Currently we have the "< php >" tags and the highlighting is generated 'server side'.

With forums where syntax highlighting is extensively used, it would not only be nice to offload the server to the client side (php vs javascript), but to also add more than just php code as that being highlighted.

There are .js libs out there to do the trick and they fall into various categories. Most important of which is licensing (FREE to use and add to commercial product).

Two products (and there probably are more) that come to mind are:

http://softwaremaniacs.org/soft/highlight/en/ (ty Ian)
http://code.google.com/p/syntaxhighlighter/

both fit the 'FREE' category. one being a short license blurb allowing it and the other with a full on GNU Lesser glob.

This would be simple to add to the <? button as a dropdown to generate the appropriate class tags, allowing for all kinds of highlighting that is accomplished on the clients' machines.

Thanks to Ian Spence for this idea.

I do like the idea of expanding on resource highlighting, but I'd like to sugguest we keep the php syntax highlighter as is as who's to say the user is going to have javascript enabled in the first place?

The benefit of server-side is that you don't have to depend on user security settings to relay the same content and have it appear as it should...

it should just be assumed that javascript is enabled, since it's pretty impossible to use the board to it's full potential without it anyway. You can't upload files, make polls, use the shoutbox, use any dropdown menus, preview your post, use quick reply, etc.

i agree. the days of having to degrade to a non .js and even non .css environment should be over.

But you can reply, you can login, you can use the basic underlying system, without Javascript being enabled...

actually you can't post.

(Boy, that really ruined your reasoning, didn't it? )

That really sucks... You'd think at least THAT wouldn't rely on javascript... Looks like I'll never be posting on a UBB.T7 forum from my PDA running IE4 and it's crappy implimentation of life...

I think UBB.threads should detect IE4 and delete your account

i'm for ie 5.5 (no seriously though)..

Giz, js is inevitable. you're advocating an AJAX registration and probably tons other Ajax stuff..

i know you realize what the J in Ajax really is

and you do realize that the < and > and & characters are replaced, so there is no possibility of hax0ring there

I say IE all together