Italics; Hit or Miss?

[heathfield]

There seems to be some problem with producing italic text - like it doesn't want to work every time. I've just answered a post and included three italicised pieces of text. Having seen problems in other ABers answers, I carefully and deliberately made sure my typing was in every way correct. The result? One set of italics worked, two didn't. What's going on?

[sunny-dave]

The italics command gets very confused by any non-alphabetic characters in its vicinity ... it is a command of very small brain.

[heathfield]

So it would seem, Dave. Let's hope the AB techies can inject a few extra brain cells!

[AB Editor]

The real trouble here is that I did it, rather than the real techies - so the solution is "dumb".

I believe we only allow a single filter rule instance to be applied once per post, which is why my system is a little more "miss" than hit.

I will attempt to transplant some braincells in when the techies have more time.

[heathfield]

Thanks Ed. So it's not just me!

[vivandorron]

Ed......My braincells are known to work overtime and often produce nothing really useful. Nevertheless, I give you another of my thoughts.

In view of the fact that Chuck has said that he is yet to find a use on the keyboard for the sign ¬ ,could that be something for which you are looking when you update the system for italics. One either end of a word, phrase etc.....¬Example¬ On the other hand you may find a better use to which ¬ can be employed.

Ron.

[jno]

the system seems to read the [ i with the first italics instruction and the i ] with the last one, and get in a tizz about what to do with the text in between.

I have no idea what I did wrong with the first post on this thread

http://www.theanswerb.../Question1144762.html

- possibly the odd quote marks around Mister

[vivandorron]

jno...I think you'll find that you had placed spaces after at the start and before [i at the end of that which you wished to be italicised.

[i] Example [i] ...whereas, if brackets were up up tight against the first and last letters it would be... [i]Example]

Ron.

[vivandorron]

Even I find it difficult to get it right and regularly it just doesn't work.

[jno]

mmmph

[Maydup]

LOL Ron

Only one set of italics allowed per post.

[ChuckFickens]

(1) spaces don't matter
(2) certain punctuation and extended characters break the italics if you include them in the italic text
(3) more than one lot of italics on a single post break the italics

[vivandorron]

Hi Chuck..... Only today I have suggested to the Ed ( somewhere in AB but I can't find my posting) that as you are unable to find a use for the symbol ¬ perhaps that could be utilised to make easier italicising...¬Example¬

Ron.

[boxtops]

Ron, it's a few posts up in this thread that you suggested that, look upwards ^^^

[vivandorron]

Thanks again boxtops....I've been looking everywhere for it. Perhaps I do need counselling.:-)

[boxtops]

LOL, no, just a periscope to look upwards :-)

[ChuckFickens]

I don't see what's so hard about {i} (wrong brackets used on purpose)

using ¬ would just create a string of posts from people saying either I've not got that on my keyboard or where is that on my keyboard, because I'd bet a lot of people have never spotted it.

If it was going to be changed I'd rather see the standard HTML tag for italics used, which is <i> to start them and </i> to finish them.

[boxtops]

I've never felt the need to use italics on here, I don't know what's wrong with good old inverted commas if you want to quote someone.