Use of Three Buttons When Posting

rjb112

Can someone please post a brief tutorial on how to use the below three buttons (red arrows) when posting? [Code; Image; URL buttons]

I have seen a couple of message boards that have "practice threads." On the practice threads, posters can practice using some of the tools, such as the three buttons above, attaching graphic images like the one I'm about to attach, etc. Might be good to have a practice thread at MFO.



Also, today I saw a post where the following words (in quotations) were a clickable link, "Japan, monetary policy and recession?" I've posted words as clickable links on another message board using HTML code. I have a feeling that the C button above can do that, but don't want to "practice" and mess up a post. Is that done by using standard HTML code, or the C button?

thanks

Accipiter

you have to option to edit your own posts - just start a practice post and type ignore in the title in the off-topic section.


C is for computer code you don't want formatted of fixed space tabs.

<?php

echo "this is a test";

or

col1  col2 col3

1        2      3

second red arrow is image thread
click on it and post an http link to your image







the third button above with red arrow is the url button - to add urls
hightlight the text as in "this is a test link pointing to your post"


below is test link pointing to your post

this is a test link pointing to your post



the fourth button is a quote

the fourth button is a block quote

>

catch22

Howdy @rjb112

Below is an internal link to the MFO User Guide found within the "Title Bar" under the heading of "Resources".

MFO User Guide

Check the index of the user guide (PDF file) and read through this. In particular, related to a URL link insertion that I have used here; which begins at page 18 of the guide.

I'm away for most of the day, but will check back later.

And do try a "test post", as noted by Accipiter.

Take care,
Catch

rjb112

Testing 123 Test Link To MFO Home Page

OK, I see what the second button from the right does, it just inserts the HTML code.
Then you just copy and paste the URL into the box provided by MFO. That's much easier than posting a link onto a Google blog......where you have to insert the HTML code.

Nice. Thanks Accipiter and Catch.

Let me work on the other two buttons next. Pretty clueless on the C button, even with Accipiter's explanation.
I'll work on the Image button first.
The current way that I use to insert a graphic image is to do a screen capture with Jing, then send it to screencast.com and use their embed code.

rjb112

Testing 123 Testing the Image Button

I entered this in the MFO box that comes up when you click the image button:
http://online.wsj.com/mdc/public/page/2_3021-peyield.html

Then MFO puts it into code:



Now, Post Comment

I've tried this a few times and the image from the website doesn't post.
Any ideas?

I go to the website and right click on the image, then click on properties to get the URL of the image.

I've also tried entering the URL of the webpage......same results.
Let me try with a graph from Morningstar

rjb112

Test using the URL of a graph from Morningstar. URL of the graph obtained from right clicking the graph, then "properties" of the image

rjb112

Testing 234 Image Button





MFO has the word "undefined" in the box for the URL of the image. I tried removing that word, and also leaving it there......same result each time.

I've reviewed the correct way to find the URL of a graphic image using Internet Explorer (which is different than with Firefox, which is what the MFO Guide shows)

And read the MFO User Guide section on using the Image button

rjb112

Cancel.
Accipiter, Catch, the URL button is very easy to use. Nice tool.
Can't get the Image button to post a graphic image [although Jing does an admirable job]; tried it multiple times with multiple tweeks of the method. Even tried using simple HTML, without success

I tried the Code button only a couple of times, and it just highlighted the text.

JohnChisum

I also tried the image button a number of times. I never got it to work.

rjb112

JohnChisum said:

I also tried the image button a number of times. I never got it to work.

Now I don't feel so bad.......LOL
Safety in numbers

catch22

@rjb112

Glad to see your success with the URL. I have not used the "image" button; but that the "Jing" method provides a most suitable method.
As to the HTML, one may get as fancy as you may choose to take the time, i.e.; with bold, colors, etc.
Take care,
Catch

Old_Joe

I dunno, folks- I just copied this first image from a randomly-picked NY Times article,



and this one from a railroad pictures site that I happen to be looking at:



and they both worked just fine.

Remember, for pics you don't copy the URL- you need to copy the image location.

By the way, that User Guide is quite out of date now, as MFO has morphed to a later version of Vanilla. Perhaps one of these days I'll revise that guide, but man, that was a lot of work!

OJ
-

Crash

Hello, everyone. Here's my contribution. It never occurred to me to use that icon. I use the right-click commands with my mouse. COPY LINK LOCATION, then PASTE.
https://www.facebook.com/GGiffords/photos/a.382045618709.162743.6593503709/10152403990868710/?type=1
.....But then the receiver needs to click on the link to get the pic. Gabby Giffords--- beautiful AND strong--- doing her duty, in the faces of the Tea Party dolts.

Accipiter

Crash said:

Hello, everyone. Here's my contribution. It never occurred to me to use that icon. I used the right-click commands with my mouse. COPY LINK LOCATION, then PASTE.
https://www.facebook.com/GGiffords/photos/a.382045618709.162743.6593503709/10152403990868710/?type=1

to me it is alot easier to see full link url visible, and I prefer it on forums, unless you are creating a web page. In a discussion, it is easier to spot and see where your are going then hovering mouse over a pretty link here or there

to each his own, gets you to the same place.

Crash

Lemme see if I can make the image itself come up... Here's another try.

Crash

Nope---- it just did not work at all. Might have something to do with my settings in the computer, I dunno. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=623106471138313&set=gm.915317165149443&type=1 (Surprise!)

Accipiter

all you do is click on the image icon and post a full http link to the image (which generally ends in jpg, png, or jpeg, or gif).

Accipiter

Crash said:

Nope---- it just did not work at all. Might have something to do with my settings in the computer, I dunno. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=623106471138313&set=gm.915317165149443&type=1 (Surprise!)

no you are not using a link to an image.

e.g. notice the above post image ends in jpg and is an actual link to an image.
right click on an image and copy the link and paste into the popup after you click the image icon


http://www.railpictures.net/images/d1/2/3/8/8238.1312815119.jpg

cut and paste the above image link into the popup that appears after clicking on the button immediately to the right of the big C and it will work.

Crash

Hmmmmmm.
NOW I'm stumped. Where did ALL of the editing buttons go...?????

Crash

Ya, hee hee. Well, then.....

Accipiter

> Where did ALL of the editing buttons go...?????

that will be probably be fixed on the next upgrade. month or two probably.

Crash

Thank you.

Old_Joe

OK. one more time: for the railroad pic, above, I copied the following image location from the pic itself:

http://www.railpictures.net/images/d1/2/3/8/8238.1312815119.jpg

When you click on the "image" button at the top of a new post, it brings up Accipiter's magic box. You simply paste that image location (http://www.railpictures.net/images/d1/2/3/8/8238.1312815119.jpg) into the box. Not to depreciate the magic box, but all that it actually does is to add this stuff:

<img src=" before your image location, and
" /> after your image location

and sticks it all together to give you:
<img src="http://www.railpictures.net/images/d1/2/3/8/8238.1312815119.jpg" />

If, as some have mentioned, you simply get the word "image" instead of the desired picture, either you did something silly or (I've noticed) a few pictures simply won't work using this approach... something about the way in which the pic was embedded in the original site, I'm guessing.

OJ
-

Accipiter

and OJ also displays the use of the code C button as well.

>it brings up Accipiter's magic box.

this trick of prestidigitation is not mine (it is part of forum software) , although, i've been known to do a few tricks. "sit" is one of them. haven't learned "paw" yet.

>some pictures simply won't work using this approach.

they might have preventions where you can't post their images on another site.

Old_Joe

Thanks... Woof!!

Crash

OMG. My head hurts now. But ok. I understand that people get actual academic DEGREES in Computer Science--- as my wife did, back in 1999. Might as well be the Klingon vocabulary from Star Trek--- to me, at least. But I appreciate the time and effort in explaining.

rjb112

Let's see if the ones I tried multiple times (prior posts, above) from Morningstar and the Wall Street Journal work

Here's the Morningstar graph of Pimco Total Return. Note that the graphic image does not have one of the endings [file extensions] that Accipiter noted, jpg, png, jpeg, or gif:

http://quotes.morningstar.com/fund/pttrx/f?pgid=hetopquote&t=PTTRX

So I'm doubtful it will work, but here goes:



Now one from the Wall Street Journal:

This also does not have a file extension typical of a graphic image, jpeg, etc

http://online.wsj.com/mdc/public/page/2_3021-peyield.html

I'll click the image icon on MFO:



Here's one from wellsfargoadvisors.com that does have a file extension of a graphic image, gif

I'm guessing this will work with the MFO image icon.

A bit of speculation, but I think that if the graphic image has a file extension ["ending"] of a typical graphic image, e.g., gif, png, jpg, jpeg, then it will probably work with the MFO tool. If not, it won't work. Pure speculation.

Let's try the wellsfargoadvisors one:

Accipiter

>e.g., gif, png, jpg, jpeg, then it will probably work with the MFO tool

yes.
unless the remote site prevents the image from being displayed

Old_Joe

Yes, I believe that you have cleared that up. In fact, that's pretty much what Accipiter said, above:

all you do is click on the image icon and post a full http link to the image (which generally ends in jpg, png, or jpeg, or gif).

Thanks! OJ

rjb112

I like the MFO Image tool. Much more direct than doing a screen capture, etc.

But I'm noticing now that a lot of graphic images on Morningstar, Wall Street Journal, Yahoo Finance and elsewhere do not have file extensions ["endings"] that appear to work with the MFO tool.

Old_Joe

Yes, you're correct. In that case, the alternative might be to take a screen shot, upload it to Jing or an equivalent service, and then link to that. (This essentially converts the image to a format which the MFO Image Tool can use, and a location that MFO can access.)

A question for you: If you are using a browser other than Firefox, can you advise me what the process is for acquiring the image address? When/if I revise the MFO User Guide that would be good info to have.

Thanks-
OJ