About the latter strokes of typing a long post, also in profile settings?

[lectrocrew]

Why does this forum allow a certain amount of text to be entered while composing a post or entering text into the 'signature' section, then, after whatever amount is the limit, 12 lines I guess, it starts making you scroll down to the latter section after every single key stroke. It sure irritates me. Does anyone else experience this or do I just type too much? I haven't ever had this problem on any other forum that I can remember. I remember reading a thread somewhere around here where somebody commented on a post as being the longest post ever on this board. I think it was bc programmer but I can't remember.
That post was like 30-40 lines or something if I remember right.
 Why can't I compose a post containing approximately 25 lines and spaces without having to spend hours chasing the veiw of those latter lines for editing purpose, or, just simply trying to see what I'm typing?
 Is this some setting I have wrong on all 10+ PC's I use to access this site?

I don't mean to complain, but I've worked 7 days, 10-12 hrs for many weeks now and have to sacrifice sleep and other needed functions of my life to log onto CH. I log on because this board is like a home to me. Many cyber friends here for 4 years now and I thank you all. But it took me 2+ hrs to post my thread about my latest PC I got today. It's just the SMF forum MO I guess, but If somebody can fix this, or explain the reason for the settings being as they are, I'll promise to try to keep my post shorter, when applicable. 
 Well,there this samme problem  goes again, I can't see what I'm typing and I'm not going to chasdse this posst . Sorry about the long postg agin but
 

[soybean]

Why does this forum allow a certain amount of text to be entered while composing a post or entering text into the 'signature' section, then, after whatever amount is the limit, 12 lines I guess, it starts making you scroll down to the latter section after every single key stroke.

lectrocrew, I believe I know what you're trying to explain and I've experienced it and I agree it's very annoying.  This reply will be short so it will not cause the problem you're describing since, as you've said, it occurs when the text being typed for a reply exceeds 12 or so lines.

Well, let me ramble on here just to make this reply longer and see whether it happens for me now.  You mentioned this happen on every computer you've tried and you've tried quite a few.  What browser do you use?  And, what's your OS?  And, do you get a scroll bar on the right side of the message composition box when your typed text (along with any quoted content) exceeds 12 lines or so? 

The problem is not happening for me as I type this.  And, this reply is not long enough that it would be happening if it were to occur.  Now that I think about it, I believe I may not have experienced the problem since the recent upgrade of the SMF software used for this forum.  Also, I'm using Firefox 3.6.10 to type this and my Firefox was updated to this version perhaps about the same time as the forum software update.  So, I can't say for sure why I'm not experiencing the problem now but, indeed, it's not happening as I type this using Firefox 3.6.10 on my Windows 7 computer.

[BC_Programmer]

People keep bringing this up and I have yet to experience what they are referring to, and considering the length of a lot of my replies, you'd imagine I would have encountered it.

Therefore, the best conclusion I can think of is the issue is at least partially on the client-side (browser, OS, etc) In fact, I do recall Nathan noting that it was related to IE in some way quite some time ago. No idea if that is the case now.

[CBMatt]

I know it at least happens on IE6; not sure about later versions.

[Allan]

It doesn't happen to everyone. I experienced it with IE (ver 7 & 8 ) but have not had it happen with Firefox.

[lectrocrew]

What browser do you use?  And, what's your OS?  And, do you get a scroll bar on the right side of the message composition box when your typed text (along with any quoted content) exceeds 12 lines or so? 

I'm working out of town living in a motel so I only have 1 notebook and 1 desktop with me right now. The notebook has XP Pro SP-3, IE8 and Firefox 3.6.10  - The desktop has XP SP-3 and IE8.
But I have seen this issue in the past with my other PC's. My self-built desktop runs Vista X64 and my Dell runs Windows 7.

And yes there is an active scroll bar (there is always a scroll bar but the scroll arrows remain inactive until text box content exceeds the alloted space in the basic text box). If there were no scroll bar then there would be no way to view or edit the content of the text located below the allotted basic veiw of the original text box size. - This problem exist only when the amount of text entered exceeds the space in the basic text box, then, with every stroke of the keyboard, the text box goes back to that basic box veiw (automatically scrolls to top).

Another issue I think is related, and for those of you who have not had issues concerning this - try this:

Ok it just now started doing this with my reply I'm trying to post so I'll explain the rest in the next reply.

[BC_Programmer]

Actually I just popped open IE to check and it happens there. doesn't happen in FF, that's why I've never experienced it.

It's a problem with the javascript, or how IE's textarea responds to it; OnChange is linked to a function called storecaret, which looks like this:

Code: [Select]

function storeCaret(oTextHandle)
{
// Only bother if it will be useful.
if ('createTextRange' in oTextHandle)
oTextHandle.caretPos = document.selection.createRange().duplicate();
}

Seems that when you set the caret position, the textbox reverts to the top, at least with IE's implementation. I'm guessing if a fix were to be implemented it would probably somehow save the scroll position and then set it after setting the caret Position.

[lectrocrew]

Another issue I think is related, and for those of you who have not had issues concerning this - try this:

Open your profile > settings > modify profile > forum profile, (where you enter your signature) *NOTE: back up the contents in the signature box with Notepad so you can re-enter after this test.
The text limit in that box is set to 500 (characters, spaces ect). Clear the contents in that box (right click > select all > right click > cut) then go to the bottom of the page and click change profile.
Now go back and enter 475 characters, spaces (whatever text is fine just for this test). Now click on change profile again at the bottom of the page.
Now go back to that text box and try scrolling down to the latter text.
Does the scroll bar keep trying to return to top?

[lectrocrew]

BC, You posted before I could type my next reply, my typing teacher would not approve. 
But I'm glad we have you guru's to fix issues like this (whatever a caret is  ).
Thanks!!!

[lectrocrew]

Actually I just popped open IE to check and it happens there. doesn't happen in FF, that's why I've never experienced it.

I just "popped open" Firefox and it doesn't happen. I never realized it was an issue that only happens with IE.
I like Firefox but it doesn't function correctly with some secure sites I go to for my business so I kind of got in the habit of using IE lately.   

[soybean]

... there is an active scroll bar (there is always a scroll bar but the scroll arrows remain inactive until text box content exceeds the alloted space in the basic text box).

That's true for IE but not for Firefox. Firefox shows no scroll until the contents of the message box exceed the size of the box.

[lectrocrew]

That's true for IE but not for Firefox. Firefox shows no scroll until the contents of the message box exceed the size of the box.

Thanks. I see that, and I'm also back to using FF as my default browser.  I always liked FF over IE anyway.

[Computer_Commando]

Actually I just popped open IE to check and it happens there. doesn't happen in FF, that's why I've never experienced it....

I, too, have noticed this with IE, and it's a real PIA.  I use IE on one computer and FF on the other.  Only place I've seen it occur is CH Forums.

[Computer_Commando]

I'm now looking at IE's message box, there are 2 small parallel lines at the bottom middle of the box that allow you to stretch the vertical size of the box.  This seems to remedy the situation (at least for the 1 post).

[recovering disk space - old attachment deleted by admin]

[lectrocrew]

I'm now looking at IE's message box, there are 2 small parallel lines at the bottom middle of the box that allow you to stretch the vertical size of the box.  This seems to remedy the situation (at least for the 1 post).

Good eye!!! That certainly works fine for the one post. I don't see the lines in the boxes in the profile settings though.
Thanks for the heads-up Commando !