compose tips

  • Allowed HTML tags: <a> <em> <strong> <cite> <code> <pre> <ul> <ol> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd> <i> <b>

    This site allows HTML content. While learning all of HTML may feel intimidating, learning how to use a very small number of the most basic HTML "tags" is very easy. This table provides examples for each tag that is enabled on this site.

    For more information see W3C's HTML Specifications or use your favorite search engine to find other sites that explain HTML.

    Tag DescriptionYou TypeYou Get
    Anchors are used to make links to other pages.<a href="http://www.linuxjournal.com">Linux Journal</a>Linux Journal
    Emphasized<em>Emphasized</em>Emphasized
    Strong<strong>Strong</strong>Strong
    Cited<cite>Cited</cite>Cited
    Coded text used to show programming source code<code>Coded</code>Coded
    Preformatted<pre>Preformatted</pre>
    Preformatted
    Unordered list - use the <li> to begin each list item<ul> <li>First item</li> <li>Second item</li> </ul>
    • First item
    • Second item
    Ordered list - use the <li> to begin each list item<ol> <li>First item</li> <li>Second item</li> </ol>
    1. First item
    2. Second item
    Definition lists are similar to other HTML lists. <dl> begins the definition list, <dt> begins the definition term and <dd> begins the definition description.<dl> <dt>First term</dt> <dd>First definition</dd> <dt>Second term</dt> <dd>Second definition</dd> </dl>
    First term
    First definition
    Second term
    Second definition
    Italicized<i>Italicized</i>Italicized
    Bolded<b>Bolded</b>Bolded

    Most unusual characters can be directly entered without any problems.

    If you do encounter problems, try using HTML character entities. A common example looks like &amp; for an ampersand & character. For a full list of entities see HTML's entities page. Some of the available characters include:

    Character DescriptionYou TypeYou Get
    Ampersand&amp;&
    Greater than&gt;>
    Less than&lt;<
    Quotation mark&quot;"
  • Lines and paragraphs are automatically recognized. The <br /> line break, <p> paragraph and </p> close paragraph tags are inserted automatically. If paragraphs are not recognized simply add a couple blank lines.

Featured Videos

The November 13, 2008 edition of Linux Journal Live! Shawn Powers and special guest, Linux Journal Author Daniel Bartholomew, talk e-book readers and Daniel's Kindle, DRM, and other goodness.

From the Magazine

December 2008, #176

The Oxford English Dictionary says the word "gadget" is a placeholder name for a technical item whose precise name one can't remember. Like that book-reader thingy from Amazon...what's it called? Spindle, Gindle...Kindle, that's it. Check it out in this month's gadget issue.

Other gadgets covered include the Nokia tablets, the BlackBerry, the Neo FreeRunner, the Dash Express, the Roku Netflix Player, the Kangaroo TV, The TomTom GO 930 and the MooBella Ice Cream System. On the larger hardware front, read the reviews of the Acer Aspire One and the YDL PowerStation. On the software front, check out the articles and columns on memcached, Samba security, Mutt, desktop gadgets, bash and Puppet. To wrap it all up, read Doc's thoughts on Google and the browser platform.

Read this issue

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