Nicer way to add URLs to a post - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Analog Kid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 22, 2024, 01:43:06 am
content: Hi; I'm a new member here. I belong to another forum (theMASM forum) that also uses SMF. (They're on version 2.1.4.)One thing that's nicer over there is the way to add HTML links to a post: rather than the primitive method here, where you get BB code and have to edit it (by adding in "=" plus the hyperlink; I always hesitate a second, as there is absolutely no clue as to what the proper syntax is here):Code:text text texttheir board gives you an "Insert a link" button which does it all for you:Any chance we could get that feature here?

author: Bryn
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 22, 2024, 06:55:37 am
content: Yes, I would like to see that also, but ultimately it's Dave's decision...

author: voltsandjolts
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 22, 2024, 07:02:05 am
content: Quote from: Analog Kid on October 22, 2024, 01:43:06 amFor someone who is into assembly language for PCs, I would of thought pasting a URL here would have been kinda trivial!

author: Analog Kid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 22, 2024, 07:16:14 pm
content: Quote from: voltsandjolts on October 22, 2024, 07:02:05 amIt is, but that only makes it all the more annoying. Even asm programmers like to reduce unnecessary typing (and head-scratching).

author: ebastler
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 23, 2024, 02:58:44 pm
content: I just type (or paste) the URL, and then it gets converted into a  tag automatically. With few exceptions I consider it good style to keep the full URL readable in a post for transparency, rather than hide it behind a descriptive text.If only the forum software could also do this properly when the URL occurs at the end of a sentence and is followed by a period... I have fallen into that trap -- where the period is misunderstood to be part of the URL -- too many times.

author: thm_w
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 23, 2024, 10:03:48 pm
content: The insert link button would also fix the . at the end of URLs and special characters breaking auto links. Assuming you used the tool though, if you didn't it doesn't help.

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 23, 2024, 10:37:44 pm
content: Quote from: ebastler on October 23, 2024, 02:58:44 pmWe know that gurgle and farcebook (and presumably twatter) would like to avoid using URLs (Stated reason: URLs are difficult and confusing. Unstated reason: URLs encourage you to escape their walled garden). All sane people like URLs, and are happy to make them visible one way or another.The annoyance I have with auto-converted URLs on this website is where they have "special" characters in the URL such as "!" "$". The auto-conversion truncates the URL at that character.I can live with it.Personally I find inserting [ /quote] ... [ quote] more tedious, especially without a keyboard.

author: Analog Kid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 24, 2024, 03:25:28 am
content: Quote from: tggzzz on October 23, 2024, 10:37:44 pmThat other forum I belong to (MASM32) has buttons in the reply panel for -- , -- and -- .Hey, this is 2024, not 1985!

author: ebastler
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 24, 2024, 04:41:23 am
content: Quote from: Analog Kid on October 24, 2024, 03:25:28 amThis forum certainly has all those buttons too.

author: Analog Kid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 24, 2024, 05:25:28 am
content: Ah yes, there they are. Hidden in plain sight.

author: DimitriP
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 24, 2024, 05:34:58 am
content: I like my links naked and ugly so I can see where I'm about to go.I'd rather havehttps://www.eevblog.com/forum/news/nicer-way-to-add-urls-to-a-post/thanSilly Thready'kno'wha'I'mean?

author: Analog Kid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 24, 2024, 05:44:00 am
content: Fine; with my suggested change, you can have it either way. Just easier to insert it is all.

author: Bryn
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 24, 2024, 07:07:49 am
content: Again, this is Dave's call whether he wants to put it in or not... same with the upcoming SMF upgrade as well.

author: Analog Kid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 24, 2024, 07:15:38 am
content: Yes, I think we all understand that.I'm suggesting putting it on his to-do list with a priority number of 1,579.

author: Ian.M
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 24, 2024, 07:42:30 am
content: As long as it doesn't interfere with typing the BBCode, I'm good. It takes far far less time to type[ u r l ] ctrl-V [ / u r l ]or[ u r l = ctrl-V ]whatever text[ / u r l ]than it does to mouse about a web form filling in text boxes.IMHO disabling the broken autolinker would be better than the current situation - by forcing people to use url tags if they want a live link, it would eliminate the URLs broken by punctuation problem!

author: ebastler
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 24, 2024, 07:51:19 am
content: Quote from: Ian.M on October 24, 2024, 07:42:30 amHmm, I don't know about that. Either I suck at typing, or you are really clumsy with a mouse.Well, it might have to do with the German keyboard which forces me to use Shift for the slash and Alt-Gr for the square brackets. Typing out those tags is a nuisance; I do prefer to use the buttons to generate them.

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 24, 2024, 08:49:51 am
content: Quote from: ebastler on October 24, 2024, 04:41:23 amBut the "wrong way round". I don't know how I manage to cope.

author: Ian.M
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 24, 2024, 09:00:30 am
content: Quote from: ebastler on October 24, 2024, 07:51:19 amPenalties of using a German keyboard! Take a look athttps://keyshorts.com/blogs/blog/44712961-how-to-identify-laptop-keyboard-localizationand see which languages don't need to shift for [ / ] and lower case western alphabet.

author: ebastler
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 24, 2024, 09:36:08 am
content: Quote from: Ian.M on October 24, 2024, 09:00:30 amYeah, I know... I started out with plain English/ASCII keyboards on my first computers, since they were the only option available. Much more convenient for programming; you also get <> without finger acrobatics. But for writing German text, those umlaut keys are kind of important... So we get to pay the price for the quirks in our spelling.

author: PlainName
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 07, 2024, 10:08:21 pm
content: Quote from: DimitriP on October 24, 2024, 05:34:58 amDoesn't your browser show the actual URL when you hover the pointer over it? If not, 'nice' links on this forum might be the least of your worries.

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 07, 2024, 10:19:56 pm
content: Quote from: PlainName on November 07, 2024, 10:08:21 pmNot onfondleslabstablets and other touch-based devices.I prefer being able to read the URL, but in some cases having inside a conventional link is better.

author: PlainName
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 07, 2024, 10:22:09 pm
content: Oh, on my phone a long press pops up a box showing the URL and options to open in a new tab, this tab, etc.

author: tggzzz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 07, 2024, 10:30:38 pm
content: Quote from: PlainName on November 07, 2024, 10:22:09 pmIs that using theWhackAWhineTapatalk GUI, or a conventional desktop GUI?As the discerning reader will have spotted, I prefer a consistent appearance.

author: PlainName
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 07, 2024, 10:44:53 pm
content: Just a standard browser and it works on any URL on any site.