Formatting

[Helene]

Formatting

There are several categories of formatting, but there is one formatting rule: for every type, there must be an [open format] and [/close format] "tag".

Please note that in the following instructions, a space will appear between the left bracket "[" and the formatting command. This does not appear in correct formatting. However, the system will format correct formatting commands, and the only way to display them onscreen is to break the formatting convention, hence the space.

The formatting tags will appear in the reply input box, but should not appear in the reply itself after you post. If tags do appear, please see the troubleshooting tips in this post.

Formatting Text:

There are three buttons and three drop-down boxes above the reply input box, all of which are used to format text:

B=bold which will appear in the reply input box as [ b]Text[ /b]

I=Italicize, which will appear in the reply input box as [ i]Text[ /i]

U=underline, which will appear in the reply input box as [ u]Text[ /u]

The FONT button allows you to choose from Arial, Times, Courier, Impact, Geneva, and Optima. These will appear in the reply input box as [ font=fontname][ /font].

The SIZE button allows you to choose from Small, Large, Largest. Please note that these will appear in the reply input box as [ size=1], [ size=7], and [ size=14] and [ /size]. You can adjust the numbers to tweak the sizes. Please use "Largest" judiciously.

The COLOR button allows you to choose from blue, red, orange, yellow, purple, gray, and green. These will appear in the reply input box as [ color=colorname] [ /color]. Note that yellow is illegible on the site background.

There are several options to format text:

Guided Mode: One Type of Formatting per Text.

1. This is a radio button selection to the left of the format buttons and directly above the smilies.

2. If selected, you will be able to format text automatically with one of the following options:

* Bold
* Italic
* Underline
* Text Link to a Web Page
* Email address: a@b.com
* Quote

3. When you select one of the corresponding format buttons, an input box will appear onscreen, prompting you for the text to be formatted.

* For text links, the first box will prompt for the link to the web page, and the second for the text link.
You may choose OK to enter the text into your post input box, or click Cancel.

4. To add additional formatting:

* Enter tags manually in the input box or in the reply.
* Switch to Normal Mode, and use the Highlight Method explained below.

5. The only tags that can be added (manually or through the Highlight Method) are the "Font," "Size," and "Color" options, which do not have Guided Mode options.

To Open and Close Tags at the Same Time (Highlight Method):

1. Highlight the text and click the button or drop-down box.

2. To add additional formats (bold and italic, font and color, etc.) you can highlight the other formatting tags or just the text and then select the second format, but if you highlight only part of a previous formatting tag -- which is easy to do if you try to highlight only the text -- the new tags will be placed in the middle of the original and will break it. (ex: [ b][ [ i]u]Text[ /i][ /u][ /b]

This is the safest way to format text correctly.

To Open Tags:

1. Be sure your cursor is in the correct place in the input box.

If your cursor isn't "resolved" because you moved off the page, the tags will generally appear at beginning of the post.

2 Click the button or choose an option from the drop-down box, and then type the text you wish to format. The button will appear with an "*" to indicate that you haven't yet "closed" the formatting tags.

3 Type in the "open format" tag(s) yourself. As you get used to formatting, or if you have HTML experience, you may find this easier.

To Close Tags:

1. For button formatting options:

With your cursor at the end of the text to be formatted, click the button for the first formatting tag -- for [ b][ i][ u]Format this text, that would be the B button OR
Click each button in the reverse order order you "opened" the tags -- for [ b][ i][ u]Format this text, that would be the "U" button, then the I button, then the B button OR
Click the Close all Tags link next to the "Color" drop-down box.

2. For mixed formatting options:

Click the Close all Tags link next to the "Color" drop-down box.

3. For all formatting options: type in the "close format" tag(s) yourself.

Adding Links:

1. Unless you want to type in the link from scratch, copy the entire link from a browser window.

2. There are two ways to display a link:

a. As a link:
Simply paste the link into text the reply.
It will appear onscreen as http://www.kcballet.org/


b. As a text link:

i. With your cursor at the place where you want to insert the link, click the http:// button above the reply input box.
ii. A dialogue box will open, prompting you for:
(a)The link. "http://" will appear in the dialogue box, and for most browsers this will be highlighted. If it is not, highlight "http://"
Paste the link into the dialogue box OR
Cursor right (right arrow) and type in the link, beginning with "www."
Click OK


(b)The text. "My Webpage" will appear in the dialogue box, and for most browsers this will be highlighted. If it isn't, delete this from the dialogue box.

Type in the link text.
Click OK


The formatted link will appear in the reply input box box as: [ URL=http://www.kcballet.org/]Kansas City Ballet Homepage[ /URL]

and on the page as: Kansas City Ballet Homepage

Quotes:

1. Instructions for quoting another poster are found here.

2. To type or past in a quote,

a. Click the QUOTE button.
b. A dialogue box will open.
c. Type or paste in the quote.

Clickable Email Address:

To make and email address "clickable,"

1. Click the @ button.
2. A dialogue box will appear, into which you type the email address.
3. Click OK.

This will appear in the reply input box as: [ EMAIL]email@abc.com[ /EMAIL] and on the site as email@abc.com

Please post only your own email address (if you are 18 or over) and those that can be found from free, official, public sources (printed or online).

What Is the Code Option?

Because many boards are used by software developers, there is an option called "code," which creates a box similar to a quote box, in which code is entered and in which it appears in courier type. It is separate from the main post to show that what is inside can be copied and pasted into code and used.

Creating an Indented "List":

1. The "open list" and "close list" formatting tags must be entered manually; there is no list button.

2. Before the first item, type [ list] (without the space between the "[" and the "l")

3. Type the first item.

4. Put a carriage return/enter between each item.

5. At the end of the list, type [ /list] (without the space between the "[" and the "/")

You can create indents within indents ("nested indents") by typing another "[ list]" before ending the first one (with [ /list]). Be sure that you have one "close list" [ /list] for every "open list" [ list].

Unsolicited advice for multiple nested "lists": Add the first indent tags and "preview." If these are correct, add in the tags for the next indent, and "preview;" otherwise correct the error and "preview" again. Continue until the post looks correct.

Smilies:

1. Smilies are the little icons that can be added to reply text in posts or to the post itself in the post listing. Examples:

2. Smilies are also know as "emoticons."

3. To use them on the site, the checkbox next to Enable emoticons? must be selected in the Post Options section below the reply box.

4. To use in reply text:

a. A partial selection appears to the left of the reply input box.
b. To see more options, click the Show All link.
c. Smilies appear in the reply input box as :smilie name:

5. To attach to the post:

a. The list of icons appears in the Post Icons, below the reply input box.
b. Click the radio button to the left of the icon you want to select.

Troubleshooting:

1. If you preview or post, and any of the following appear in your post (not the reply input box, where they should appear), it means that you don't have an "open format" for every "closed format."

means you're missing a "close bold" tag ([ /b]) or you have one "open bold" ([ b]) tag too many.

[/i] means you're missing an "open italic" tag ([ /i]) or you have one "close italic" ([ /i]) too many.

2. Javascript smilies will not display on the site. Please use the ones provided.