php - nl2br() creates an extra new line -

i trying insert description text field database.

i doing this:

$group_description = mysql_real_escape_string($_post['group_description']); 

but creating problems because when taking things out of database, being displayed \n\r strings instead of new lines.

here example of page problem:

http://www.comehike.com/hikes/hiking_group.php?hiking_group_id=48

so tried fix adding nl2br this:

$group_description = mysql_real_escape_string(nl2br($_post['group_description'])); 

but inserted line :( here example of current problem:

http://www.comehike.com/hikes/hiking_group.php?hiking_group_id=50

here example of insert statement use:

$insert_group_sql =  'insert hiking_groups( title , group_description ) values ( "'.$group_name.'" , "'.$group_description.'" ) '; 

what proper way this?

here code use display $group_description

          //convert urls links           $group_description = preg_replace('#([\s|^])(www)#i', '$1http://$2', $group_description);           $pattern = '#((http|https|ftp|telnet|news|gopher|file|wais):\/\/[^\s]+)#i';           $replacement = '<a href="$1" target="_blank">$1</a>';           $group_description = preg_replace($pattern, $replacement, $group_description);            $group_description = str_replace("\'" , "'", $group_description );           $group_description = nl2br($group_description);            /* convert e-mail matches appropriate html links */           $pattern = '#([0-9a-z]([-_.]?[0-9a-z])*@[0-9a-z]([-.]?[0-9a-z])*\\.';           $pattern .= '[a-wyz][a-z](fo|g|l|m|mes|o|op|pa|ro|seum|t|u|v|z)?)#i';           $replacement = '<a href="mailto:\\1">\\1</a>';           $group_description = preg_replace($pattern, $replacement, $group_description); 

first, suggest spudley suggests, keep in original form in database , format once display it.

nl2br() should work, suggest check input data see being input (which easier if don't format before store in db). takes \n, \n\r, \r\n , \r , inserts <br/> instead. should check instance there no space in between \n , \r.

also, make sure use nl2br() in 1 place, since doesn't replace new lines, inserts <br/> (that is, if nl2br(nl2br($group_description)) 2 <br/>)

update:

i see in additional code when display description, have nl2br(). need remove 1 of them, add <br/>s once.

also, instead of this:

      $group_description = str_replace("\'" , "'", $group_description );       $group_description = nl2br($group_description); 

try this:

      $group_description = stripslashes($group_description);       $group_description = nl2br($group_description); 

that should remove sanitizing mysql_real_escape_string() did, should solve problem of \n\r showing in text.