Hi,
I've noticed that it only seems possible to use italics in some areas of the forum (using the html keystrokes, e.g. [i ]... [/i ]). It would be great to be able to write species names properly in the data sections of the species descriptions as well. Or is it perhaps already possible in some way that I'm missing?
It would be even more terrific if font options could be added for all text, so that the html keystrokes were unnecessary. I imagine this is a ton of work but it would improve the site functionality greatly.
Thanks,
Lori

Lori, if you're referring to plant botanical names in the DB the system automatically italicizes them. No need for html. In fact that will lead to the code being displayed.

Are you referring to a comment?

I meant that it is within "data details" that the html keystrokes don't work. The general comment about font options would refer to all areas.
Lori

Can you provide me a link to a plant where custom formatting would be appropriate in a plant's data details?

I think there's a species somewhere in which I used html to add some info about the genus or species, but I believe it got published with the brackets showing instead of converting to italics. I'll see if I can find it. Here's an example in which it would be handy to be able to italics in the "data details" - see part about using GA-3 for germination of Gentiana:
Spring Gentian (Gentiana verna)
Perhaps it is possible and I'm missing something?
Lori

I actually remember that one. It didn't work because you used { instead of [ in one part of the code.

Oh, is that why? Thanks, Zuzu! So, it is actually possible to use italics in all fields?

I'm not sure that it is possible, Lori. I just know that's why it didn't work that time. I removed the faulty code, which is why it's gone, but I probably should have tried correcting the code instead.

Speaking strictly for myself, I have to admit that italicizing the names of genera is very low on my list of priorities. In fact, I shudder to think of the thousands of comments and other data entries that would have to be corrected in order to preserve uniformity. I also think it might deter the posting of comments. I know that I don't want to be bothered by using coding every time I type the name of a genus or species, and I might choose not to post the comment instead.

Well, if it is easy to do - say if optional fonts were available as at some other gardening forum sites - then it just becomes second nature to write species names correctly; it's really just like any other form of grammar. No, I certainly wouldn't go back and correct anything, but it would be a nice option going forward.
Just a thought.
Lori

I can see a benefit to allowing italics in the databoxes but there are several technical reasons why I didn't design it to support that. That, and the effort involved with making it work in that structured databox system, makes it is something I'm a little hesitant to committing to at this point.

Here is an example just to explain what I was talking about... When captioning a photo, for example, it's not possible to write species names correctly (i.e. using italics):

Same story there. I'm not ready to allow custom formatting in the captions of images. It's something I can support but it'll take some doing.

Why would you even need to repeat the name in the caption when it's already listed a couple of lines above it? Seems redundant.