General Forum FAQ - Official Forum Help

It seems there's a LOT of repeat questions arising about how to use the forum... so I'll go ahead and take the time to make this thing. Any/all future topics that ask questions answered here can/will be locked or delted on the spot.

Contents:

I. Quick note on difference of html and iB code.
1. html.
2. iB.

II. Posting and sigs.

1. Font.
a) Changing the font color.
b) Changing the font type.
c) Changing the font style.
d) Changing the font alignment.
e) Changing the font size.
f) Why html is better to use.

2. Posting Links.
a) Posting links using iB code.
b) Posting links using html.

3. Quoting.

4. Posting pictures/images.
a) Posting pictures using the iB code.
b) Posting pictures using html.

5. Emoticons.
a) How to post emoticons.
b) How to post emoticons not normally listed.

6. Showing people how to use the "code" of the forum.

7. Getting your "signature" to show up.


<center>I. Quick note on html and iB.</center>

1. <font color="43b7ba" size="5">iB</font>. iB is something the makers of ikonboard and other "forum" types have made for people to be able to post pictures, links, and play around with their font if they do not know html. iB is very simple to learn, everything relies on using brackets: "[]", instead of the html tags "<>". The iB code can be used in any part of this forum.

Use this iB help card to learn more about it..

2. <font color="43b7ba" size="5">html</font>. html is the basic language of the internet. It's what this forum (most of it at least) and what most websites are made of. It uses insertions and extractors, "<>" instead of brackets. html contains a much larger variety of codes and gereral is much more useful then iB. In some places... html is prohibited, so you HAVE to use iB.

http://www.hotwired.com/webmonkey/teachingtool/]Go here to learn more about html[/url]
This place is also a great place to learn it.

<center>II. Posting and sigs.</center>

1. Font.
a) <font color="43b7ba" size="5">Changing the font color</font>. There are two ways to change the font color:
First, by using the iB code:
[code:1]Just replace "red" with the color you really want...
[color=blue]such as blue[/blue]
[color=green]or green[/green][/code:1]

And you should get this:

Just replace "red" with the color you really want...
[color=blue]such as blue[/blue]
[color=green]or green[/green]

Second... you can use html:
[code:1]<font color="red">You can use it the same way with words...</font>
<font color="0000ff">Or, if you know the actual code for it, you can use that.</font>[/code:1]

And you should get this:

<font color="red">You can use it the same way with words...</font>
<font color="0000ff">Or, if you know the actual code for it, you can use that.</font>

You can find all the codes you'll need for html like that "0000ff" one (which is blue btw), by clicking here.

b) <font color="43b7ba" size="5">Changing the font type</font>. There are, again, two ways to change the font type.

First, you can use iB.
[code:1]You can type in courier
Or times new roman
And even veranda[/code:1]

And it'll come out like this:

<span style='font-family:Courier'>You can type in courier</span>
<span style='font-family:times new roman'>Or times new roman</span>
<span style='font-family:verenda'>And even veranda</span>

Second.. there's the html way:
[code:1]<font type="courier">here's courier again</font>
<font type="desdemona">and desdemona</font>[/code:1]

And you'll get...

<font type="courier">here's courier again</font>
<font type="desdemona">and desdemona</font>

c) <font color="43b7ba" size="5">Changing the font style</font>. You have several options when it comes to the font style types.

iB:
[code:1]itallicize
underline
bold
[sub]subscript[/sub]
[s]strikethrough[/s][/code:1]

And you get this...
itallicize
underline
bold
[sub]subscript[/sub]
<s>strikethrough</s>

And now the html:
[code:1]itallicize
bold
^superscript
<marquee>marquee</marquee>[/code:1]

And you get this...
itallicize
bold
^superscript
<marquee>marquee</marquee>

For a larger list of font "effects", click here.

d) <font color="43b7ba" size="5">Changing font alignment</font>. I havn't studied iB code enough to see if you can change font alignment with it (you probably can, but I don't really care). html is a better thing to use in any case..
[code:1]<font align="center">This centers your font</font>
<font align="right">and this right aligns</font>[/code:1]

And you'll get...
<font align="center">This centers your font</font>
<font align="right">and this right aligns</font>

e) <font color="43b7ba" size="5">Changing the font size</font>. Your font size may be changed either by iB or html.

Here's how to in iB:
[code:1]Size 4 font
[size=.00001]Smallest size font possible[/size]
Size 10 font[/code:1]

And you get...

<span style='font-size:11pt;line-height:100%'>Size 4 font</span>
<span style='font-size:7.00001pt;line-height:100%'>Smallest size font possible</span>
<span style='font-size:17pt;line-height:100%'>Size 10 font</span>

And now html...
[code:1]<font size=".0001">smallest html size font possible</font>
<font size="7">Size 7 font</font>
<font size="9">Size 9 font</font>[/code:1]

And you get...

<font size=".0001">smallest html size font possible</font>
<font size="7">Size 7 font</font>
<font size="9">Size 9 font</font>

Please note that posting/having a sig in size font that is larger then size 15 IS a banable offence, as stated in the rules of the forum.

f) <font color="43b7ba" size="5">Why html is better to use</font>. html is MUCH better to use when using multiple font alterations. For example, you want to type in bold, size 7 font, italics, in Courier, and in red. Your code for iB would be:
[code:1]My message[/code:1]

Whereas your html can "string" together and looks like this:
[code:1]<font size="7" type="courier" color="red">My message</font>[/code:1]

And they'll both give you this:

<font size="7" type="courier" color="red">My message</font>


2. Posting links.
a) <font color="43b7ba" size="5">Posting links using iB code</font>.

Quite simple really...
[code:1]and you get a link
don't forget the "http://" part[/code:1]

And you get..

and you get a link
don't forget the "http://" part

b) <font color="43b7ba" size="5">Posting links using html</font>.

html is MUCH more useful when posting links:
[code:1]Here's the direct link
Here it opens up into another window.
And for emails....[/code:1]

And you get...

Here's the direct link
Here it opens up into another window.
someguy@hisurl.

By using the [color=red] target="_blank", it opens up into another window. By using the "mailto:", it opens up into an email. There is a way to do the email part in iB code by using your regular code and putting the " mailto: " part right in front of the email adress.

3. Quoting.

Quoting people is easy stuff.

1st, you can just click the "quote" button on the options next to the post you want to quote...

Or, you can do it the proper way and type it in like so:
[code:1]

some quote from somebody

Originally Posted by the guy above me

You can't touch my skillz yo!

Originally Posted by the guy above me, 7/11

You can't touch my skillz yo!

[/code:1]

And you get this...

some quote from somebody

[quoteost_uid0="the guy above me]You can't touch my skillz yo![/quote]
[quoteost_uid0="the guy above me""]You can't touch my skillz yo![/quote]

The "quote=" makes it a quote from somebody, and the "," create the "@" sign appear (used for saying when they posted it on most occasions).

There is no html way to duplicate this.

4. Posting pictures/images.
a) <font color="43b7ba" size="5">Posting pictures using the iB code</font>. iB code is very limited, and you use the "img" and "/img" tags for it.

iB code:
[code:1][img]enter url right here[/img]
[/code:1]

And you'll get this:



*Note, since the it had a bad url (enter url right here), it has a red X in a box.

b) <font color="43b7ba" size="5">Posting pictures using html</font>.

html is much more useful. It allows you to do all sorts of things...
[code:1][img]enter url right here[/img]

[/code:1]

And you get this:


:biggrin:


The first one doesn't work again, for obvious reasons.
"height=" lets you control the vertical height of the image in pixles.
"width=" lets you control the horizontal width of the image in pixles.
"align=" allows you to align it the same way as font.
"hspace=" and "vspace=" allow you to control horixzontal and vertical spaces respectively, between your pictures and other items immediately next to them (again, in pixles).
"alt=" allows you to have a message which pops up whenever someone holds the cursor over your image.

5. Emoticons.

a) <font color="43b7ba" size="5">How to post emoticons.</font> Just click on the emoticon that you would like (they'er right next to where you'd be typing a message to post).

b) <font color="43b7ba" size="5">How to post emoticons not normally listed[/u]</font>. Most emoticons arn't listed (they take up a lot of space when abused).

If you want to use them, click here to discover their "codes".


6. Showing people how to use the "code" of the forum.

I've been seeing a lot of people make posts and saying things like "hit (color=enter your color) and change the parenthesis, "()", with brackets, "[]".

I'm not sure if this was allowed in the old version of this forum (predating July 2002), but it's available now. Use the "code" button above where you're typing your message (it's right up there next to "quote", "image", and "flash").

or... use the actual code for it like I've been doing throughout this post:
[code:1]

use [img]enter url[/img] to type images[/code:1]

And you'll get...
[code:1]use [img]enter url[/img] to type images[/code:1]


7. Getting your "signature" to show up.

A lot of people seem to be having trouble with their sigs.

My advice: use html.

Use it like I've been througout the rest of my post and it'll be fine.

Just remember to include the "http://" AND DON'T FOGET TO USE THE QUOTES WHENEVER I'VE BEEN USING THEM!!! They don't work without the quote marks... so use them.

<hr color="red" width="95%" align="center">

And... I'm spent. If anyone cares to follow up on that with all possible font types or all the different ways to use/change the effects of pics/font/other misc. iB and html code usage, you're welcome to.