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.

[potlatch]

Ok guys and gals, here is what happened. I am completely new to all of this. I worked hard and set up a gif site at Geocities and posted my first gif a week or so ago - a big red X!!

I felt like crying! I received a bunch of replies and they said Geocities won't let you link to the forum!!! So I found Village Photos, which was so easy to set up and my next gif worked. I felt SO good.

Late in the evening I went back and it showed ALL my 'usage' was used up, LOL. They don't give you much to begin with, and everytime someone else 'takes' your gif, it uses up your account!!

So, smith288, I started going back and changing my account to private, so it wouldn't get used!! I actually didn't know if it would delete the image when I did that, but it doesn't seem to. I know it's 'mean' when you can't 'copy' the gif, but that's the explanation.

To continue my 'troubles', I went to 'free Bravenet' and set up all my gifs in it, only to find that I couldn't post them from there either!!!

Patience is my OTHER name!! Carol

[CyberCowboy777]

[potlatch]

I just read the rest of your 'talk' on the thread. I saw some host sites that were only $4. something, when I was going through the 'free' sites.

Also, Sandy, Yahoo IS Geocities, where I couldn't post from. I think there are ways around it, but I'm not smart enough to know it yet!

Try Village Photos first just to be able to post something. At least I know I can do it now!! And PLEASE let me know if you find a GOOD free site.

[Not A Snowbird]

Thanks for the help. Let's see if this works (it should, it's a FR gif!):

[Not A Snowbird]

Let's see how this looks... not the best quality, but what the heck.

[potlatch]

Hey, that's great, Sandy!! I see you went to Village Photos too. They only let you put 25 there but it's easy to change them out. Thanks for pinging me, CAROL

[WinOne4TheGipper]

&copy;

[steve50]

btt

[cyn]

check out this sandbox -- it's fun to play around in here, learn basics & try them out. "ping" some of us over here if you like. welcome to FR! enjoy!

[woofie]

http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:OvUWAak_Ax0C:www.usflag.org/scrapbook/flag.specs.gif

[WinOne4TheGipper]

[Not A Snowbird]

[Amityschild]

[Amityschild]

Ping?

[potlatch]

This one from Geocities, seems to be posting on other links!

[potlatch]

I'll check later and see if they changed to red X's.

[DainBramage]

You weren't putting a space between the img src= an the "" quotation marks.

[potlatch]

I didn't know about that! Mainly, I had been told that you couldn't post from the free Geocities, and I posted 3 different ones earlier and they stayed up awhile, at least, LOL!

[potlatch]