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Frequently Asked Questions

For the most part, your posts will contain plain text, but on occasions, you may want to emphasize certain words or phrases by making them (for example) bold or italic.

Depending on the rules of the forum, you may use HTML code to produce these effects. However, more often than not, the administrator will have disabled HTML code, and opted instead to use vB Code: a special set of tags which you can use to produce the most popular text-effects. vB code has the advantage that it is very simple to use, and is immune to malicious javascripts and page layout disruption.

You may also find that the administrator has enabled smilies, which allow you to use small icons to convey emotion, and the [img] code, which allows you to add pictures to your message.

For more information about vB code, click here.

These controls allow you to quickly and easily enter vBcode into your posts and messages. To use them, simply click the appropriate buttons or select items from the lists to enter vBcode.

There are two modes available: normal and enhanced mode.

When using normal mode, pressing a button will pop-up a dialog for you to fill with text. It will then enter the text with the appropriate vB Code tags at the end of your message.

When using enhanced mode, pressing a button will insert the appropriate STARTING tag for the code, leaving you to enter text into the message area. When you have finished the text and want to close the tag, simply press the Close Current Tag button (alt+c). You may also nest tags in enhanced mode, and then use the Close All Tags button (alt+x) to close all open markup. Please note that the 'close tag' buttons only close tags that have been entered using the code buttons.

To use the clickable smilies, simply click the smiley that you want to insert into your message, or click the Show All Smilies link (if available) to access the full list of smilies.

Posting New Messages

How do I format my posts and messages?

When posting messages you may wish to include some formatting such as bold text, italic text and underlined text.

Adding formatting to your post can be done in two ways:

  • Using clickable controls similar to those found in most word processors
  • Typing formatting commands in BB code

Clickable controls are available in the Standard and Enhanced WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) editors. The difference between these is that the standard editor will show the BB code in your message and be processed when it is displayed. The enhanced WYSIWYG editor will show your message as it will be displayed while you are typing.

To use these, simply click the button, for example the B (bold) button and then type to get bold text. Click the button again to stop using that formatting. You can also highlight text that you have already typed then click the formatting button to format existing text.

BB code is a special set of codes similar to HTML that can be used in posts to the board. To see the full list of BB code tags that can be used on this site and examples of their use, click here.

Editing a Post

It is appropriate to edit a post to add formatting tags ([code]) where they could sensibly be used e.g. the user has posted a lot of code without using tags. Just fill in the “edit reason” for the post if you do this and the user will receive an automated PM.

It is appropriate to edit a post to remove formatting tags ([b], [i]) where they have been used inappropriately. Just fill in the “edit reason” for the post if you do this.

It is appropriate to edit a post to remove any bad/foul language; the words should be asterisked out. Depending on the severity and frequency of the bad/foul language you could consider deleting the entire post. Also depending on severity anything from an “edit reason” to a post or PM to a ban may be required. If you are unsure contact an Administrator or fellow moderator for advice.

It is appropriate to edit a post to remove a link to a site that is not allowed. It is suggested that you just fill in the “edit reason” for the post if you do this unless there is an excessive number of links in which case stronger action may be needed.

It is appropriate to edit a post to remove an email address. Just fill in the “edit reason” for the post or alternatively PM the user telling them why posting their email address is a bad idea.

How to format your Articles and Posts

BB code is a special set of codes similar to HTML that can be used in posts to the board. To see the full list of BB code tags that can be used on this site and examples of their use, click here.

Insight Posting Guidelines

An article that does not conform to these points is likely to be moved to Writers Corner. Once there you will be given a chance to correct your article and once it reaches an acceptable form it will be moved back into the Insight Articles section it was intended for.

The following are some clear guidelines on submitting new articles etc. to the "Insights" section

These guidelines clearly outline what is expected from new submissions to this area.

  1. The types of articles suitable for the Insights section are those that inform members (and guests) on:
    • general procedural instructions on a language - How to approach something
    • valuable coding tips with accompanying text
    • useful procedures and functions with background and textual commentary
    • general algorithms giving clear explanation of the algorithm approach and including “cost”. These should preferably use pseudo code as they are cross platform
    • other useful articles to the developer
  1. All articles can be reviewed at any time and if it is felt that further work is required then please contact a moderator with the changes you wish to make
  1. Articles should be clearly formatted to make them more readable to the user and should be checked for grammar and spelling.
  1. Titles should clearly indicate the content of the article and contain any keywords that would normally be used to find such an article when searching the web.
  1. The Article must not plagiarize any other source.
  1. The Article must be factually correct.
  1. The Article must be written in good clear English.
  1. The Article must be laid out well with appropriate use of text formatting such as bold and italics.
  1. All code in an Article must be within code tags ( [code] ... [/code] ).
  1. The Article must list any reference materials the author used in writing them.
  1. Articles are subject to the normal posting guidelines in that they may not contain
    • Foul language
    • Personal attacks
    • Email addresses
    • Political content
    • Religious content
    • Links to sites with inappropriate content or to competing forums
    • Information on the production or procurement of malicious code

If you see an article on this site that breaks point 7 then in the first instance please contact an Administrator.

How to ask a question

Please follow these guidelines when posting questions as submitting clear and concise questions allows those reading to understand your problem and respond more easily.
  • Post your question in a relevant forum
  • Make sure you are not posting in an Insights section
  • Give the relevant Platform, OS and Version information
  • Give as much detail as possible When you post a question or problem, express the situation clearly and concisely and include all relevant information, code used, data used, result expected, result achieved and any error codes or messages that you get as a result.
  • Use Clear English to write your question in if possible, try to avoid using abbreviations
  • Do not make duplicate posts or bump your thread to get attention.
  • Make use of the available formatting tags in the forum Use CODE tags around your code unless you are posting a single line of code in which case it is acceptable to omit them:
    • [code]..code goes here..[/code]
    • NOTE: You can also use the icon with '#' on the reply window.
  • Do not ask people to reply by email or follow up answers with a PM
  • Please don't say that a problem is urgent. To get a solution quicker make sure you put effort into the question.
  • Please try to read your own post after you've posted it. If you can't make any sense of it, it's a fair bet that our experts will struggle and waste time just trying to understand what you're trying to say. Also, if you get bored when you're half-way through reading it because it rambles on endlessly, how will our experts fare?
  • If you wish to post a question do not post it in a discussion created by someone else unless it is about exactly the same problem. Please start a new discussion.

How to Respond to a Question

Please follow these guidelines when posting questions as submitting clear and concise questions allows those reading to understand your problem and respond more easily.
  • Post your question in a relevant forum
  • Make sure you are not posting in an Insights section
  • Give the relevant Platform, OS and Version information
  • Give as much detail as possible When you post a question or problem, express the situation clearly and concisely and include all relevant information, code used, data used, result expected, result achieved and any error codes or messages that you get as a result.
  • Use Clear English to write your question in if possible, try to avoid using abbreviations
  • Do not make duplicate posts or bump your thread to get attention.
  • Make use of the available formatting tags in the forum Use CODE tags around your code unless you are posting a single line of code in which case it is acceptable to omit them:
    • [code]..code goes here..[/code]
    • NOTE: You can also use the icon with '#' on the reply window.
  • Do not ask people to reply by email or follow up answers with a PM
  • Please don't say that a problem is urgent. To get a solution quicker make sure you put effort into the question.
  • Please try to read your own post after you've posted it. If you can't make any sense of it, it's a fair bet that our experts will struggle and waste time just trying to understand what you're trying to say. Also, if you get bored when you're half-way through reading it because it rambles on endlessly, how will our experts fare?
  • If you wish to post a question do not post it in a discussion created by someone else unless it is about exactly the same problem. Please start a new discussion.

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