Several members have asked about making a link clickable, and the instructions are in the Text Style Menu popup helper. But for some it's easier to have the syntax explained and then maybe put into a text file on their PC, so later when they want to provide a link to a website they can copy and paste and tweak, instead of remembering the syntax. So here's a go at offering that.
Now, I can't simply type the syntax in this post as they should be typed, because it'll become a link! So let's fool the webage a little. Here goes:
If you copy a link (or web address) for, say, a Canon 5D Mark II from Adorama and want to make it a clickable link for everyone else in the post, it's easy. Just copy and paste the web address (a.k.a. "URL") in the message box of the NPN thread where you write your post, to at least get the text in there:
http://www.adorama.com/ICA5DM2.html
Now, let's make it a link: in front of that web address you've just pasted or typed, put the tag [URL]. Then put [/URL] at the end of the address, no spaces anywhere. We're using square brackets, btw. Your text should look like this:
[URL]http://www.adorama.com/ICA5DM2.html[/URL]
That's it! However, you have to change the "URL" in both places to lowercase, then it will work as a link. Because I typed the letters "URL" in uppercase above, it won't work as a link, it must be lowercase. In this case that's good that it doesn't work as a link, it allows me to show you the syntax.
Try it! Copy and paste the example above and change the three letters URL to lowercase in both places, in the beginning and end tags (yes, we call "[URL]" a "tag"). When it's properly typed out, you should get this AFTER you submit your post:
In fact, go ahead and reply to this post and give it a whirl so you can see it work. We'll all understand when several posts appear with just an Adorama link, lol!
Side note: often I reply or post on NPN with my iPhone, and the thing constantly tries to correct my lowercase "url" to an uppercase URL. As I said, URL must be lowercase ("url") to work. If you use an iSomething, watch out for that when you type.
I'll reply to this post with a 2nd trick, and that's making any text a link such as "Honey, I REALLY need this 5D Mark II, it doesn't cost THAT much..."
Posted by Paul DeCesare on December 30, 2011 at 12:03 AM
OK, if you want any text to be the link, we need to tweak WHERE the web address goes.
In the above example, we stuck in front of the web address, and then at the end of that address, and of course you made sure the URL was lowercase. Then the address text became the link... success! Now here's the way to make any text a link:
Step One: Put the web address inside the URL tag, with an equal sign. Here is how it should look so far:
One more time, make URL lowercase (last time I mention it, lol!). So when it's done you should be able to tell people to run out an buy the latest Canon Ba Da Bing!
Again try it! You can copy Canon Ba Da Bing!, then change the URL to lowercase, and you'll have a text link!
You can even keep the example text handy on your PC/Mac, then when you post, paste it in the message, change URL to lowercase of course, replace the web address with yours and replace the "Canon Ba Da Bing" text with your text.
One of these days I'll see if I can help Jim get an "Insert Link" button to automate the process. Until then, hopefully this all made sense!
Posted by Jim Erhardt on December 30, 2011 at 8:11 AM
Posted by Paul DeCesare on December 30, 2011 at 12:40 PM
Thanks. There are a bunch of members who are IT pros during the day (me too) and may understand "yeah, just wrap your link text in square-bracket lowercase tags and pop the URL into an attribute", but I wanted to make a version that was tech-jargon-free... hope it came across OK!
Posted by Mark Seaver on March 8, 2012 at 10:42 PM
Hey Paul, I just used your tip and it worked like a charm. Glad I stumbled onto this forum...I think it was a mouse error, but I'm sure glad it happened.
Discussion
5 repliesHi All,
This post is no longer valid, these antiquated embed codes I discuss here are no longer usuable. The new NPN editing panel is totally up to date feature wise and includes an easy way to insert a link. I've written a new post about it which can be found here: http://www.naturephotographers.net/imagecritique/bbs.cgi?a=vm&mr=78172&CGISESSID=75cc4692d3e8deb2e86e1da60d3df55b&u=11838
Thanks!
Paul
===================================================================
Several members have asked about making a link clickable, and the instructions are in the Text Style Menu popup helper. But for some it's easier to have the syntax explained and then maybe put into a text file on their PC, so later when they want to provide a link to a website they can copy and paste and tweak, instead of remembering the syntax. So here's a go at offering that.
Now, I can't simply type the syntax in this post as they should be typed, because it'll become a link! So let's fool the webage a little. Here goes:
If you copy a link (or web address) for, say, a Canon 5D Mark II from Adorama and want to make it a clickable link for everyone else in the post, it's easy. Just copy and paste the web address (a.k.a. "URL") in the message box of the NPN thread where you write your post, to at least get the text in there:
http://www.adorama.com/ICA5DM2.html
Now, let's make it a link: in front of that web address you've just pasted or typed, put the tag [URL]. Then put [/URL] at the end of the address, no spaces anywhere. We're using square brackets, btw. Your text should look like this:
[URL]http://www.adorama.com/ICA5DM2.html[/URL]
That's it! However, you have to change the "URL" in both places to lowercase, then it will work as a link. Because I typed the letters "URL" in uppercase above, it won't work as a link, it must be lowercase. In this case that's good that it doesn't work as a link, it allows me to show you the syntax.
Try it! Copy and paste the example above and change the three letters URL to lowercase in both places, in the beginning and end tags (yes, we call "[URL]" a "tag"). When it's properly typed out, you should get this AFTER you submit your post:
http://www.adorama.com/ICA5DM2.html
In fact, go ahead and reply to this post and give it a whirl so you can see it work. We'll all understand when several posts appear with just an Adorama link, lol!
Side note: often I reply or post on NPN with my iPhone, and the thing constantly tries to correct my lowercase "url" to an uppercase URL. As I said, URL must be lowercase ("url") to work. If you use an iSomething, watch out for that when you type.
I'll reply to this post with a 2nd trick, and that's making any text a link such as "Honey, I REALLY need this 5D Mark II, it doesn't cost THAT much..."
In the above example, we stuck in front of the web address, and then at the end of that address, and of course you made sure the URL was lowercase. Then the address text became the link... success! Now here's the way to make any text a link:
Step One: Put the web address inside the URL tag, with an equal sign. Here is how it should look so far:
See what we did? In between the "L" and closing square bracket, we put in an equal sign and the web address, no spaces. That's the first step, now we'll add on to it. Again, broken record time, URL must be lowercase, I'm using uppercase so it shows in the post as plain text.
Step Two: Type your text! Whatever text you want as a link, type it right after the closing bracket, you don't even need a space. Here's our example with text added:
[URL=http://www.adorama.com/ICA5DM2.html]Canon Ba Da Bing!
Not done yet, we need to do one last thing.
Step Three: The easiest part... just put the same closing tag as above: - The full text should now look like this:
Canon Ba Da Bing!
One more time, make URL lowercase (last time I mention it, lol!). So when it's done you should be able to tell people to run out an buy the latest Canon Ba Da Bing!
Again try it! You can copy Canon Ba Da Bing!, then change the URL to lowercase, and you'll have a text link!
You can even keep the example text handy on your PC/Mac, then when you post, paste it in the message, change URL to lowercase of course, replace the web address with yours and replace the "Canon Ba Da Bing" text with your text.
One of these days I'll see if I can help Jim get an "Insert Link" button to automate the process. Until then, hopefully this all made sense!