In my quest to promote good formatting and organized layouts, I have decided to write a short guide to creating links and formatting text when posting on the Red Dragon Inn forums.
First, a small note: Formatting text—for example making it
bold or
italic—and creating links on these forums is done by using so-called HTML, the type of code that determines what a website looks like. While HTML can be complex, the aspects of it that I will describe in this tutorial are relatively easy to learn and memorize.
Italic Text
Italic text is created by typing like this:
<i>An elegant font, for a more civilized age.</i>
Which will look like this:
An elegant font, for a more civilized age.
Bold Text
Bold text is created by typing like this:
<b>Darth Vader! Only you could be so bold.</b>
Which will look like this:
Darth Vader! Only you could be so bold.
Links
Links are created by typing like this:
Now she is my only <a href="http://www.secretbase.com/howtofindit.html">link</a> to finding their secret base.
Which will look like this:
Now she is my only link to finding their secret base.
Different Text Color
Text with different color than the standard red hue is created by typing like this:
<font color="green">Green Group</font>, stick close to holding sector MV-7.
Which will look like this:
Green Group, stick close to holding sector MV-7.
Available colors include most common ones such as "red," "green," "blue," and "yellow," and more uncommon ones such as "cyan" and "magenta." If you are looking for a very specific color, you will have to write down a so-called "hex code." To find this code, do a web search for "HTML color picker" or something similar, and you should find an application for doing that.
A hex code looks something like this: #ff7f00. (This particular hex code is that of a type of orange.)
Different Font
Fonts that are available on many computers include Times New Roman—the default font—Arial, Georgia, Trebuchet MS and Courier New. Text with a different font than Times New Roman is created by typing like this:
<font face="Courier New">Beep! Whirr! Whistle! My name is R2-D2!</font>
Which will look like this:
Beep! Whirr! Whistle! My name is R2-D2!
Block Quotes
Block quotes are indents on both sides of the text. They are created by typing like this:
<blockquote>Prisoner transfer from
cellblock 1138.</blockquote>
Which will look like this:
Prisoner transfer from cellblock 1138.
Numbered Lists
Numbered lists are created by typing like this:
<ol>
<li>The Phantom Menace</li>
<li>Attack of the Clones</li>
<li>Revenge of the Sith</li>
<li>A New Hope</li>
<li>The Empire Strikes Back</li>
<li>Return of the Jedi</li>
</ol>
Which will look like this:
- The Phantom Menace
- Attack of the Clones
- Revenge of the Sith
- A New Hope
- The Empire Strikes Back
- Return of the Jedi
Bulleted Lists
Bulleted lists are created by typing like this:
<ul>
<li>Luke Skywalker</li>
<li>Obi-Wan Kenobi</li>
<li>Yoda</li>
</ul>
Which will look like this:
- Luke Skywalker
- Obi-Wan Kenobi
- Yoda
Those are the most commonly used formatting options for message boards, but there are of course many more. If you want to learn more, check out
W3Schools or do a web search for HTML tutorials.
With that, my tutorial is finished. Or, as a famous man in a black suit and with a well-known voice once put it: "The circle is now complete!" I hope you have enjoyed the tutorial and the many Star Wars references in it!
Have fun posting on the Red Dragon Inn forums!
Shadows of the Empire
LOTPWII
Is that an active game?
What's Up?
Nice cauliflower, by the way.
