# Text field formatting

**URL:** <https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/t/text-field-formatting/67771>\
**Category:** rubyonrails-talk\
**Created:** [September 11, 2013, 12:04pm UTC](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/t/text-field-formatting/67771 "2013-09-11T12:04:36Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![11155](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/d26b3c/32.png) [@11155](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/u/11155)\
**Post date:** [September 11, 2013, 12:04pm UTC](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/t/text-field-formatting/67771/1 "2013-09-11T12:04:36Z")

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Hi,

I am trying to figure out how to convert line breaks to html line breaks ie \<br\>

The text is imput and saved as: Which structures traverse above the annulus of Zinn? A) Lacrimal nerve B) Frontal nerve C) Nasociliary nerve D) CN IV E) CN III

but, I have a text field in my show action view with the following: \<%= "#{@formatted\_question[:question]}" %\>

which produces: Which structures traverse above the annulus of Zinn? A) Lacrimal nerve B) Frontal nerve C) Nasociliary nerve D) CN IV E) CN III

The line breaks are still there, they just aren't being converted to HTML line breaks. I can see them when I view the source.

How can I get the line breaks back??

Thanks, Dave

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![11155](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/d26b3c/32.png) [@11155](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/u/11155)\
**Post date:** [September 11, 2013, 12:41pm UTC](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/t/text-field-formatting/67771/2 "2013-09-11T12:41:11Z")

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Got it! simple\_format(text)

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**Author:** ![jsnark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3da27b/32.png) [@jsnark](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/u/jsnark)\
**Post date:** [September 11, 2013, 12:46pm UTC](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/t/text-field-formatting/67771/3 "2013-09-11T12:46:16Z")

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> \<%= “#{@formatted\_question[:question].gsub(/\n/, ‘  
> ’)}” %\>

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**Author:** ![jsnark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3da27b/32.png) [@jsnark](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/u/jsnark)\
**Post date:** [September 11, 2013, 1:01pm UTC](https://discuss.rubyonrails.org/t/text-field-formatting/67771/4 "2013-09-11T13:01:56Z")

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Oops.

\<%= “#{@formatted\_question[:question].gsub(/\n/, ‘  
’).html\_safe}” %\>