3 ms·
This is wrong. They're not checking for 150 words. They need to check that, once typeset on the printable form, the text fits in a box of a certain size. Stil
by joeld42 16y ago
This is wrong. They're not checking for 150 words.
They need to check that, once typeset on the printable form, the text fits in a box of a certain size.
Still, whatever they are using to typeset the form should be able to easily give them that info. Even if, god forbid, they are doing it with HTML they can get that info.
Much simpler would be to design the form with a monospaced font for the essay. This is a big reason why manuscripts are still submitted in Courier even though few people use typewriters anymore.
- ghshephard 16y agoYES - I was wondering why nobody had brought up the painfully straight forward solution of "Fixed Width Font" - Then your bounding area is a simple function of the number of characters you typed in, and an error message can pop up if the student exceed it.
- chc 16y agoIt's not quite that simple even with a monospace font unless you wrap words unnaturally. For example, the word "heterochromatic" repeated over and over with a space between fills up the HN comment box in 288 characters, but "I DO" makes it to 359.