We’re compiling a list of all known formatting issues with text on Urbis for items, reviews, comments, and messages. We’re working to fix formatting issues this week.

If anyone knows of any issues with formatting, please post them in this thread and include links (if public). Links really help us spot issues more quickly.

Thanks,
Steve

The two main formatting issues are the accidental use of bold or strikethrough. Since the hyphen, “” is the quick code for a strikethrough, using two hyphens in a paragraph results in all the text between being formatted

The other one is the accidental use of bold through use of asterisks. Some people use asterisks to indicate breaks, the most common method being a blank line, return, three centred asterisks, followed by another blank line. Whole sections of text can become bold. Unfortunately, the bold shortcut is extremely useful, not something we would want removed.

A minor formatting issue is that the supposed formatting to add an image doesn’t work.

Ann

When posting a comment last 4-5 letters in each row are not visible while writing (they are visible after you press the preview button, but then you don’t see the written piece for referencing anymore)

The forum lacks a preview button.

I agree with Annana, strikeout is the most irritating thing.
And we could use a faq for formating texts on urbis – detailed and with examples.

My main complaint regarding formatting concerns spacing. What you type (or cut-and-paste) is not what you see. Things will be too far to the left or right. While this doesn’t affect most poetry too seriously, if one wanted to post a shape poem, it would be very difficult to get it to look right.

Also, for experimental poetry, one might post something enclosed between two exclamation points, underscores, asterisks, or dashes; none of which would work.
”!” would simply omit the words between the exclamation points.
”_” would italicise.
”*” would embolden.
”-” would strikethrough.

Though these formatting shortcuts are useful, in experimental poetry they can be a hindrance. Is there not a compromise/alternative? In the case of the exclamation points, it’s only a hindrance, as I can’t see any actual function which this employs.

You do have the option of enclosing the part with all those characters in “ "<code> _your_ ??text?? *with* </code> , but then the font changes.

Go here and play around.
The best way is to go and preview the comment (don’t submit it), there you see what works and what does not.
I hope someone will make a FAQ what are the options and what works in formating here on Urbis.
I figured some things, still don’t know how alignment and indentation work (weird?).

I just think the “code” makes the font to some fixedsize font, still haven’t had time to play and see if you even could pick your own font.

There is something that works to change font size. I’ve seen it happen where it’s obviously been an accident, and that wouldn’t be all that

code

BTW, I did that box by using the “pre” ”/pre” thing. I thought that was supposed to allow non-printing characters as described in the formating section, but it doesn’t seem to.

Ann

I’ve been having trouble when I submit a piece and preview it. The lines are just too spaced. Example:

Hello

this

is

spaced.

It’s wierd, and I don’t know if any other member is having the same problem. Is there anyway to have the spacing fixed? Just wanted to bring it to attention, seemed like it fit in this thread.

Fenvy

edit
Turns out if I submit it it’ll go to it’s form, I guess the spacing is for carefull inspection when previewing it.

Agree with Fenvy.
Preview button is a disaster!
I click it and it shows the piece with double spacings, a thing that you don’t want a ‘preview’ to do ::roll eyes::
Plus, then the preview button then disappears!
So, I want to see a preview, then I see something is wrong, I correct it and then I can’t preview it again.
I am now putting a 3rd version of a piece in hope it will be correctly formatted. (and I don’t feel particularly smart at the moment…)

I know I asked for this, but I can’t find it now. It’s been changed but not corrected.
The preview window below the review (“Post a new comment…”) is bothering me. The last few letters can’t be seen when typing and it’s really irritating sometimes. Please fix it.

I know what jebozid means. If we are typing the comment in the box and we make an error we wish to correct there and then we have to go to preview so we can correct it, because we can’t see all of the comment where we have finished, It is really Irritating.

Formatting issues have all been addressed. Let me know if you have any concerns.

When I create a new version, my formatting is thrown out. I just had to reformat a 5000-word chapter. Am I doing something wrong, or is this a nasty little bug?

Versioning was well tested when we added the WYSIWYG. Does it happen every time?

I don’t know. It happened when I created a new version of The Lambent Light for the Agent Opportunity, but I haven’t created a new version of anything since then.

I clicked on the New Version link and suddenly I had one, 5000-word paragraph.

That’s been happening to me as well. Line breaks, indentations… all out the window. :(
When I paste into the little box, a new box comes up. When I paste in the new box, it looks right until I close it. Then when the text appears in the original box, it has lost all the formatting. I have to do it by hand, which always creates double-spaced lines.
I’ve also noticed that after I’ve painstakingly reformatted the work and it looks perfect, I click finish. Then the work mysteriously has an extra blank line at the first stanza break.

Can you guys point me to an old item that does this? DC, all the old versions of Lambent Light are removed. Anything else I can play with? EA, your old versions still there?

Thanks,

-Steve

Hi, Steve. I’m sorry I can’t be of more help. It happened when I created the version of The Lambent Light for the agent Opportunity, but it did not happen when I created a new version of Conversations with my Gayru: Friends.