A side topic that has come up on a thread elsewhere on A to Z involves posts that contain quoted posts, or parts of posts, but that don't display the quotes correctly. Let me deal with that issue here. A to Z forum software uses inline commands - that is, the same alphanumeric symbols that make the text - to code various bits of formatting. To distinguish these commands as commands rather than text, the software sticks them in square brackets, like [ ]. If I want to quote several lines of something from outside A to Z, I'll often type the QUOTE command (that is, the word QUOTE in square brackets) at the beginning of the quote, and then /QUOTE in square brackets to end the quote. The formatted result looks like this: And is it possible to quote within quotes? Sure: When a member chooses to quote a previous post by using the Reply link in the post's lower right corner, the system software generates the beginning QUOTE and ending /QUOTE commands, with their square brackets, and it also adds code to the first one that names the member being quoted and includes a link to the post being quoted. If the post is quoted in its entirety, everything works as intended. Trouble arises when one goes to quote just part of the post. I'll show how that works by replying to myself.
Within the first set of square brackets is the string QUOTE="TeacherGroupie, post: 203931, member: 9703", within the last set of square brackets is the string /QUOTE, and everything works as it should. What happens when /QUOTE is missing its / or either of its square brackets? I'll show you: Oops. You see? Everything after the open-quote command is interpreted as part of the quote.
It turns out, however, that the new forum software offers a nifty alternative way to quote just part of a post. If you drag your cursor over the post to select just the bit you want, you should see a little grey Reply link just below what you select. In my post #2, I just selected the second and third words in the last line and clicked the little grey Reply, and voila:
