Missing Spaces

[J-D-H]

An odd problem seems to have developed with POPpeeper (PP). This began several weeks ago (maybe longer). For many years I have been using PP to view a weekly newsletter. I read the file in HTML mode (it's a trusted source), then I save the email body by using "Select All", "Copy", then "Paste" into an ASCII file. Recently I began to notice missing spaces in the ASCII copies I make -- the HTML original in PP does not show this problem. The ASCII viewer/editor program I use makes no difference -- the missing spaces are always there. Again, this is brand new -- until recently my Select all, Copy, Paste regimen has always worked perfectly with PP. What I now see in many locations of my ASCII copies looks like these samples:

Youknow which version....

Certainsoftware programs....

Asystem overview provides....

Youcan refresh the....

Clickon the button....

Notice that the missing spaces are after the first word in sentences. This is usually the main way the problem manifests itself, but I believe I've seen it occur in other places as well -- extra spaces and/or missing spaces within the body of sentences. Is there a fix for this?

[Jeff]

I would guess that there's something in the HTML that the sender is using which *looks* like a space in HTML, but is some other character outside of ascii (ie. not a true "space").

If you have a text editor that shows hex values, that will probably show you what it's doing. I use Notepad++, for example (well, I guess it's a plugin for Notepad++ and I'm not sure if it's included by default or not).

If you view the message in plain text, does it show the spaces?

[J-D-H]

I would guess that there's something in the HTML that the sender is using which *looks* like a space in HTML, but is some other character outside of ascii (ie. not a true "space").

If you have a text editor that shows hex values, that will probably show you what it's doing. I use Notepad++, for example (well, I guess it's a plugin for Notepad++ and I'm not sure if it's included by default or not).

If you view the message in plain text, does it show the spaces?

I can't quite see how the problem might be the HTML itself. If I view the newsletters in other viewers I've tried, the text looks fine in HTML, and if I copy it all and then paste it into an ASCII file, it reads perfectly in any ASCII viewer -- no missing spaces. However using POPpeeper as the initial viewer, the files read perfectly in HTML once again. However when I select all in POPpeeper, then copy/paste this as ASCII into a file, the result always has missing spaces. And these spaces are missing regardless of the ASCII viewer I use to read the final pasted version. All this is fairly new -- maybe just a few weeks or so (maybe even a few months). I have no clue what could happen to POPPeeper such that copying and pasting the newsletters from it as ASCII could have this problem. Or maybe I am fooling myself somehow?

[Jeff]

You'll need to send me a sample email that exhibits the problem (view the message; menu: File / Save message as). Also include a text file that contains what happened when you copy/pasted so that I can compare it. Send these 2 files via email (support at esumsoft dot com).

[J-D-H]

You'll need to send me a sample email that exhibits the problem (view the message; menu: File / Save message as). Also include a text file that contains what happened when you copy/pasted so that I can compare it. Send these 2 files via email (support at esumsoft dot com).

I will send the samples you asked for if the problem repeats when the next newsletter is received here. In the meantime, look at my first post in this thread and you will see the beginning of several sentences from a recent newsletter which show what I am seeing. I did not invent those examples -- they are actual samples from that earlier newsletter......

[Jeff]

It's not a matter of not believing you -- I need the original message of samples that exhibit the problem. I've tried testing your symptoms from messages that I have and they don't have that problem. So either the problem is in the messages that you're using (which is what I'm assuming) or there is something else happening specific to your computer. Getting the original message source from you is the first step in that process.

[J-D-H]

Sorry, I was not trying to imply disbelief on your part, just that I already posted actual samples of the problem. Regardless, I would be happy to do as you requested.... except for one slight impediment. This email is a paid newsletter and they don't allow general distribution. So to abide by their rules, is there a way I can send the original HTML email and my ASCII copy of it to you privately rather than posting all this on the forum? If you can let me know how to do this, I will send you the two files immediately. Thanks!

[Jeff]

Yes, I never recommend posting any email to the forum because they'll contain PII like your email address. Email them to (support at esumsoft dot com)

[J-D-H]

In case it matters, my newsletters come via Hotmail (AKA Outlook). So these HTML files are not originally POP3 email -- they are always seen as webmail in PP.

Okay, I'll send you 2 files. One files came from POPpeeper and has the prefix "PP" and is the TXT file I made by "Select All", then Copy/Paste into a TXT file. If you look through this file, you will see many instances of missing spaces, almost always after the first word in paragraphs. I believe I have also seen extra spaces in other places.

Then I viewed this same HTML newsletter email in a POP3 email program -- Mozilla Thunderbird. Here again I used "Select All", etc., as before, then created another TXT file (this second file has the prefix "TB" for Thunderbird). As far as I can see, this last TXT file has no problems with missing spaces, nor with extra ones.

If you see any errors in my methodology, please let me know. Okay, I will now send the 3 files using as the Subject line "Missing Spaces - 2 Files".