Non-breaking spaces are converted to regular spaces during editing

Phenomenon

When editing text that contains non-breaking spaces ( ), they may be converted to regular spaces during editing operations. This breaks formatting that relies on non-breaking spaces.

Reproduction example

1. Insert text with non-breaking spaces: Hello   World
2. Edit the text (type, delete, etc.)
3. Observe the DOM

Observed behavior

• Non-breaking spaces are converted to regular spaces
• Multiple spaces collapse to single space
• Formatting that relies on nbsp is broken
• Layout may change unexpectedly

Expected behavior

• Non-breaking spaces should be preserved
• Or conversion should be predictable
• Formatting should remain intact
• Behavior should be consistent

Browser Comparison

• Chrome/Edge: May convert nbsp to space (this case)
• Firefox: Similar conversion behavior
• Safari: Conversion behavior varies

Notes and possible direction for workarounds

• Monitor and preserve non-breaking spaces
• Replace regular spaces with nbsp if needed
• Use CSS white-space: pre-wrap to preserve spacing
• Handle nbsp explicitly in paste operations