HTML Sandbox

self | 10 Jan 06 | TPartyType

[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).

[TPartyType]

okay, let's back up. This is harder than I thought it would be.

Have you gone to the html bootcamp thread and studied the directions for posting an image? When I said, in #137, "use the 'img src' tag," what I meant was, utilize the full tag for posting an image (as taught at html bootcamp) and place the address for the image you're trying to post within the quotation marks within the html tag. I hope this makes sense.

The bottom line, Purp, is that you were posting the image as a link (a href), not as an image (img src).

[facedown]

Good job! HTML is a bit fussy but you can do neat stuff with it.

[Majie Purple]

I have studied, a bit, but computerese is not one of my strong suits. After this I'll study more before attempting again. Thanks for trying...By the way your link doen't show the gif...mine did...I'm surprised I got it to work that far...

[sauron]

But, what do I modify to get the image to show up in the reply, rather than the link itself?

1. Note the URL of the web page in which you see the picture you like. Copy it down.

2. Right-click on the picture you see on that web page--the picture that you want to link to. Get "properties" on that picture. Copy that URL for that particular picture.

3. In your reply, format it as

...as you can see, I can't show you, because if I show you...I'd have to ki--, no, seriously, I'm very new at this, and I have the HTML code to give you the answer, but the problem is that FR's web page is trying to display it to you, which doesn't help. How did the earlier poster disable his HTML so he could show me?!?!

What a quandary! To show someone is impossible, because they'll only see the RESULT, not the coding itself.

HELP!

Cf. post #55 by facedown. He gave the example I followed.

[TPartyType]

Here's the relevant instructions from HTML Bootcamp. Hope this helps:

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How to post a picture: <img src="?" height="" width=""> (?=the address of the picture)
In this case the picture address is: http://www.freerepublic.com/images/frlogo.gif
the image height is 130, the width is 150
(It's from the FR home page)
<img src="http://www.freerepublic.com/images/frlogo.gif" height="130" width="150"> =

Be sure to add the height and width sizes if at all possible. It allows the threads to load more efficiently.

[TPartyType]

sauron,

here's your help, again, from the HTML Bootcamp:

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Folks, if you want to do what Michigander has done - making an HTML command *appear* instead of being acted upon by the browser, here's the trick:

Instead of typing < type the ampersand(&) pound(#) and 60.

To make > appear, type ampersand pound 62 (no spaces anywhere). In between, you put the HTML tag you want to appear on the screen.

There may be another way to do the same thing, but this is the one I use.

I use < for < and > for > because it's easy to remember "less than" and "greater than".

( And to get those to view on screen, I had to use &lt; and &gt; -- don't forget the semicolons!)

[TPartyType]

[TPartyType]

Now, Purp,

right click on this page and select "view source code." Scroll down through all that code until you find my post 147 and do what I did.

When first I learned HTML as a newbie, I learnt a lot by going into the code itself and studying what somebody had done that I wanted to do, then imitating it. Ya gotta practice, my dear. That's what this sandbox is for.

Go to the HTML Bootcamp or Webmonkey and learn something; come back here and try it. Pretty soon it'll be second nature!

[Majie Purple]

<img src="http://www.freerepublic.com/images/frlogo.gif"

<img sr<img src="http://www.freerepublic.com/images/frlogo.gif"c="http://wtv-zone.com/emma/egg/gifs/jar,gif

[Majie Purple]

oops...I didn't mean to connect the two I was using the example as a guide within my post & somehow they connected and I didn't see that before posting...
I'm through trying for today...

[michigander]

Here is what you are entering:

<img src="<a href="http://www.freerepublic.com/images/frlogo.gif"">http://www.freerepublic.com/images/frlogo.gif"</a>

Here is what it should look like:

<img src="http://www.freerepublic.com/images/frlogo.gif">

[michigander]

I'm through trying for today...

Gee and it's almost happy hour, when the fun really starts. :o)

[Majie Purple]

aha! But I really meant it for Jellybean. You type faster than I. I explained why the links they were connected, TPT.
I am learning...just not at your pace...Thanks... bye...Have a great rest of the day!

[Majie Purple]

Thanks for the help. Connecting those two links was a goof.
I was using the first link as a guide to compose the second link and when I posted I realized they had mistakenly connected...Thanks for trying to help.

[sauron]

Thanks!

I had just followed a link explaining HTML special characters, and was slowly coming to an understanding.

Thanks again.

Sauron

[jellybean]

Thanks Purp! That was great. Be careful though about using someone else's graphics. They can change them on you to something you would NEVER post knowingly! Here's the same image from my own personal stash:

You're welcome to use it...I promise I won't change it on you :) Here's the address: http://www.zyworld.com/jelibn2/jelijar.gif

[sauron]

Now, I wonder...how do I shrink an image, or can I?

Seems that you can! G R O O V Y!

[sauron]

Ya-hoo!

I am an HTML-enabled TYRANNOSAURUS REX!

Thanks, all.

Sauron

[Majie Purple]

You're welcome & thank you too! Rest assured I only get gifs from sites that allow useage with a mention...or a link back to them and I do.Have a great rest of the day!

[sauron]

Testing, testing. ;)

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