DW 2018 - using Properties panel for Format - puts tags in unexpected place...

[brianh44484164]

I have a page on a site that I'm copying / pasting text from a .pdf file into a div.  The text is pasting into the .html file like this (bringing over <br> tags):

<div>

A HEADER HERE

Random text here <br>

More text here <br>

Some more text here <br>

ANOTHER HEADER HERE

Random text here <br>

More text here <br>

Some more text here <br>

</div>

When I highlight the first bit, A HEADER HERE, and click the FORMAT drop down within the Properties panel and select an H tag, this is what it does:

<div>

<h6>A HEADER HERE

Random text here <br>

More text here <br>

Some more text here <br>

ANOTHER HEADER HERE

Random text here <br>

More text here <br>

Some more text here <br> </h6>

</div>

And what I expect, what I believe used to happen when I had DW 2015 (I just updated to 2018), would be this:

<div>

<h6>A HEADER HERE</h6>

Random text here <br>

More text here <br>

Some more text here <br>

ANOTHER HEADER HERE

Random text here <br>

More text here <br>

Some more text here <br>

</div>

I came back to edit / add that even if I paste the text into Dreamweaver from the .pdf to notepad, then to DW as plain text (no accompanying BR tags) it still does the same thing.  It puts the H tag at the start of the text I have highlighted, but puts the ending H tag at the end of all the text I just pasted... down to the next closing DIV.

[Jon Fritz]

Mine does the same thing in CC2018, I'm pretty sure it's just another bug and should be reported/voted on here:

Adobe Dreamweaver CC Bug Report

I don't think I've ever used that Format menu though. When I want to wrap a selection in a given tagset, I do the following...

1. Highlight the text
2. Hit Ctrl + T
3. Type the tag I want
4. Hit Enter twice

It's more steps, but when you get used to it, it's very, very quick for any tag you want to use (not just the H tags the Format menu gives you).

[B i r n o u]

what you got is a normal behavior... <br> is not at all an ending tag... it is  a Back Return in within a block tag, usually  a <p> paragraph tag... but in that case it is a simple free floating text...  I mean a floating text in within a parent container which is not a paragraph tag but a div tag.

so is it a bug... I don't think so... when you copy text from Acrobat... it copy it using the 'visual' formatting and figure out the back return when the line visually go bak to the next line... but it doesn't end up as a structural line... so that's why the <br>

solutions ?

well it all depend about what you would like to get as structural aim ?

so...

either copy from acrobat in full text without any formatting

or remove by a search and replace all the <br> but think anyway to add a <p> start wraping all the text

or replace all the <br> by a </p><p>... and here too wrap the all things by a paragraph tags

[brianh44484164]

I did paste it without any structure... copied it from the .pdf, then pasted it into notepad, then took it from there and pasted it into Dreamweaver, into an existing DIV and got the same result. 

Then I tried to highlight the bulk of the text to use the same method to put a P tag around it... and got the same exact result. 

I don't recall this being how it worked in 2015.

[osgood_]

Its not a bug but its a pain in the backside. I have the nessesity to copy text from pdf files on a regular basis if l cant get hold of the original document that the pdf was created from.

This dumb insertion of line breaks has been part and parcel of Acrobat for years. You would think by now they would have introduced an option in the software to turn those off.

I mean why would anyone want to get the text out of a pdf file with some stupid short line length. Madness.......can send rockets to mars and beyond but hell when it comes to something simple..........not a chance.

[BenPleysier]

This dumb insertion of line breaks has been part and parcel of Acrobat for years. You would think by now they would have introduced an option in the software to turn those off.

PDF (Portable Document Format) : a file format for capturing and sending electronic documents in exactly the intended format.

The above shows the intended purpose of a PDF. If you use a PDF for other purposes, like copying and pasting, then the consequences are there for you to deal with. I am assuming that Nancy's answer is helpful, I on the other hand tend to past the contents into code view and add the paragraph tags manually. Still a pain in the bum, always better than having to retype the contents.

Edit: Come to think of it, by higlighting the text and getting Dreamweaver to remove the <br> tags is much faster. Thanks for the tip!

[B i r n o u]

you are completly right... paste into code view is a real way to go, when copying in PDF

[osgood_]

BenPleysier  wrote

This dumb insertion of line breaks has been part and parcel of Acrobat for years. You would think by now they would have introduced an option in the software to turn those off.

PDF (Portable Document Format) : a file format for capturing and sending electronic documents in exactly the intended format.

The above shows the intended purpose of a PDF. If you use a PDF for other purposes, like copying and pasting, then the consequences are there for you to deal with. I am assuming that Nancy's answer is helpful, I on the other hand tend to past the contents into code view and add the paragraph tags manually. Still a pain in the bum, always better than having to retype the contents.

Edit: Come to think of it, by higlighting the text and getting Dreamweaver to remove the <br> tags is much faster. Thanks for the tip!

By now Adobe should have recognised that a pdf is very useful if the original source file cannot be obtained, for copying and pasting text from. I'm sure if they put their minds to it something better could be provided, to solve an annoying issue.

I've come across situations where I have been provided with pdf files which you can copy and paste text from without any format coming with it, but I've never been able to work out why that happens.

There is no <br> - the lines are just short when pasted in another program, and that is annoying. It has no effect on how it shows in a browser but it looks ugly in the code and as you know I don't do ugly looking code.

It's a failure in my opinion.

[BenPleysier]

The reasonable man adapts himself to the world;

The unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself.

Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man

-- George Bernard Shaw

[osgood_]

BenPleysier  wrote

The reasonable man adapts himself to the world;

The unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself.

Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man

-- George Bernard Shaw

Seriously you think the World today is ok as it is. Says a lot about a person and their expectations, obviously yours and GBS's are/were very low. He probably stank because in his time there were no anti-perspirants, the world moves on an its the unreasonable man that makes it move on because they are NOT willing to adapt to unacceptable situations, unless you like smelling of BO of course.

Of course I'm assuming GBS is writing that twaddle from the point of view of the reasonable man, with BO? The unreasonable man would be saying 'hey I stink someone invent anti-persiprant!' rather than the reasonable man who would be saying 'It's perfectly OK for me to stink'.

[Nancy OShea]

That's not what I interpreted at all!

Without deviation progress is not possible.

-- Frank Zappa

[osgood_]

The reasonable man needs to start showing a bit more respect to his superior, the unreasonable man, is how l read it.

Without questions there are no answers and without answers, no truth, no progress and no future.

--Victor Canning

[B i r n o u]

Does humor belongs to this forum ?... if not we could ask Joe if he can push the cadillac and give some mechanical repair... at least if Marie lt him goes... for the ship not being too later on arrival... lather...

[BenPleysier]

https://forums.adobe.com/people/B+i+r+n+o+u  wrote

Does humor belongs to this forum ?... if not we could ask Joe if he can push the cadillac and give some mechanical repair... at least if Marie lt him goes... for the ship not being too later on arrival... lather...

I guess #15 answers your question

[osgood_]

BenPleysier  wrote

https://forums.adobe.com/people/B+i+r+n+o+u   wrote

Does humor belongs to this forum ?... if not we could ask Joe if he can push the cadillac and give some mechanical repair... at least if Marie lt him goes... for the ship not being too later on arrival... lather...

I guess #15 answers your question

Which is more than can be said for you who quite clearly doesnt.

[B i r n o u]

well perhaps with link it will be more helpfull for those that doen't know Frank... .. it was in continuation of the Nancy post..

so

Does humor belongs to this forum ?... if not we could ask Joe if he can push the cadillac and give some mechanical repair... at least if Marie lt him goes... for the ship not being too later on arrival... and tha last one which was a full story to it alone lather...

[B i r n o u]

well... nobody likes the musician around here...

[BenPleysier]

What GBS meant is that every living creature needs an AH, otherwise they would die. I am most grateful that you volunteerd.

[osgood_]

BenPleysier  wrote

What GBS meant is that every living creature needs an AH, otherwise they would die. I am most grateful that you volunteerd.

I dont think GBS himself knows what he meant - all these philosopher, writers just spew out a lot of twaddle. If it takes an AH, in your opinion, to move things forward, then I'm very proud to be one. If things were left to people like yourself, nothing would progress or get done.

[Nancy OShea · Accepted solution]

I rarely copy text from Acrobat as it contains too many artifacts.   I prefer to copy text from the original document in it's native application -- MS Word, Photoshop, InDesign, or whatever...  In  DW, use Edit > Paste Special  and select text without formatting.