Help Page

Additional HTML Topics

Note: This page presumes that you know how to generate and access your HTML code. If not, you may like to consult this page

Topics:
1. Line Breaks
2. Multiple Spaces on a Single Line
3. Allowed HTML tags

Lines Breaks

Half spacing:
If you do not want any space between two consecutive lines, i.e.:

This

Use the tag at the start of the new line. (Case is irrelevant)

This.

Single spacing:
If you want the standard spacing between two consecutive lines, i.e.:

This

Use the tag at the start of the new line.

This is the standard tag that Microsoft Word uses when converting your documents to .html. I.e. Every time you press enter, Microsoft Word's HTML generator inserts a tag! If you wish to eliminate the space between lines, you have to change this to a tag.

Double spacing:

Note that the usual code that Microsoft Word uses for double spacing will not work for published stories. If you wish to insert a double space, or multiple spaces, you will have to do it manually, as follows:
If you want twice the normal spacing between two consecutive lines, i.e.:

This

You have to use a series of tags at the start of the new line.

This

The more space you want, the more BR tags you can add.

Notes for users familiar with HTML: This is because the typical double spacing code is  
However, this gets converted to when you click the 'Preview' button, which is not recognised as a line break.
If, in the preview page, you change the space to the   tag, or insert one, and immediately click 'Add Story', then the standard   line will work as a double space.
However, the next time you modify the story, the same problem will occur, forcing you to switch the white space to & again. Using BR tags is a simpler, more effective solution.

Multiple Spaces on a Line

The easier, fallsafe method of inserting spaces is to use white fullstops. The traditional method is detailed further below for interested parties. However, it is not recommended.

To insert a series of spaces between words or at the start of a line, i.e.
Like this, or
Like this,

We will insert a series of white fullstops. Since the background of EftW is white, this will turn up as white space unless highlighted.

To turn your text white, use the following code: (Note: It's 6 Fs. Case is irrelevant.)

Insert as many fullstops as you want.

At the end of the fullstops, end the code and switch your text back to black using the following: 
Both tags are absolutely necessary. The first is called the 'opening' tag, which tells the browser that all the text henceforth will be white. The second is the 'closing' tag, which tells the browser to stop making the font white. Omitting either will generate a lot of problems.

The Traditional Method

This method uses the   tag. However, this is slightly tricky and is not recommended.

When you click 'preview' for the first time after uploading a new story or editting a chapter, the   tags will be changed automatically to a space (as if you hit the spacebar key instead.) Multiple spaces are not recognised in HTML code, and will be formatted as a single space.

Therefore, to preserve your multiple spaces, you must use the 'story text' box to insert   tags after you have previewed your story for the first time.

Once you have inserted the relevant tags, you must hit 'Add Story'. You cannot preview your story again, or you will have to go through the entire process once more.

Note that every time you edit your story, you will have to do this again.

Allowed HTML Tags
Only certain HTML tags are allowed (those are listed on the add story page). Any others will be removed (and, naturally, have no effect.)

A list of allowed HTML tags is contained below. Users who have need of more tags may contact Elvaron (elvaron AT split-infinity.org) about adding them.
All tags should be flanked by the usual < and >, and naturally include their respective closing tag. For convenience sake, these have been omitted in the table. Note that the case is not important.

Tag Functon

B Bold

I Italics

U Underline

S or STRIKE Strikethrough

FONT COLOR To modify your font color. (Modifying font type or font size is not allowed and cannot be added. Please don't ask.)
BR To leave a single line
P To start a new paragraph
A HREF To insert a link or an email address
CENTER To align text and images in the center
DD To leave an indent
HR (and subsequent modifers) To insert a straight line
IMG (and subsequent definer tags) To insert an image
LI, UL, OL To create a bulleted list
< > To insert < and > respectively

This page was not intended as a comprehensive guide on how to code a page in HTML. Such guides can be found elsewhere on the web -- just use Google. HTML is an easy language to learn, and there are tons of editors out there that you can use to help you. This page is designed solely to allow EftW users to get their stories to display the way they should.

I know that the system is a lot more complicated than it should be, and I'm far from satisfied with it. Unfortunately, I'm rather limited by the script that I use, as well as my dismal knowledge of PHP. Any assistance in simplifying the process would be greatly appreciated.

For help, queries, or offers to revamp the entire EftW story upload system, feel free to drop me a mail -- elvaron AT split-infinity.org is the email address.