Getting syntax error from the system .. ?

test

Hi
I was trying to reply to jaymee's BG value thread, and i got this parse error syntax error thing:

I found the problem - this site doesn't seem to like a "pound" sign, so I had to use GBP instead.

Oh, that's a bit weird!!

Yes me too, I just tried using a pound sign here and it wouldn't let me!

I've mentioned it to H

S

This bloody forum software is a nightmare

I am in the process of rewriting it entirely, to finally be rid of crappy PHPBB, but it's a long-winded process, which I'm trying to fit around work

I'll see if I can sort this glitch though... prepare for some test replies to this post

Pound sign? £

EDIT: Woohoo that's fixed - stupid crappy forum software

The "pound" sign "£" on keyboards from elsewhere in the world, is either a "#" or a "$" (can't remember which) but I think it is the "#", which is known as a 'pound' in the US (I think 'cos it looks like an injury in a comic)- or the number or hash sign. So your "£" (and I have trouble getting that- I have to use Windows Character map with US keyboard default in Oz) can be mistaken for a "#" or "$", both of which are special characters in any number of programming languages, operating systems and the like.

So when you hit "Shift-3" you get a different character dependent on your keyboard selection, but if the underlying character code is the same, then the program (which probably defaults to US encoding) sees a special "#" character when it doesn't expect it and gets into trouble.

Put it this way: The [url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Number_sign]wikipedia page for the "#" sign[/url] (called the "Number sign" wiki page) has the following in the page header:
[code]For technical reasons, "#" does not redirect here.[/code]
and the link to those technical reasons gives:
[code]Due to clashes with wiki markup and HTML syntax, the following characters are not allowed to be part of page titles (nor are they supported by DISPLAYTITLE):

# < > [ ] { } |

For articles about these characters, see number sign, less-than sign, greater-than sign, bracket (covers several characters), and vertical bar. [/code]
That should give you an idea of the 'power' of these characters to disrupt things!

[b]Patrick[/b]

[quote="HughieW"]Pound sign? £

EDIT: Woohoo that's fixed - stupid crappy forum software [/quote]

Well done Hughie, many thanks. ££££££££££££££££££££££