"$" in User Input truncates PDF output.

Visforms Version 4.4.3
PHP 8.1.34
Joomla 4.4.10 

I have an Art Show Entry form which allows Users to enter a price for their works.
If It set it to Type "Number", it works perfectly, ie "1234".

In testing, some users complained that they couldn't understand why it wouldn't accept the price if they entered "$1234".
It's not used for calculation, so I changed the Type to "Text".

The result is sent back to the User as plain text and a PDF document (The PDF function is brilliant, thank you!!).
The text result is correct, but the PDF truncates the first two digits. For example:

User entry: $1234
Email text result: $1234
PDF result: 34
The placeholder in the PDF layout is ${entry1-price}

I've also tested this with other text fields - the problem seems to be "$" followed by a number.
For instance:
Input "$Name"  returns "$Name"
Input "$4Name" returns "Name"
Input "Nam$45e" returns "Name"
"This is a $45Test$55Again" returns "This is a TestAgain"

They are all stored correctly in the database and in the result email.
It's only the PDF copy that is missing characters.

I wonder if the output is seeing the '$" as an Escape character - an instruction rather than a letter?
Not a big deal, but it means that if the User has "$" as part of the title, the results are unpredictable.
Cheers

GG

Hello GG,

That's an interesting story with a truly remarkable result.

I was able to reproduce your test results:
vi-solutions.de/forum-uploads/vf-1665-pa...escape-character.png

I use a special form to test all placeholder variations (especially placeholder options).
The screenshot shows a small excerpt of the form's result text.
The output text itself is much more extensive.

For some time now, Visforms Parameter Replacement is implemented identically across all application areas with regard to effect and functionality.

Therefore, the effect can also be observed already in the form result text.

We consider this a bug in Visforms and will adjust the behavior.
I created a development issue in the bug list:
Issue [VF-1665] Forum: Parameter Replacement: Fix the effect of the $ sign as an escape character for subsequent numbers in text fields

When we release the bug fix, you will be explicitly informed about the release here in the topic.
Thank you again for your contribution!

Kind regards, Ingmar

Happy to be of some use!! I'm probably the only person to encounter this issue as very few people are going to have names like Jo$45hn.
I'm dealing with artists, so anything is possible.

GG

Hi GG,

Of course, your contribution is helpful.
And whatever your artists come up with should work in Visforms without any limitations, in the way they've devised it.

If the problem lies with the specific content of the CSV export, the following might be helpful for us:
- an Akeeba backup,
- a short, detailed guide on how to reproduce the error.

Because often, when it comes to reproducing an error locally on our end, everything suddenly works perfectly.

The question is whether you could provide us with an Akeeba backup of the website for debugging.
We use the following platform for this: wetransfer.com/
Use the forum email address as the recipient: forum (--at--) vi-solutions.de.

Kind regards, Ingmar

There's nothing sensitive on the site, so happy to do that. Have just sent it, so let me know if there's any problems.

Cheers

GG