HTML Sandbox

Refreshed 1 July 03 | Various FReepers

[TPartyType]

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Welcome Newcomers!

This Sandbox is devoted to giving you a place to practice basic HTML, and to get some coaching.

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So, first things first:

Go to michigander's [ HTML Bootcamp (Cyber patriot training)] and learn there how to change font color, font size, font face, and the like.
THERE'S A WEALTH OF INFORMATION THERE NOT COVERED HERE (so as to avoid duplication).
Learn there also how to post a link and an image, then come back here to practice.

If you're having problems, folks will drop by occasionally to give you pointers and help you troubleshoot.

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Boring posts are a crime . . .

So practice here first!

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NEWCOMERS TIP: I just reread the FreeRepublic posting guidelines. They're worth a read by all newcomers [click here].

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Following is an excellent previous post by Willie Green

But first, HTML advice from the FreeRepublic help page:

Basic HTML
The Free Republic forum uses standard HTML coding techniques. Use <p> to start new paragraphs. You may use <b> to begin bolding and <center> to center text, but please remember to end these items where appropriate with </b> and/or </center>, etc. If you post links or other advanced coding, be sure to test before posting.

Creating new paragraphs is about the only html that most posters ever need, but if you would like to learn more about html you may use any search engine on the internet to find tutorials. Simply search on "html tutorial". Here are links to a couple tutorials that I found:

• HTML Goodies

• Three Rivers Free-Net Beginning HTML

The Basics

Paragraphs, Line Breaks and Horizontal Lines
A lengthy article or reply can be very tedious to read if it does not contain some very simple HTML formating. Inserting either of the following codes will make your post much more readable:

• <br> is a line break. Text that follows this code will begin on the next line.

• <p> is a paragraph break. Text that follows this code will begin on a new line after skipping a line.

• <hr> is a horizontal rule. It draws a line across the page like this:

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Character Formatting
Simple special effects may be created using Character Formatting Codes. These codes are used in pairs in the format: <?>words to be formatted</?>, where <?> turns the formatting "ON" and </?> turns the formating "OFF".

Please: ALWAYS turn "OFF" the formatting when you use it.

Some commonly used codes of this type are:

• <b> and </b> -- BOLD
• <i> and </i> -- Italic
• <u> and </u> -- Underline
• <blink> and </blink> -- Blink
• <strike> and </strike> -- Strike
• _and -- _Subscript
• ^and -- ^Superscript
• <big> and </big> -- Big text
• <small> and </small> -- Small text

These codes can be "nested" to produce multiple effects at the same time. For instance:

<b><i>Bold and Italic</i></b> produces Bold and Italic

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Links
The method for posting a HTML link is fairly simple. The following format is used:

<a HREF="URL">Link Description</a>

where "URL" is the URL address you want to link to (and you gotta use the double quotes), and Link Description is whatever you want to call your link. For example:

<a HREF="http://www.drudgereport.com/">Link to Drudge</a>

becomes Link to Drudge

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And another from the same previous post:

<FONT COLOR="COLOR">Sample</FONT> produces colorful text.

"COLOR" is often a Hexidecimal Code for whatever Color you want, but color names are also supported.
Examples:

<FONT COLOR="blue">blue text</font> produces blue text

<FONT COLOR="red">red text</font> produces red text

<FONT COLOR="green">green text</font> produces green text

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To: foolproof formatting

Here is an easy way to REMEMBER TO TURN OFF THE FORMATTING.

To be sure I turn off the formatting I TYPE THE "OFF" COMMAND AT THE SAME TIME AS THE "ON" COMMAND.

An example:
I want to respond to a line in a post by another brilliant Freeper.
I type < I >""< /I >< BR>
I then "cut and paste" his remarks between the quotes:
< i>" You are a poopy head "< /I>< BR>
And type my equally brilliant response: "No, you're a poopy head!"
The result:

"You are a poopy head"
No, you're a poopy head!

It's very easy to forget to turn off your formatting!
Yes it is!

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To: ftrader, deport

Actually, the <ul> tag is for a bulleted list and stands for unordered list. The missing part is the list item tag (<li>) Here's an example:

<ul>
<li>List item #1
<li>List item #2
<li>List item #3
</ul>

Would display:

• List item #1
• List item #2
• List item #3

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Finally . . .

Here's the link for [Webmonkey] (a super HTML training site).

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Click here for previous HTML Sandbox thread.

[ctlpdad]

thanks, have it in my reference file.

[TPartyType]

HA! I honed my HTML skills by troubleshooting problemed threads and cleaning up after newbies! (I left my share of open tags, too!)

[Howlin]

You'll wonder how you EVER lived without it! Thank eddie willers!

[Tamzee]

Going to try

 

the outlook trick

 

because that sounds

 

like the easiest way

 

to make posts

 

MORE FUN

[brazos.357]

Achoo! (Sorry, I couldn't resist!)

[Tamzee]

Wow, it worked wonderfully! I appreciate everyone's hints and help :-)

[glock rocks]

Surely you didn't think everyone had magically become 100% conscientious about closing their tags.

LOL. no, but some of us veteran codeheads would become 100% conscientious about
being the first to close someone else's open tags :o)

[newgeezer]

some of us veteran codeheads would become 100% conscientious about being the first to close someone else's open tags :o)

LOL. I was one of 'em who had a rather lengthy Super-Duper-Guaranteed-To-Close-Any-And-All-Open-Tags Script ready at all times to quickly copy-and-paste into a reply. :-D

Sometimes, I actually miss the good old days.

[msdrby]

Ping coming your way.

[glock rocks]

I'm sure I stole yer super-duper-all-tags-must-die shotgun code dump!

I recall one seriously deranged thread where some sorry soul had posted a bunch of large font and pictures about 300 columns wide and scrolling, and didn't turn off the scroll.

this was on a fairly hot thread, and it went on another two pages down before anyone could turn the thing off... I mean the POST button was scrolling across the screen as well. I got lucky and hit it, posted the shotgun, and the next 30 posts were regarding seasickness, etc.

I close tags in advance by habit, then type between them... its a throwback to C. (yah, and I never put a semicolon at the end of an if statement... right

if stupid;
nothing();
endif

[nana4bush]

By George, I think I've got it!

[Victoria Delsoul]

Haha, blink doesn't exist anymore, that's what John Robinson told me.

Me

Hey John, it's blinking!

[spectre]

Guess what I just learned...THANKS!

AND this too!

sw

[Victoria Delsoul]

Hmmm, the blink doesn't work on my profile page, so I guess, John was right… half right… whatever. LOL!

[glock rocks]

you're using netscape, yes?

uh huh.

[Elsie]

oh no!

It looks like you're right!!!

[gitmo]

How To Do HTML Bump.

[gitmo]

How To Do HTML Bump.

[Victoria Delsoul]

Yeah, how do you know? LOL

[MeekOneGOP]

I miss the Marquee HTML feature.