[wp-trac] [WordPress Trac] #40958: force_balance_tags breaks Ninjaforms and probably other plugins that output html within js.

[WordPress Trac]

#40958: force_balance_tags breaks Ninjaforms and probably other plugins that output
html within js.
--------------------------+---------------------------------
 Reporter:  programmin    |       Owner:  (none)
     Type:  defect (bug)  |      Status:  new
 Priority:  normal        |   Milestone:  Awaiting Review
Component:  Shortcodes    |     Version:  4.7.4
 Severity:  normal        |  Resolution:
 Keywords:                |     Focuses:  ui, administration
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Comment (by semenov10):

 I have been following the discussion regarding the issue with
 `force_balance_tags` affecting NinjaForms and potentially other plugins
 that output HTML within JavaScript.

  Issue Description

 As described, the `force_balance_tags` function is causing additional
 closing tags to be inserted into the content processed by the
 `the_content` filter. This is particularly problematic for shortcodes like
 `[ninja_form id=14]`, where the inserted tags break the intended script.

  Example Demonstration

 To illustrate the issue:

 {{{#!php
 <?php
 ```php
 echo 'NO BALANCE:--' . apply_filters('the_content', '[ninja_form id=14]')
 . ' --END NO BALANCE. ';
 echo 'BALANCED:--' . force_balance_tags(apply_filters('the_content',
 '[ninja_form id=14]')) . ' --END BALANCED. ';
 ```

 In the above example, the output shows that the `force_balance_tags`
 function adds unwanted closing tags, which disrupts the form's
 functionality.

  Suggested Workaround

 To temporarily address this issue, we can use a custom shortcode handler
 that bypasses `force_balance_tags`. Here’s a potential workaround:

 ```php
 remove_filter('the_content', 'force_balance_tags');

 function my_ninja_form_shortcode_handler($atts) {
     $form_id = isset($atts['id']) ? intval($atts['id']) : 0;
     return ninja_forms_display_form(array('id' => $form_id));
 }
 add_shortcode('my_ninja_form', 'my_ninja_form_shortcode_handler');

 $content_with_shortcodes = apply_filters('the_content', '[my_ninja_form
 id=14]');
 add_filter('the_content', 'force_balance_tags');

 echo $content_with_shortcodes;
 ```

  Proposed Long-Term Solution

 To prevent such issues in the future, it would be beneficial if there were
 a filter applied at the end of the `force_balance_tags` function. This
 filter would allow developers to clean up any bugs resulting from
 additional tags.

 For example, implementing a filter like this:

 ```php
 function custom_force_balance_tags($content) {
     $content = force_balance_tags($content);
     return apply_filters('after_force_balance_tags', $content);
 }
 add_filter('the_content', 'custom_force_balance_tags', 20);
 ```
 }}}


 This approach provides a hook (`after_force_balance_tags`) that developers
 can use to further process the content if needed, addressing specific
 issues like the one with NinjaForms.

  Conclusion

 Implementing a filter at the end of the `force_balance_tags` function can
 provide a flexible solution for developers to handle edge cases without
 disrupting the default behavior. I hope this suggestion can be considered
 to enhance the robustness of content handling in WordPress.

 Thank you for your attention to this matter, and I look forward to further
 discussions on this topic.

-- 
Ticket URL: <https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/40958#comment:3>
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