Dr John Stockton wrote:
(snip)
> Space correcting is not programmable, except possibly by experts in
> computing and language. Make the writers get it right, or use a
human
> editor.
Doubtless so, but imperious nonetheless. Let them eat spaces.
Work-in-progress, maybe useful to the OP:
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01//EN"
"http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/strict.dtd">
<html>
<head>
<title>shoot me</title>
<style type="text/css">
body {
font: normal 100% arial, sans-serif;
background: #900;
}
#p1, #p2, #p3, #p4, #p5, #p6 {
width: 340px;
font: normal 70% arial, sans-serif;
padding: 8px;
margin: 0 auto;
border: 1px #fff dashed;
background: #faf0e0;
}
button {
display: block;
width: 100px;
margin: 8px auto;
}
</style>
<script type="text/javascript">
//<![CDATA[
String.prototype.couturierFix = function()
{
return this.replace(/(\D[.!?])(?=[^ .a-z\d])/g, '$1 ').
replace(/,(?=[\S])/g, ', ').
replace(/\. (?=[^[]*\[\/(link|img)\])/gi, '.');
}
function fixit()
{
var p, i = 1, fixed;
while (p = document.getElementById('p' + i++))
{
fixed = p.firstChild.nodeValue.couturierFix();
p.replaceChild(document.createTextNode(fixed), p.firstChild);
}
return false;
}
//]]>
</script>
</head>
<body>
<p id="p1">
When a girl leaves her home at eighteen,she does one of two
things.Either she falls into saving hands and becomes better, or she
rapidly assumes the cosmopolitan standard of virtue and becomes worse.
Of an intermediate balance, under the circumstances, there is no
possibility.The city has its cunning wiles,no less than the infinitely
smaller and more human tempter. There are large forces which allure
with all the soulfulness of expression possible in the most cultured
human. The gleam of a thousand lights is often as effective as the
persuasive light in a wooing and fascinating eye. Half the undoing of
the unsophisticated and natural mind is accomplished by forces wholly
superhuman. A blare of sound, a roar of life, a vast array of human
hives,appeal to the astonished senses in equivocal terms. Without a
counsellor at hand to whisper cautious interpretations,what falsehoods
may not these things breathe into the unguarded ear!Unrecognised for
what they are, their beauty, like music, too often relaxes,then
weakens,then perverts the simpler human perceptions.
</p>
<p id="p2">
Link test:

</p>
<p id="p3">
Image test:

</p>
<p id="p4">
Question mark test: fixes question marks?Hopefully...
</p>
<p id="p5">
Exclamation point test: Exclamation points!Yes/no?Maybe?
</p>
<p id="p6">
Decimal / ellipsis test: there is .5 mile to go...correct?
</p>
<button onclick="return fixit()">fix it</button>
<button onclick="location.reload()">restore</button>
</body>
</html>