[SalesForce] Long Text Area field in javascript custom button

I have a custom button (JavaScript) which copies the Description field from Event to my custom Object like this:

summary.Discussion_Topics__c = '{!Event.Description}';

Both fields are of Long Text Area(32000) type.
The button works fine when the Description has one line. When it includes multiple lines the javascript throws an exception. I would like to retain the formatting and copy the Description with multiple line.
Can that be achieved? How?

Best Answer

The JSENCODE Visualforce function will escape the line feeds and other unsafe characters:

summary.Discussion_Topics__c = '{!JSENCODE(Event.Description)}';

This works in custom button JavaScript too e.g. in a custom "Execute JavaScript" button on Account:

var d = '{!JSENCODE(Account.Description)}';
alert(d);

Related Solutions

[SalesForce] How to add a Custom button to a Custom Visualforce page

You can call your method on button click as shown below

<apex:page standardController="Opportunity" showHeader="false" sidebar="false">
<script>
{!REQUIRESCRIPT("/soap/ajax/29.0/connection.js")}

{!REQUIRESCRIPT("/soap/ajax/29.0/connection.js")}
//This is your javascript
function SaveNote()
{
    var note = document.getElementById('frmid:pgblk:pgblksection:descriptionfield').value;
    if (note != null) {
    var project = new sforce.SObject("Opportunity");
    project.id = "{!Opportunity.Id}";

    var date = "{!TODAY()}";
    // var user = "{!$User.Alias}";
    var user = "{!$User.CommunityNickname}";
    var oldnote = "{!JSENCODE(Opportunity.Description)}";
    var prepend = date+" "+user+" - "+note+"\n";
    var newnote = prepend+oldnote;

    project.Description = newnote;

    var result = sforce.connection.update([project]);
    window.location.reload();
    return false;
    }

}

</script>
<apex:form id="frmid"> 
    <apex:pageBlock id="pgblk">
        <apex:pageBlockSection columns="3" id="pgblksection">
            <apex:inputfield id="descriptionfield" value = "{! Opportunity.Description}" />
            <apex:commandButton onclick="return SaveNote();" value="Add Note" /> 
        </apex:pageBlockSection>
    </apex:pageBlock>
</apex:form>

[SalesForce] Flow not recognizing enter key/line breaks in long text area field

I think if you put this in a formula in your flow it should work for you:

SUBSTITUTE( JSENCODE( {!fieldname} ) , '\r\n', '<br>')

The substitute function simply replaces the new line character '\r\n' with the tag you need <br>. The JSENCODE encodes your field as save for javascript. I don't think that should be necessary, but without it the formula won't recognize the line breaks. (I tried something like 12 different forms of line break, and got none of them to be recognized by the substitute function.

Edit: @horzel_evh provides some interesting insights in a separate answer. He/she points out that line breaks can be stored as \r\n or as \n. I thought Salesforce would store all the \n as \r\n but I just tried and it doesn't. The following formula would therfore be more robust:

SUBSTITUTE( SUBSTITUTE( JSENCODE( {!fieldname} ), '\r\n', '<br>'), '\n', '<br>')

Best Answer

Related Solutions

[SalesForce] How to add a Custom button to a Custom Visualforce page

[SalesForce] Flow not recognizing enter key/line breaks in long text area field

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