Potential Bug - HTML Module Editor Altering HTML When <a> Elemenets Surround Block Level Elements

[ProfessorBrett]

We recently had our website transition from EVOQ to DNN Community 9.10.02, with an additional testing environment for upgrade at 9.13.4. While editing webpages, I noticed at times that markup I had previously checked as working was no longer. I realized that the markup under the specific condition of <a> elements surrounding block level elements like <div> and <p> were being rewritten, either reversing positions, duplicating, or even triplicating itself. This bug will trigger the next time the editor is accessed.

From what I’ve read and an HTML validator I consulted, HTML 5 should allow an anchor element to surround a block.

To recreate this potential bug:

1. Using an HTML module add the following markup: <a><div><p>Test</p></div></a>
2. The markup with save and display as entered
3. Enter the editor again to see the markup altered - it should now show <div><p><a>Test</a></p></div>

In other cases, the (for example purposes, markup reduced), we saw <a><div><p>Test</p></div></a> turn into <a></a><div><p>Test</p></div><a></a> or <a></a><div><p><a>Test</a></p></div><a></a>.

Since we are not currently running the latest release, I opened a discussion here as requested. Could someone test in 9.13.6 to confirm if this bug is present?

Thank you for your time,
-Brett

[mitchelsellers]

There have not been any CKEditor updates in behavior between the environments that you are on and the current release, so I would not expect to see any changes in behavior.

It is possible you could try to modify settings in the CKEditor to limit what is being done, but I would need to do further research to see why

[thienvc]

This issue is with the default editor CKEditor, you can read the documentation to configure it to allow the A tag to wrap other tags.
Some suggestions:
https://ckeditor.com/old/forums/Support/CKEditor-wont-allow-inside
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/19825802/how-to-configure-ckeditor-to-allow-html-block-level-tags-to-be-wrapped-in-an-anc

[Timo-Breumelhof]

Please read this: https://dnncommunity.org/blogs/Post/2841/Help-DNN-CKEditor-is-cleaning-my-HTML

[ProfessorBrett]

Thank you all for your assistance. I have forwarded your replies to my developers.