RF Generation Message Board

I was thinking...wouldn't it be nice if the Bold, Italics and Underlined symbols would be above the Quick Reply box? (similar in style and function as in commenting on a Blog)

Often I write down a reply in the Quick Reply box but because I need to make one word Bold or Italics I have to click "Preview" to go to the regular Reply screen. 
It would be so much easier if we didn't have to go to the Reply screen just to use those three functions (the most used ones, I think).


What do you think?

It might be more trouble than its worth.
The commands for those are only 1 letter long  as it is
Those are the ones i remember off the top of my head.

I know them out of my head too, that's not the point. I just find it much easier to press one button and have the whole code appear with the cursor inside already than having to type all the [, /, ] symbols.

Besides, it can't be that difficult to program. After all, the code for the buttons already exists; so copy-pasting it to the correct place should do it. (If it's not that easy, please forgive me ;))

Quick replies are meant to be just that - Quick replies. If you need the assistance of a full reply box, just click the reply button. It's not meant to be a a full featured box.

I understand that. I just thought it would be nice to have those three there to avoid going to the Reply screen.


Do you always know in advance if you'll need to use the full reply box? Of course you don't. So you start typing in the Quick Reply box until you realise you need to Bold one word (for example). At that point you have to hit "Preview" to access it.

It would be nice to have the most common ones there in a case like this. :)

By the time you add the most common or used BBC tags, you end up with just a gimped version of the standard reply box anyway.  :P

I never use quick reply myself, I find it redundant and limiting. Why bother using a tiny text box with no assisted features when the reply button is only one click an inch above it?

You could just get in the habit of using the Reply button from the start. I very rarely will use the quick reply box, even if I'm sure I won't be using any features.

And once you get used to using typing in the tags manually, it's quicker than using the button I think. I rarely use the buttons for the one letter tags, I find it quicker to just type the tags in.

I use quick reply, but honestly, what is an extra 5 to 30 seconds really going to matter?

Because you can avoid that one click and start typing instantly. ;)

And if those functions would be added, people would be able to make 80% of their replies in the Quick Reply, which isn't the case now.


That wouldn't be good of course.

But it wouldn't hurt either if those three icons would be above the Quick Reply - it'd be like the Comment box in the Blogs. :)

It probably wouldn't be difficult to add if we coded the forum, but unfortunately we use third party software (SMF).  There are mods that people make for SMF, so maybe one of the ones out there incorporates more buttons into the quickreply box (actually I think the quickreply feature might be a mod itself).  If there is a mod that allows this, it could be done.  If not, we really don't like hacking into the source code because it gets really messy and there is a good possibility we can break the compatibility for future forum upgrades.

PS.  I never knew the preview button took you to the normal reply page. Neato :)

If there is a chance of damaging the forum, then please don't do it. But if it would be possible (and isn't too much work) I think it would be a nice little feature. :)

But stoping typing to put your hand back on the mouse to click a button after highlighting the text and then moving the mouse back down to reselct where you want to type takes more time than just typing out the code in the first place ;-p

Just nit picking. I honestly could care less.
I should also add i don't think it would be as aesthetically pleasing having a couple extra buttons just tossed in there.