<?php
/**
* 
* Author: Richard van den Winkel
* Website: http://www.vandenwinkel.com
* 
*/
 
/**
* Retuns (a) html list(s) from a newline seperated string (for example: a textarea list with enters)
* 
* @param mixed $str
* @param mixed $args
*/
function get_nl2li($str, $args = '') 
{
    // default args
    $defaults = array(
        'class' => '', // list class
        'ordered' => 0, // ordered or unordered list
        'type' => '1', // in case of ordered, which type
        'num_columns' => 2, // number of columns (e.g. lists) to generate. CSS styling needed!!!
        'container' => '', // container element
        'container_class' => '' // container element class
    );
 
    // extract the args into local vars (e.g. $class)
    $a = wp_parse_args( $args, $defaults );
    extract( $a, EXTR_SKIP );
 
    // add first and last list item tag
    $str = "<li>" . $str ."</li>";
    // replace /n with adding end and start list item tags
    $str = str_replace("\n","</li>\n<li>",$str);
    // split string by newline character and put elements in array
    $str_exploded = explode("\n", $str);
 
    // init return value
    $ret = '';
 
 
    // list class
    if(strlen($class) > 0) 
    {
        $class = " class=\"$class\"";
    }
 
    // list type
    if($ordered != 0) 
    {
        $tag = 'ol';
        $type = " type=\"$type\"";
        if($num_columns > 0) 
        {
            $start = " start=\"[START]\"";
        }
        else
        {
            $start = '';
        }
    }
    else
    {
        $tag = 'ul';
        $type = '';
        $start = '';
    }
 
    if($num_columns > 1) 
    {
        $num_item_per_list = round(count($str_exploded)/$num_columns, 0);
        $i = 1;
        for($n = 0; $n < $num_columns; $n++)
        {
            $s = str_replace('[START]', $i, $start);
            $ret .= "<{$tag}{$class}{$type}{$s}>";
            for($m = 0; $m < $num_item_per_list; $m++)
            {
                if(array_key_exists($i, $str_exploded)) 
                {
                    $ret .= $str_exploded[$i];
                    $i++;
                }
            }
            $ret .= "</{$tag}>\n";
        }
    }
    else
    {
        $ret = "<{$tag}{$class}{$type}>" . $str . "</{$tag}>\n";
    }
 
 
    // container
    if(strlen($container) > 0) 
    {
        if(strlen($container_class) > 0) 
        {
            $container_class = "class=\"$container_class\"";
        }        
        $ret = "<$container $container_class>" . $ret . "</$container>";
    }
 
    // return the list
    return $ret;
}
 
/**
* echos get_nl2li($str, $args)
* 
* @param mixed $str
* @param mixed $args
*/
function _nl2li($str, $args = '') 
{
    echo get_nl2li($str, $args);
}

    .container {width: 620px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;}
    ul {width: 285px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 25px; padding: 0px; float: left;}
    li {}