Forum formatting tips/tricks

I see references in posts pointing users to find their answer in existing threads or posts. So far I have only used the hyperlink feature but that only gives a clickable link, not a preview of the existing material.

I have figured out how to use the ` three times on it’s own line before and after to format code correctly, @ to include a formatted user name, : brings up a list of emoticons, # seems to do something, not sure what, starting a line with * lets you create a bulleted list, but what is the trick to showing a preview when directing someone to a different message?

Just include the hyperlink to it, like this: (just a copy/paste works)

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A change sometime in the last few months means that there is now a trick to it.

If there is any punctuation on the same line as the hyperlink, including a : or a ) then you will get only the hyperlink, not the preview.

This drove me crazy when it first changed. :sunglasses:

See the following. The first one is in parentheses (no preview)

( Adding punctuation on a line breaks the preview of the linked topic )

The second without parentheses, so it has the preview.

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Just like the ’ three times only works if it is on its own line I guess. So simple but overlooked.

Thanks @johnconstantelo and @JDRoberts!

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Since were on a roll here…

What does the “+ Reply as linked Topic” do?

I search for these answers, but there doesn’t seem to be a resource on here listing them.

It creates a new Topic, or discussion thread linked back to where you clicked “+ Reply as linked Topic”. This is what it looks like when you do that:

You provide your new Topic name, and you can see the pre-filled in comments for you.

Some folks will do this when a discussion gets really long, and there’s one particular subject/issue someone wants to separate out as a different topic. Some examples of that would be like the discussions regarding the Lowe’s Iris devices, Rule Machines, etc.

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So it breaks it off into sort of a branch from the original.

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Yup, and by keeping the “Continuing the discussion from…” in the new post, people can go back to the original and get caught up if needed.

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