How-to and FAQ

geex.emily · Post by **geex.emily** » Tue Sep 01, 2020 3:19 pm

Our forum software, phpBB, is a free, open-source, searchable and archive-friendly software originally built in 2000. In the era of planned obsolescence, this software has been tried, tested and updated for twenty years.

That said: the graphical user interface is not as intuitive as some newer tools.

BBCode, or Bulletin Board Code, is the native code used on the forum. It is intended to prevent users from breaking the code on the forum's website by using HTML. It's a very simple coding language, but certainly not intuitive.
→ For more information on BBCode, visit the BBCode website.

This post is intended as an introduction to phpBB and BBCode. We will update this section periodically as concerns and comments arise.

How do I add a link or hyperlink?

The “insert-link” icon is the second to last icon on the tool bar over the message draft, next to "font color."

When you click the icon, phpBB automatically adds "<URL></URL>” to your message draft. Those two bracketed tags will create a link using whatever information is written between them. Note: if this information is not a functional website address, the link will not function.

Example:

Code: Select all

[URL]geex.glass[/URL]

→ geex.glass

Common mistake: “dog”
→ "dog" isn't a website URL, so the requested URL cannot be found.

If you want to include a hyperlink...
Add “=website address” inside the first URL bracket.

Example:

Code: Select all

[URL=https://www.geex.glass]GEEX![/URL]

→ GEEX!

Try it out! Select the code above using "select all" and copy-and-paste it into a message post. Use preview to check whether the code is working.

How do I make a list?

There are two ways: the "list" icon depicts a bulleted list and the "ordered list" shows a numbered list icon.

Bulleted List
When you select the "bulleted list" icon, phpBB automatically adds "<List></List>" to your draft. The first item between those bracketed tags will be the first item on the bulleted list.

Bullet point example:

Code: Select all

[List]One[/List]

One

To list more than one point, you need to add <*> within the list. Entering without adding <*> will not create another bullet point.

To add list items...
Click the asterisk icon on the menu bar.

Multiple bullet points example:

Code: Select all

[List]One[*]Two[*]Three[/List]

One
Two
Three

Ordered/Numbered List
When you select the "ordered list" icon, phpBB automatically adds "<List=1></List>" to your draft. The first item between those bracketed tags will be the first numbered item. To add list icons, click the asterisk icon or add <*> to your message draft.

Ordered list example:

Code: Select all

[List=1]One[*]Two[*]Three[/List]

One
Two
Three

Try it out! There are a lot of ways to use the list options: add lists within lists, or change spacing by entering before adding another list item. Test different approaches in a draft!

More Questions

The GEEX discussion forum is just beginning, and there are sure to be more questions and concerns as it is used.

We sincerely believe that GEEX staff and admins have a responsibility to make the forum into a community and common resource to be proud of. The How-To and FAQ is a living document that we will clarify and update as necessary.

→ If you have questions or frustrations regarding phpBB or BBCode, send an email to support@geex.glass so that we can provide a solution.