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Italics; Hit or Miss?

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heathfield | 14:37 Fri 15th Jun 2012 | Editor's Blog
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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?
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The italics command gets very confused by any non-alphabetic characters in its vicinity ... it is a command of very small brain.
Question Author
So it would seem, Dave. Let's hope the AB techies can inject a few extra brain cells!
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.
Question Author
Thanks Ed. So it's not just me!
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.
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
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.
Even I find it difficult to get it right and regularly it just doesn't work.
mmmph
LOL Ron

Only one set of italics allowed per post.
(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
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.
Ron, it's a few posts up in this thread that you suggested that, look upwards ^^^
Thanks again boxtops....I've been looking everywhere for it. Perhaps I do need counselling.:-)
LOL, no, just a periscope to look upwards :-)
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.
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.

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