ArticleZip > How To Convert Characters To Html Entities Using Plain Javascript

How To Convert Characters To Html Entities Using Plain Javascript

When you're working on a web project, you may come across a situation where you need to convert characters to HTML entities using plain JavaScript. This process is essential for ensuring that special characters display correctly on your website, especially when dealing with user-generated content. In this guide, we'll walk you through a simple method to achieve this using JavaScript.

To convert characters to HTML entities, you can use a handy function called "innerText" or "textContent" along with a little JavaScript magic. These functions help you access the text content within an HTML element, making it easy to manipulate and convert characters as needed.

Let's dive into the step-by-step process of converting characters to HTML entities using plain JavaScript:

Step 1: Access the target element
First, identify the HTML element containing the text you want to convert to HTML entities. You can do this by selecting the element using its ID, class, or any other relevant selector. For example, if you have a

element with an ID of "content," you can access it like this:

Javascript

const element = document.getElementById('content');

Step 2: Retrieve the text content
Once you have the target element, use the innerText or textContent property to retrieve the text content:

Javascript

const text = element.innerText;
// Or
const text = element.textContent;

Step 3: Convert characters to HTML entities
Next, you can use a simple JavaScript function to convert the text content to HTML entities. Here's a basic function that achieves this:

Javascript

function convertToEntities(text) {
  return text.replace(/[u00A0-u9999&]/g, function(i) {
    return '&#'+i.charCodeAt(0)+';';
  });
}

const convertedText = convertToEntities(text);

In the convertToEntities function, we use a regular expression to match characters within the specified range and replace them with their corresponding HTML entities. This ensures that characters like spaces, less than (), and ampersands (&) are properly converted.

Step 4: Update the element with the converted text
Finally, update the target element with the converted text content to display the HTML entities:

Javascript

element.innerHTML = convertedText;

By following these steps, you can easily convert characters to HTML entities using plain JavaScript. This method is particularly useful when you need to sanitize user input or ensure that special characters are rendered correctly on your web pages. Experiment with different text content and characters to see how this conversion process works in practice.

In conclusion, understanding how to convert characters to HTML entities using JavaScript can help you enhance the display and readability of text content on your website. With the simple steps outlined in this guide, you can efficiently handle special characters and ensure a seamless user experience.

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