Show Post formatting IN the columns

Hi John S,

Please follow these steps:
1. Open your theme’s functions.php file.
2. Add the following code:
function better_trim_excerpt($text)
{
$raw_excerpt = $text;
if ( ” == $text ) {
$text = get_the_content(”);
$text = strip_shortcodes( $text );
$text = apply_filters(‘the_content’, $text);
$text = str_replace(‘]]>’, ‘]]>’, $text);

// Removes any JavaScript in posts (between <script> and </script> tags)
$text = preg_replace(‘@<script[^>]*?>.*?</script>@si’, ”, $text);

// Enable formatting in excerpts – Add HTML tags that you want to be parsed in excerpts, default is 55
$text = strip_tags($text, ‘<strong><b><em><i><a><code><kbd><ul><li>‘);

// Set custom excerpt length – number of words to be shown in excerpts
$excerpt_length = apply_filters(‘excerpt_length’, 55);

// Modify excerpt more string at the end from […] to …
$excerpt_more = apply_filters(‘excerpt_more’, ‘ ‘ . ‘…’);

$words = preg_split(“/[\n\r\t ]+/”, $text, $excerpt_length + 1, PREG_SPLIT_NO_EMPTY);
if ( count($words) > $excerpt_length ) {
array_pop($words);
$text = implode(‘ ‘, $words);

// IMPORTANT! Prevents tags cutoff by excerpt (i.e. unclosed tags) from breaking formatting
$text = force_balance_tags( $text );

$text = $text . $excerpt_more;
} else {
$text = implode(‘ ‘, $words);
}
}
return apply_filters(‘wp_trim_excerpt’, $text, $raw_excerpt);
}

// Remove the native excerpt function, and replace it with the improved function
remove_filter(‘get_the_excerpt’, ‘wp_trim_excerpt’);
add_filter(‘get_the_excerpt’, ‘better_trim_excerpt’);

However, my plugin disables the formatting of the markup ul. So, I will need to release another version but it will take me sometime because I am working in other projects by now.

Hope this helps you in the meantime,
Lebasca

Hi Lebasca!

Thank you for your help!

For some reason, I’m getting syntax errors on lines 304 & 310 – I tried singling out and fixing the issue, to no avail. Any help would be much appreciated!

I appreciate you looking into this. Thank you for your hard work.

// John S

Hi John S,

Are you talking about the code lines of the function better_trim_excerpt or other functions in your functions.php file? What is the code for the lines 304 & 310?

Let me know to be able to help you,
Lebasca

Hi Lebasca –

I’m just getting a ‘syntax’ error – when I upload the php file (functions.php) to the server, it ‘breaks’ wordpress – meaning, it recognizes an illegal character within the file and won’t allow me to move any further.

here is a link to a screenshot I’ve taken:

Thank you for your help! Myself and my client appreciate it greatly.

Hi John S,

When you copied and pasted the function code that I provided you, it transformed this character “>” to a HTML character “&gt”.
Please change the symbol &gt by > in the line 304. That line should looks like this:
if ( count($words) > $excerpt_length ) {

If you have any more issues, just let me know but I’m sure it should solve your issue,

Lebasca

Hi Lebasca –

I edited the code – thank you very much!

It still did not SEEM to fix the issue –

Please see:
https://www.gricegroupllc.com/?page_id=110

vs.

https://www.gricegroupllc.com/?p=425

Hi John S,

It doesn’t work because when you copied and pasted the code, it transformed the character ‘<‘ and ‘>’ in HTML codes (‘&lt’ and ‘&gt’).

Compare the function that I posted with your function file and change it manually. I see errors in the line 292 and 294

Regards,
Lebasca

Hi John S,

A new version of this plugin was released. So, your ul and li in your post will show the format now.

Regards,
Lebasca