Remove HTML tags from a text area

Question

Hi, here is my problem:
I have a form with a text area item; this item is “Display as Editor HTML standard”. So it is possible to enter formatted text with tags HTML. Then I save the text in a table. In the column the text maintain the HTML tags. Afterwards I can put the text in a report, and I can see the formatted text with the tags HTML interpreted.
But I need also to use that text for other aims, (i.e. sending it in a mail) with the html tags removed.
Is there any way to remove HTML tags from a text item?
Regards
Dario

Answer 1

From http://asktom.oracle.com/pls/asktom/f?p=100:11:0::::P11_QUESTION_ID:769425837805
   FUNCTION str_html (line IN VARCHAR2)
      RETURN VARCHAR2
   IS
      x         VARCHAR2 (32767) := NULL;
      in_html   BOOLEAN          := FALSE;
      s         VARCHAR2 (1);
   BEGIN
      IF line IS NULL
      THEN
         RETURN line;
      END IF;
      FOR i IN 1 .. LENGTH (line)
      LOOP
         s := SUBSTR (line, i, 1);
         IF in_html
         THEN
            IF s = '>'
            THEN
               in_html := FALSE;
            END IF;
         ELSE
            IF s = '<'
            THEN
               in_html := TRUE;
            END IF;
         END IF;
         IF NOT in_html AND s != '>'
         THEN
            x := x || s;
         END IF;
      END LOOP;
      RETURN x;
   END str_html;There's also a reqular expression approach that I've not tried. Remove HTML Tags and parse the text out of it