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]

and

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what is blink & why isn't it working for me?

[IYAS9YAS]

bump
Hey, it worked!

[Maigrey]

I thought you guys would like to read up on this a little.....

[glock rocks]

colors... we need more colors !!!

[Britton J Wingfield]

is there a way to make your tagline how up every post automatically?

[Captain Beyond]

bump

[Elsie]

There is a MUCH easier way to do all; IF you are using outlook express.

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I start a new-mail and type it however I want it, choosing fonts and colors and images (from WEB only: YOUR pictures on YOUR computer will NOT work)

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Then I click the SOURCE tab at bottom of window and copy everything in between the <body> commands and paste it into the reply box on FR: like so................

 

<BODY bgColor=#ffffff>There is a MUCH easier way to do all; IF you are using
<STRONG>outlook express</STRONG>.
<HR width="75%" SIZE=10>
 I start a new-mail and type it however I want it, choosing <FONT
size=5>fonts</FONT> and <FONT color=#ff0000>colors</FONT> and images (from WEB
only: YOUR pictures on YOUR computer will NOT work)
<HR>
Then I click the SOURCE tab at bottom of window and copy everything in between the <body> commands and paste it into the reply box on FR: like so................</BODY>

 

Cool, huh!?

 

 

[DannyTN]

"GOOD GOD MAN, DON'T TEACH PEOPLE THE BLINK TAG!!!!! "

TOO LATE!!!

All your eyestrain are belong to us!!!

Rats!!! Blink doesn't seem to work, but look at what we can do with colors"

[csvset]

blink won't work if you're using IE (internet explorer)

[Hegemony Cricket]

Thanks for the help!

[Elsie]

There are some WordProcessor programs that will output an HTML formatted file, too. But I do not know the names of them.

[Elsie]

Due to unpopular demand, the BLINK function was removed from later browser versions. It appears that the MARQUEE function was severely emasculated as well.........

[nana4bush]

I love Spot!

[nana4bush]

I love little Spot.

[Hegemony Cricket]

Thanks for the tip about Outlook Express - this is a lot
easier than typing out all the tags.  Anybody else got tips?

[rattrap]

Yeah i tried to marquee my post, but it doesn't work anymore i guess. I know netscape kept blink longer than IE i don't know if netscape still has it though.

[alnitak]

Do you have a bigger version of this picture? Seriously. I know some civil engineers...yeah...that's right.

[glock rocks]

cool. i'd never considered it.

I generally use Word for text formating...
outlook sounds so much simpler. thanks.

[glock rocks]

btw, I didn't code that, I used a generator...

free, here: http://www.theill.com/hfc/

(hfc.exe, at the bottom in green box)