Inconsistent cross-browser results from .text() method

[dmethvin]

The .text() method returns different whitespace on different browsers. In the case of IE6/7, it sometimes returns no whitespace at all between adjacent text nodes, even though the corresponding .innerText result has white space.

This behavior has been in the .text() method for quite a while, so I don't think a lot of people have found it a critical problem. I would say that IE's lack of whitespace between text nodes is a bug.

The other whitespace differences might deserve some thought as well; for example, should IE's CR-LF sequences be changed to LF for consistency with the other browsers? Regardless, there will still be whitespace differences across browsers that jQuery can't control. For example, IE sometimes removes the trailing newline from text.

​http://groups.google.com/group/jquery-en/browse_frm/thread/6f03f58ac517aea9/5865c907af2d0324

​http://pastie.org/228916

​http://www.nabble.com/.text()-method-quirks-p6933512s27240.html

Sorta-related: Bug #2425

[dmethvin]

Closed duplicate #5429 with another example.

[ioquatix]

I have fixed this bug. Here is the patch:

jQuery.getText = function ( elems ) {
	var ret = "", elem;

	for ( var i = 0; elems[i]; i++ ) {
		elem = elems[i];

		// Get the text from text nodes and CDATA nodes
		if ( elem.nodeType === 3 || elem.nodeType === 4 ) {
			ret += elem.nodeValue;
		
		// Use textContent || innerText for elements
		} else if ( elem.nodeType === 1 ) {
			if ( typeof(elem.textContent) === 'string' )
				ret += elem.textContent;
			else if ( typeof(elem.innerText) === 'string' )
				ret += elem.innerText;
			else
				ret += getText( elem.childNodes );
			
		// Traverse everything else, except comment nodes
		} else if ( elem.nodeType !== 8 ) {
			ret += getText( elem.childNodes );
		}
	}

	return ret;
}

[Rick Waldron]

Dave is this issue still outstanding?

[dmethvin]

#4808 is a duplicate of this ticket.

[SlexAxton]

I think the dupe triggered a reopen on this one. Would still love someone to verify that this is an issue in the latest jQuery.

[jitter]

​test case

[dmethvin]

I played with the test case a bit more, and included the getText from ioquatix:

​http://jsfiddle.net/dmethvin/tptT3/

It does look like the new getText provides better results for IE.

[dmethvin]

Confirmed in bug triage, but low priority.

[Timmy Willison]

Update Sizzle. Fixes #3144, #6863.

Changeset: 22fcc7744daded0dc0783d85df3bd88c6dbc4544

[dbjdbj]

Looking into latest version: ​http://code.jquery.com/jquery-git.js

What if function argument is null or undefined ?

[anonymous]

I suppose "safe and slower" approach does not work? Perhaps: ​http://jsbin.com/uqadup/43/