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 Q&A
Shadows of the Empire
Neva
Nice cauliflower, by the way.
