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How To Do Neat Stuff in a Post!

How to post photos, add links and much more.
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Rudi
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How To Do Neat Stuff in a Post!

Postby Rudi » Thu Dec 28, 2006 9:20 pm

Hi All:

I got an email a while ago in regards to a post that I had fixed the links on and of course changed to reflect just the name of the link and not the actual url - in otherwords, I buried the url and used a title or caption instead.

The member wanted to know what I had done to achieve that effect and this is basically my response to his questions. He thought it was a good tutorial and had helped him with this, so I figured that maybe it might also be a good How To Do This article for the How To Forum :idea: :!:

So, here it is basically with a few updates to correct stuff and typos I had missed in the original PM.
Thanks for fixes. Can I ask how you did them?


No prob on the fixes. It is a bad habit of mine - I see an open link I got to fix it, I see a busted link, I gotta fix it..... it is almost an compulsive/obsessive complex.. :shock: :? :lol: :oops: :lol:

I will try to answer your questions.

For the main link to the web page - I tried simply clicking URL, pasting the web page, and then "Close Tags". It recorded just what I told it, but the "link" was not active? What did I do wrong?

and

I like the way you set up named links to the information on the web site that I was trying to describe. How did you transfer the links from the web page to posting, and then give them custom names? I've seen that done before by others, but I don't know how to do it.


A tutorial on HTML or Hyper Text Markup Language, which can get very complicated is not required here, just some basics. If you want to see what I mean, just right click anywhere on this post and then click "View Source". This will allow you to see the source code or the HTML that is used within the php software. HTML is a language used to display information in a lively, interactive format and each page used to be completely written manually. Now we have HTML Generators such as MS Front Page and other programs for the home user. These programs eliminate the need to understand how to write HTML.

The term php software is used to describe the Forum Architecture created by phpBB Group and that is used to power this these Forums here at "www.FarmallCub.com". Look for the : "Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group" signature usually on the bottom of the index of any forum. Then you will know that the same functionality is available.

What the php software basically does is to take HTML code or instructions and dynamically link each command it to specific tasks that are executed automatically.

In otherwords, when the software sees a statement such as

http://www.cleancomputes.com/Cub/index.html

it automatically "Knows" that this is a partially truncated URL - Universal Resource Locator or an Internet Address and then it will automatically turn it into a hyper link. You can tell the link is active simply by running your cursor over the link. If it changes colour and in your active dialog box at the bottom of your browser shows an Internet Address such as "Shortcut to index.html at "www.cleancomputes.com" or "http://www.cleancomputes.com/Cub/index.html", then you know the link is active.

Oh, I just learned something or should say re-learned something I had forgotten. If you place the url inside of a set of "marks", then the url does not become an active link and you can actually quote it without the link being generated by the php software.

Most of what will appear below is basic php stuff I guess. I had to do some research in the help files to do it, but once I figured it out, it is almost second nature now. First a small review, and please I mean no disrespect but, this is how I explain everything. I am a true believer in the KISS principle. I learned it real well in the military and I use it constantly in everything I do. It really keeps out confusion, but it can be kind of patronizing at times, so if it feels that way, please accept my apologies in advance.

Oh, and I almost forgot this. I ALWAYS have at least 2 instances of IE open at the same time so that I can move from page to page and cut and paste urls/names/properties of jpegs etc., without losing the text I am writing to post, here in the post response window. If you click back you will lose EVERYTHING that you have composed. Don't ask how I know this okay :!: :shock: :roll: :? :oops: :roll: :!: :idea:

I know I forgot to explain how to deal with jpegs that are blocked/locked and barred from hot-linking, but when you are ready ask and I will try to explain.

But, in the meantime here is the short refresher:

Basic Use of Tags for Images and URL's

[url] means open the url/link tag
[/url] means close the url/link tag

same thing applies for Quote, BBCode, List, List=, and Img.

You can either start off the statement by typing in the tags which is how I prefer to do it, that way I always remember about the spaces. For example -- and for you to see it, I have to add a space so that it doesn't work. Then I will do it correctly.

[url] http://www.cleancomputes.com/Cub/index.html [/url]

As you can see, for some url's it works whether you use the tags or not, now here it is without the spaces.

http://www.cleancomputes.com/Cub/index.html

You will notice that in the above cases the http:// part of the url statement is not needed, in other cases it will be required to allow the link to funtion correctly.

Oh, the other way which is how many of our members do this, is to type the url or the link and then highlight the link as such : www.cleancomputes.com/Cub/index.html, then click the "url" button. You have to make sure that there are no spaces after the ] in the opening tag and no spaces before the [ in the close tag, otherwise it will not work properly - that is what had happened to yours I think. Also, I am using colours here to highlight what I mean, highlighting occurs automatically.

Another thing that I and many others who use the Queen's English have to remember, is that HTML Code's default language is US English and not International English. Therefore we must ensure that the word Colour is actually spelled Color - without the U - otherwise it will not work.

How to Display an Image

You will notice that in the previous cases the http:// part of the url statement was not needed for the links to function correctly. The php software automatically detected this syntax and did the conversion automatically. However, in the following cases the http:// part of the url statement will be required to allow the link to funtion correctly. Generally, the http:// part of the url statement is the default value required.

When you desire to display an image, you have to remember a few things that do not necessarily pop into ones head automatically. These may play a large role in how your images are viewed and in some cases viewed at all.

HPPhoto, Epson, and a lot of the other photo hosting sites where you can post your pics for free, cause they charge people to print them... do not allow hot links to those photos. The fix for that is to find a site that does not bar that practice, cause it does use up bandwidth, and one that also does not limit access or how many views can be made before the daily limit is reached.

This is why I consistently tell people to call their ISP. As part of your Internet Account, 99.99% of all ISP's offer a minimum of 10megs of personal web space. They will tell you how to create your webspace and what to call it. They will even tell you what software to use to upload the files and how to use that software. This is already part of your package and it is at no extra charge. So, my question has always been - why are people not taking advantage of this :?: :?: :roll: :?:

And what really befuddles me is why do people actually subscribe to pay as you go photo hosting places like fotoki or whatever it is to get say more than 25 pics at a time....??? beyond me - do you know how many pics can go in 10 megs :?:

Also, here is another consideration, most ISP's allow either 5 or 7 email addresses per account especially on broadband accounts. With each email address comes 10 megs of personal web space. Do you know how many pics will fit in 70 megs of webspace??? You just gotta use the extra email addresses. They can all be you like say member@xyz.com, then member01@xyz.com and then member02@xyz.com until your limit is reached. Presto, 70 megs of space..

K enough of that. Oh, last comment. That was how I was able to upload manuals for almost the first 6 months that I was hosting manuals. Then I was offered server space, which I gladly accepted. Made my life easier.

Ok, so for an image you would do this, (spaces to show commands):

Image

Now without the spaces it will look like this:

Image

How to Deal With Sites Not Allowing Hot-Linking

eBay allows only links to a page and does not allow images to be hot linked. This means that you cannot use the [img] tags to insert the page into a thread. By the way: This is a plus, otherwise some of the threads would take literally forever to load for those on dial-up. Even broadband would find it to be a burden. Plus, it would increase the bandwidth required for this forum and that would mean extra expenditures to maintain the forum.

Also, you must be aware that eBay's links are dynamic. They are also prone to expire. In other words, once the auction has been completed, and after a preset period of time, the page is no longer accessible. This means that you may have to go into your message and replace the expired url with a current url if the post is still relevant.

As luck would have it, most items that would need an eBay link are for auction items, and are usually in the For Sale/Wanted Forum of this site and therefore the expiry date probably will not be an issue. However, for the purposes of this article it is relevant...

So for eBay you would do this :

Go to the page you want to link to, highlight the url in the address bar, right click and click copy or use the Control "C" Command. Then come back to your post that you are writing and click on the page where you want to insert the link to, right click, click paste or use the Control "V" Command. That is basically all you have to do as the eBay links usually will be active automatically. Such as this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 63960&rd=1

As in all things, there is always an exception to a rule. Normally you cannot hot-link to an eBay page. However, you can hot-link to an eBay page photo :!: :wink: :lol:

This is done quite simply. First you must right click on the photo and then select properties. When that dialogue box comes up there will be a bunch of info in the box such as Protocol, Type, Address, Size, Dimensions, Created and Modified. Highlight the Address contents which in this case are: "http://i11.ebayimg.com/01/i/04/7a/88/f8_2.JPG" . Then paste them into your post and then wrap with the [ img]http://i11.ebayimg.com/01/i/04/7a/88/f8_2.JPG[ /img] tags. The pic can now be displayed (hot-linked) in your post.

Originally this particular link displayed a picture. But after a specified time, eBay will delete/purge their servers and this is what you will see. You will notice that not only do you not get a pic, you cannot click on it to make it active or go back to the eBay page, and if you right click on the image icon, copy the properties, and put it in your address bar, it will just point to a dead page. Much like what happens when a link expires.

Image

An example of what happens when the link expires:

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie ... T&rd=1

I know you cannot see it, but I did not use the url tags for that link. Again, this is a basic function of the php software.

How to Bury the URL and Use a Name Tag or Caption to Identify the Link

Now if I want to use the Name of the page as the url link this is how you do it -- and it is slightly different. This is where you have to change the url opening statement from [url] to [url= statement.

Then you right click, hit paste and input the url like this - : http://www.cleancomputes.com/Cub/Blue%2 ... index.html. Then after that you insert the close square parenthesis ].

You have to make sure that there are no spaces between the equal sign and the first letter of the url, and of course the last letter of the url and the ] close parenthesis.

Next you type the Name you wish the link to appear as like such : GSS-1411 Service Manual for Cubs and Lo-boy Tractors Revision 1 then you type this [/url] .

That ends the whole statement. so here is how it should look, but remember I will add those two spaces so you can see the command statement.

[url=http://www.cleancomputes.com/Cub/Blue%20Ribbon%20Service%20Manuals/GSS-1411%20Service%20Manual%20for%20Cubs%20and%20Lo-boy%20Tractors/index.html] GSS-1411 Service Manual for Cubs and Lo-boy Tractors Revision 1 [/url].

Now this is how it looks with those extra spaces taken out :
GSS-1411 Service Manual for Cubs and Lo-boy Tractors Revision 1.

How to Regulate the Size of the Fonts

We all have seen different font sizes being used in many responses on threads. Have you ever wondered how you can regulate or vary the size of the fonts from the default Tiny, Small, Normal, Large and Huge settings :?: :idea: :?:

Well it really is very simple. When you highlight the text you wish to either increase or decrease in size and then click the drop down box for the Font size: and have made your choice, you will notice that this statement appears around your desired text: "[size=18 ]That's My Possum[ /size]" That's My Possum :!: :!:

You can play with the sizes simply by changing the value in the "size=" statement. Any whole number can be used from say a minimal value of "2" to a value of "29" if desired. Do remember that the higher the number the LARGER the text size and inversely so for the smaller numbers.

How to Bold

Oh, I just noticed how you signed the PM to me:

Member . And this did not work. However, if you did this : [B ]Member [ /B] (again spaces for example) you would get this : Member. This applies to all the commands for Bold, Italisize, Underline, Quote, Code, List and List =, Img and Url tags.

Pretty simple isnt it? Well at least I hope it now seems simple. That was what I was trying to do... make it simple and easy to understand. I hope I didn't not muddy up the waters here. I have been writing html for over 10 years and sometimes, I get sloppy or I take shortcuts in explaining, so I really have to check, double check and of course use the KISS rule.
Let me know what you think ok? Oh, just looked at the time, wow... you don't want to know how long this took :oops: :roll: :roll: :oops: :roll: but I did have fun doing it and I hope it helps clear things up.....

Cheers

I do hope that this How To article has been of some assistance to our Forum Members. As always, input is welcome and your thoughts comments are always appreciated.
Confusion breeds Discussion which breeds Knowledge which breeds Confidence which breeds Friendship


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