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Tips for commenting with the WYSIWIG editor, or without it
- Avoid the 'plain text' option. Probably almost all the mangled posts--the ones with the unprocessed HTML tags and no breaks in the text--are caused by the misuse of the 'plain text' option. Submitting a post as plain text causes all of the tags to pass, so to speak, undigested through the server. But since the webserver serves web pages, none of the carriage returns you enter in a 'plain text' post will appear in the output. I'd almost propose disabling the plain text option, though I can see one use for it: debugging HTML produced by the WYSIWYG editor. But that's the only use I can imagine for the 'plain text' option. Just say no.
- When using the WYSIWYG editor, you can't add HTML tags of your own. Any <b>, <p>, <u> that you type (like I just did), the WYSIWYG editor will, rather than parse, merely echo to the output.
- When using the WYSIWYG editor, the "HTML Formatted" option is much better than the "Auto Format" option. Both the WYSIWYG editor and the "Auto Format" option add tags to your code; used together, you'll get stuff you didn't intend like four lines of space between paragraphs instead of two.
- To make a link with the WYSIWYG editor, highlight the text you want to embed the link in, click the 'link' icon, and type/paste the URL ("http://" and all). If you leave off the "http://" part, the editor thinks you are making a relative link, and prepends "http://www.tpmcafe/blahblahblah" to it.
- If you aren't using the WYSIWYG editor, "Auto Format" converts carriage returns into line breaks, "HTML Formatted" does not. If you are in a non-Java environment (like the Lynx browser), or are just used to a plain vanilla textbox a la Haloscan, use the Auto Format option. You can still use HTML tags to embed links and emphasize text, but your single carriage returns will be converted to <br> tags, and multiple (might take 3) CRs into <p> tags.
- Set your preferences. Just to your right, under "My Preferences", then "Interface", you can turn the WYSIWYG editor on or off as you wish, and pick the posting mode (HTML/Plain/Auto) that your comments default to.
- Preview your posts. Last but certainly not least. I hate to sound like your 6th grade teacher, but there's really no excuse for submitting a mangled, misformatted post. That's what the preview function was included to prevent. In fact, it would be a neat enhancement if the server software forced new users to preview for their first 5, 10, 20 posts.
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Thanks for throwing all these notes together. I think #7 is a good idea, just for five posts or so until you get used to this system.
I've accidentally posted a few ugly comments because Plain Text was selected. I don't like plain text either, but that is the only way to see your markup tags if you get a formatting error on post. I do html work on occasion, and I was surprised to see that I had screwed up so often. How embarassing.
July 10, 2005 12:01 AM | Reply | Permalink
I'm a bit of a luddite, but my simple 4-step program for proper posting is as follows:
1) turn off the "WYSIWYG" editor, which sucks.
2) use plain text -- it's the ideas that count.
3) always preview.
4) for anything long, write it in your text editor and paste it into the box.
July 10, 2005 12:30 AM | Reply | Permalink
Besides the unprocessed tags, the other problem with the 'plain text' option is that there is no way to make line/graf breaks appear in your post. HTML tags like <p> and <br> are ignored, as, unfortunately, are carriage returns.
With the plain vanilla text box, you probably want to use the Auto Format option (which parses HTML tags and carriage returns).
July 10, 2005 8:22 AM | Reply | Permalink
You mean I can post in boldface using HTML tags? Or italics?
Hip-hip-hooray!
July 10, 2005 1:10 AM | Reply | Permalink
Do you mean it is possible to add pictures now? I've tried several times but not matter the format, auto or html, never managed to get anything but the tags themselves...
Can somebody show how to proceed?
Thank you for your post.
July 10, 2005 6:55 AM | Reply | Permalink
I just tried to use the image feature. What happens is you get a popup prompting you for the URL of an image (no provision for uploading, just inline linking, far as I can see). When you enter it, the image appears in the WYSIWYG editor. But when you preview it, the server replaces the image with the unparsed IMG tag. Short version: you can't do it.
So since one apparently can't add images to a post, it would probably be wise if the 'add image' button didn't appear on the interface, or at least was disabled.
July 10, 2005 8:36 AM | Reply | Permalink
Ok, this confirms what I already suspected. Thanks kth.
Allow me to disagree with your suggestion though: making the image button disappeear or disabling it. It is disabled already so why not make it work instead. Wouldn't it be neat to add pictures ^_^
July 10, 2005 2:31 PM | Reply | Permalink
I use either HTML or Auto Format. My problem with the Auto Format option is that, while easier for quick comments like this, both in Safari and Windows IE, it doesn't always recognize my line breaks.
Let's see if it'll do it here so that you can see what I'm talking about.
See? And it's almost always the first one I put in. I don't know why, but it's annoying. And if I put in one br tag, just there, then it fudges the next line break, so I wind up having to do all of them.
July 10, 2005 1:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
While I was playing with the comment boxes, I think I found that one return = a line break, but you have to do three returns to get a graf break.
this line follows one return
this line follows two returns
this line follows three returns
see?
One thing I forgot to mention about AutoFormat mode is that it makes fully-qualified URLs "hot":
http://www.tpmcafe.com , but not
www.tpmcafe.com
July 10, 2005 2:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thank you for the suggestion and I will try that. But the thing is that I always use one Enter. So if one Enter works for the second, third, forth paragraph break, why doesn't it work for the first one?
It's weird especially because it happens both at home (Mac OSX) and at work (Windows - not that I ever post or read at work, I'm just saying). Odd no?
July 11, 2005 6:18 AM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks for posting that, kth. I tried colore oscuro's directions and they seem to work, so I'll stick with them for now.
July 12, 2005 6:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
I am using Safari, so apparently I can't use the WYSIWYG editor. Is it still possible to do embedded links? If so, how?
July 13, 2005 12:31 AM | Reply | Permalink
If you can't use the WYSIWYG editor, and are using the plain vanilla text box, you can add HTML tags of your own. Just make sure you have selected "HTML Formatted" or "Auto Format" from the drop-down menu below the text box.
To make a link the old-fashioned way, type
<a href="http://www.tpmcafe.com">TPMCafe</a>
which will appear as TPMCafe
As I noted above, the Auto Format option converts carriage returns ([Enter] on your keyboard) to line breaks, 3 returns gives you a paragraph break. With "Auto Format", you don't have to type the <a> tags to make a link, just type the full address ('http://' and all), and Auto Format will make a link out of it.
July 13, 2005 7:45 AM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks a lot.
This is practice
July 13, 2005 12:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
One more question regarding Auto Format: can you do embedded links with Auto Format. I just tried and wasn't able to. Thanks again.
July 13, 2005 12:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
TPMCafe
The above link was made the old-fashioned way, and with "Auto Format" selected as the text option. But note that I used the plain-vanilla text box, not the WYSIWYG editor; all bets are off if you combine the fancy editor with the Auto Format option.
July 16, 2005 8:00 PM | Reply | Permalink