Format script out in JSON for webpage

HBMBR has asked for the wisdom of the Perl Monks concerning the following question:

Hello I have a webpage with an input section that then runs a perl script with the variables from the input section from the page and then returns the results to the same page this is the code for the HTML page - When it returns the results they are not formatted (with new lines or tabs correctly)

<html>
<head>
<script src="https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.12.0/jquer
+y.min.js"></script>
<script>
$(document).ready(function() {
    $('input').keyup(function() {

        var empty = false;
        $('input').each(function() {
            if ($(this).val().length == 0) {
                empty = true;
            }
        });

        if (empty) {
            $('.actions input').attr('disabled', 'disabled');
        } else {
            $('.actions input').attr('disabled', false);
        }
    });

$("#btnSearch").click(function(event) {
    var term = $("#urlField").val();
    perlExecute(term);
 });

function perlExecute(term){
    $.ajax({
        type: 'POST',
        url: '/cgi-bin/domain-.pl',
        data: { 's': term },
        success: function(res) {
        $("#result").text(res);
        },
        error: function() {$("#result").text("Search Failed\nPossible 
+reasons:-\nThere illegal characters in your search.)");}
    });
};
});
</script>
</head>
<body>
<div class='form'>
      <input type="text" name="s" placeholder="Search..." id="urlField
+">
    <div class='actions'>
      <input type="button" value="Search" id="btnSearch" disabled="dis
+abled" >
    </div>
</div>
<div id="result"></div>
<p id="content">Lorem Ipsum</p>
</body>
</html>
[download]

The error code if the script fails to run is return in the webpage like this

Search Failed Possible reasons:- There illegal characters in your sear
+ch
[download]

With no recognition of the my new-line characters or the other extreme is

["Search Failed\nPossible reasons:-\nThere illegal characters in your 
+search."]
[download]

With my new-line characters printed in the text. - how can I format the error text the way i want it to appear? The other issue is that the command being run is

#!/usr/bin/perl -w
use warnings;
use JSON;
use CGI;

my $cgi = CGI->new();
my $string = $cgi->param('s');

$ns_lookup = `dig \@4.2.2.2 +norecurse +nocmd +noquestion +nostats +no
+comments +authority +noadditional $domain NS`;
chomp($ns_lookup);

print "Content-type: text/html\n\n";
print $ns_lookup;
[download]

The above code prints out the following

google.co.zw. 59751 IN NS ns3.google.com. google.co.zw. 59751 IN NS ns
+4.google.com. google.co.zw. 59751 IN NS ns1.google.com. google.co.zw.
+ 59751 IN NS ns2.google.com.
[download]

Instead of

google.co.zw.    59751    IN    NS    ns3.google.com. google.co.zw.   
+ 59751    IN    NS    ns4.google.com. google.co.zw.    59751    IN   
+ NS    ns1.google.com. google.co.zw.    59751    IN    NS    ns2.goog
+le.com.
[download]

how can i format the text and make it more legible.

Comment on Format script out in JSON for webpage Select or Download Code

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
Re: Format script output to jQuery ajax call by Your Mother (Archbishop) on Mar 11, 2016 at 13:12 UTC
All right, I read your OP this time. :P Your original code is not quite right. You've probably adjusted it to work on your box but what you posted is both broken and dangerous if not fixed properly. Always `use strict`. You get `$string` from the CGI parameters but then use `$domain` in the `dig` call. You also pass user input directly to the shell with the backticks (``). This is about as serious a security mistake as there is. Also, there is no JSON in your code or implied in your jQuery code, so drop the `use` statement. Adjusted, and simplified a little for ease of testing, with non-OO CGI and shell quoting capture of the command. You will probably have to install Capture::Tiny but it may be the easiest way to make the call to `dig` safe from exploits. `#!/usr/bin/env perl use strict; use warnings; use CGI ":standard"; use Capture::Tiny "capture_merged"; my $domain = param("s") \|\| "example.org"; my $dig = capture_merged { system "dig", $domain }; print header(), escapeHTML($dig);` [download] Your display problem has two possible solutions. Either fix the style of the `#result` div or `jQ =~ s/text/html/` `<div id="result" style="white-space:pre"></div>` [download] `# CGI change print header(), pre(escapeHTML($dig)); # plus JS change $("#result").html(res);` [download]	[reply] [d/l] [select]
Re: Format script out in JSON for webpage by NetWallah (Canon) on Mar 10, 2016 at 22:07 UTC
Add <pre> tags to your returned response: `print "<pre>$ns_lookup\n</pre>";` [download] or (easier to read): `print $cgi->pre("$ns_lookup\n");` [download] This is not an optical illusion, it just looks like one.	[reply] [d/l] [select]
Re^2: Format script out in JSON for webpage by Your Mother (Archbishop) on Mar 11, 2016 at 00:40 UTC
On this note, please everyone remember, unescaped HTML is on the keyring to your kingdom. Never ever, ever, ever, ever write a song about the Sibbie. Or forget to escape HTML. `print $q->pre( $q->escapeHTML( $ns_lookup ) );`	[reply] [d/l]
Re^3: Format script out in JSON for webpage by HBMBR (Initiate) on Mar 11, 2016 at 08:37 UTC
Hi This does not seem to have worked the output is now `<pre>google.co.zw. 21014 IN NS ns1.google.com. google.co.zw. 21014 IN +NS ns2.google.com. google.co.zw. 21014 IN NS ns3.google.com. google.c +o.zw. 21014 IN NS ns4.google.com.</pre>` [download]	[reply] [d/l]