you get the same effect there? If you do please send me the app.

cheers
Bruce

[Rob Kolanko]

Well I tried duplicating the effect in the Multi-Row example, I could not duplicate the problem either. I tried to duplicate the layout of my browse as close as I could with the example and the problem did not appear. But the problem still exists in my application. So I will email a link to you to download my test application where I have the problem.

Robert Kolanko

[Bruce]

Hi Robert,

got the example - thanks.

the "most columns" in the browse is on the last row - there are 5 columns there. So ideally the other "rows" need to span
5 columns as well. the root of your problem is that they don't, and that causes different browsers to display the block in different ways. (not surprisingly IE is the most brain-dead of them.)

Ldq:Qestion, changed from loc:columns to 4
LDQ:QUESTION_NOTIFICATIONS changed from 3 to 2
LDQ:ANSWER changed from loc:columns to 4

That way all 4 "rows" that make up a single browse record, have the same amount of columns - and that means the browser doesn't need to guess anything.

Incidentally, a quick word on loc:columns.
when the first "line" of the browse row is being created, it counts the number of columns used, and puts that answer in loc:columns. This means that if the second, or later rows, need to "span the whole way across" then loc:columns can be used. this can be particularly useful if some columns on the top "line" are optional, and might end up being hidden.

In your case it's the bottom line of the row which has the fixed number (and the most) columns, so this technique is not applicable to this browse.

cheers
Bruce

[Rob Kolanko]

Thanks the changes worked. Even better, I understand what is going on and how to make changes to the multi-row browse columns such that the browse will appear as I want.

I would love to put a toggle to vertically Contract/Expand rows 3 and below. When you fix the Contract/Expand feature, could look at allowing the feature to be added to any row and extending to the last row?

Thanks.
Robert