Textarea -> text validation! :-)

Bramvg · Jun 20, 2001

Hi,

Description:
----------------------
In my application [testing] users listen to an audio file and they need to typ the text they hear into a textarea field.

In my database, I have the final, correct text!

Problem:
----------------------
How can I compare these two texts?
But in order to make it more complex [;-)] I need to be able to count the number of the mistakes, because everytime they make a mistake, a counter will be increased by 1.

All the specials signs, like ?/. must be replaced as well, also white spaces. But that isn't much of a problem, GunJack was so good to help me out on that one ;-)

Thank you word:
------------------------
;-) Many thanks in advance!

Bram

tomyum · Jun 20, 2001

My suggestion is to put both texts(from DB and Input) into array. You can do this by read the text as string then strip and keep each character in array.
Then loop and compare each array index one by one.
I don't know this is the best solution but I think it's a good way to start.

tlhawkins · Jun 20, 2001

Hi,
Here is another option. If you would like to make it a little more dynamic. This way you can let them know the answer was wrong before they submit. Also it keeps track of wrong answers, filtering out any time they click in and out of a field without typing.

This assumes that you have a Query called "MyQuestionsAndAnswers"
with Fields Question and Answer both as text values.

It outputs a list of Questions from the Question field, then monitors the activity in ths form and everytime something is typed it checks to see if it matches the Answer field for that Question. It Also increments a counter when the answer is wrong and makes an alert box. I put the counter in a Text field but you would probably want to use a hidden field.

<script language="javascript">
<CFOUTPUT Query="MyQuestionsAndAnswers">

function validQ#currentrow#(form)
{
Answer = document.TestThis.Question#currentrow#.value;
if (Answer!="&quot

{
if (Answer!="#Answer#&quot

{
(document.TestThis.WrongAnswerCount#currentrow#.value++);
alert("Wrong Answer...&quot

;
}

}

}
</CFOUTPUT>
</script>
<html>
<body>
This is of course assuming that the correct answer is held in a field called "Answer".

Then in your form do this:

<FORM name="TestThis" Action="score.cfm" method="post">
<CFOUTPUT Query="MyQuestionsAndAnswers">
Question #currentrow#: -- #Question#
<input type="text"
id=Question#currentrow#
name=Question#currentrow#
OnBlur="validQ#currentrow#(this.form)" size=20>

<input type="text" name="WrongAnswerCount#currentrow#" size=5> <br>

</CFOUTPUT>
<input type="submit" value="Send">
</form>
</body>
</html>

I tried it out and it works fine. Let me know if you have any problems adapting it to your database setup.

Have fun...

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Textarea -> text validation! :-)

Bramvg

IS-IT--Management

tomyum

Technical User

tlhawkins

Programmer

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Textarea -&gt; text validation! :-)

Bramvg

IS-IT--Management

tomyum

Technical User

tlhawkins

Programmer

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Textarea -> text validation! :-)