UBBCode™ is a variation on the HTML tags you may already be familiar with. It allows you to add functionality or style to your message that would normally require HTML. You can use UBBCode™ even if HTML is not enabled for the forum you are using. You may want to use UBBCode™ as opposed to HTML, even if HTML is enabled for your forum, because there is less coding required and it safer to use (incorrect coding syntax will not need lead to as many problems).

Why is it called UBBCode™? The name is a reference to Infopop's first product, the UBB™, for which the code was created in 1998. Infopop is the creator of the discussion board software that we are currently using.

Current UBB Codes

URL Hyperlinking

Simply type the complete URL in either of the following manners and the hyperlink will be created automatically:

• http://www.yourURL.com
• www.yourURL.com — Notice that you can either use the complete http:// address or shorten it to the www domain. If the site does not begin with "www", you must use the complete "http://" address. Also, you may use https and ftp URL prefixes in auto-link mode (when UBB Code is ON).

  A simplified [URL] code will also work, as detailed below. Just encase the link as shown in the following example (UBBCode™ is in brown).

  [url]www.gomod.com[/url]

  You can now have true hyperlinks using the [url] code. Just use the following format:
  

  [url=http://www.gomod.com]GOMOD Home[/url]

  In the examples above, the UBBCode™ automatically generates a hyperlink to the URL that is encased. It will also ensure that the link is opened in a new window when the user clicks on it. Note that the "http://" part of the URL is completely optional. In the second example above, the URL will hyperlink the text to whatever URL you provide after the equal sign. Also note that you should NOT use quotation marks inside the URL tag.

Email Links

To add a hyperlinked email address within your message, just encase the email address as shown in the following example (UBBCode™ is in brown).

[email]info@gomod.com[/email]

In the example above, the UBBCode™ automatically generates a hyperlink to the email address that is encased.

Bold and Italics

You can make italicized text or make text bold by encasing the applicable sections of your text with either the [b] [/b] or [i] [/i] tags.

Hello, [b]James[/b]
Hello, [i]Joan[/i]

Bullets/Lists

You can make bulleted lists or ordered lists (by number or letter).

Unordered, bulleted list:

[*] This is the first bulleted item.
[*] This is the second bulleted item.

This produces:

• This is the first bulleted item.
• This is the second bulleted item.

Making ordered lists is just as easy. Just add either TYPE=A or TYPE=1 inside your opening [list] code. Selecting TYPE=A will produce a list from A to Z. Selecting TYPE=1 will produce numbered lists.

Here's an example:

[list type=A]
[*] This is the first bulleted item.
[*] This is the second bulleted item.
[/list]

This produces:

1. This is the first bulleted item.
2. This is the second bulleted item.

Adding Images

To add a graphic within your message, just encase the URL of the graphic image as shown in the following example (UBB Code is in brown).

[img]http://www.prime-web.com/Ultimate20/tline.gif[/img]

In the example above, the UBBCode™ automatically makes the graphic visible in your message. Note: the "http://" part of the URL is REQUIRED for the [img] code. Also note: some forum administrators may disable the [img] tag support to prevent objectionable images from being posted.

Quoting Other Messages

To reference something something specific that someone has posted, just cut and paste in the applicable words and enclose it as shown below (UBBCode™ is in brown).

[QUOTE]Ask not what your country can do for you....
ask what you can do for your country.[/QUOTE]

In the example above, the UBBCode™ automatically blockquotes the text you reference.

Code Tag

Similar to the Quote tag, the Code tag adds some <PRE> tags to preserve formatting. This is useful for displaying programming code, for instance.

[CODE]#!/usr/bin/perl

print "Content-type: text/html\n\n";
print "Hello World!"; [/CODE]

In the example above, the UBBCode™ automatically blockquotes the text you reference and preserves the formatting of the coded text

Incorrect UBBCode Usage™:

[url] www.gomod.com [/url] - don't put spaces between the bracketed code and the text to which you are aplying the code.

[email]info@gomod.com[email] - the end brackets must include a forward slash ([/email]).