protected function getTextArea() {
        
        // initialize the return value
        $textArea = 0;
        
        // if the width has a value (if it is calculated, it may not)
        if ($this->width) {
            // subtract the padding from the width
            $textArea = $this->width - $this->rightPadding - $this->leftPadding;          
        }
        
        
        // if it goes below zero
        if ($textArea < 0) {
            
            // make it zero
            $textArea = 0;
        }
        
        return $textArea;
    }