Check Formatting Codes ???

While editing the index to the Casino Chip of the Day thread this morning, I saw something that is either brand new or which I have just completely overlooked in the past. When entering (or editing) a post, there has long been a place below and to the right of the entry box saying "Click here for formatting codes (opens in a new window)". I have frequently used that link to help get my posts entered correctly.

Now, below the entry box but to the left, right below the "Post", "Preview", and "Cancel" buttons, there is another one that says "√Check Formatting Codes". It seems to offer a new resource to tell the poster whether there are errors in their use of those formatting codes and pointing out the errors with color highlighting.

I used this feature to check the two posts at the beginning of the Casino Chip of the Day thread, the very long posts that serve as the index. These posts include a huge number of formatting codes. The first post was listed as having 1 missing closing tag and 1 improperly closed; the second post showed 37 missing closing tags and 1 improperly closed.

I examined the highlighted "errors" but could find absolutely nothing wrong with any of them. And they all seem to be working just fine in the posts.

So can someone who knows something about this (new?) feature tell me what is wrong with my use of those formatting codes?

The specific errors noted are:
1. In the table for Arizona casinos, a missing closing tag on the link to the post for Casino Arizona / Talking Stick.
2. At the end of the Arizona table, an improper closing of the table.
3. In the table for Chinese New Year Commemorative Chips, a missing closing tag in each of the 37 links to those posts.
4. At the end of that same table, an improper closing of the table.

Both of those tables appear to close properly in the index, and all of the links seem to work, so I don't understand the error messages. Any help/explanation available?

1. You are missing the [/url] for Casino Arizona / Talking Stick
2. This is fixed by fixing 1
3. Same as 1 - all the closing url tags are missing.
4. Will be fixed by fixing 3.

Exactly correct!!!!! I have no idea why I couldn't see those omissions myself. Outstanding support and assistance wudged!

Unfortunately, making the corrections that you suggested triggered a crisis that I just knew had been looming: Adding those 37 instances of [/url] in post#2 resulted in the post being too long for the limits of the forum, and I couldn't save it in that form.

Back in December 2013, the original index became too long for a single post, and after some scrambling I was able to find a fix: I copied my second post of the thread (the posting of my Aliante Station chip) on the leading edge of my third post, thereby combining them. Then I changed my second post of the thread to become the second part of the index.

I knew that if the thread survived, it was just a matter of time before either post #1 or post #2 (or both) became too long, and that day of reckoning has now arrived. For the moment, I have dealt with the crisis by moving a spoiler block of "Handy Reference Links" from the end of post #2 to the middle of post #1, just before the start of the real index. This works for now, but it won't keep the index going much further -- only another few hundred characters. I considered a different adjustment of moving the Nevada table from the start of post #2 to the end of post #1, but it won't fit there.

I think I need to make a three-part index, which might keep us going for a few more years. If I repeat what I did in December 2013, I could move the Aliante Station post and merge it with my 4th post of the thread (which discussed that post) and then use the space of the current Aliante Station post for Index Part 3. I'll work on that, but if anyone (wudged?) has an idea of how I can get around the limit on post length, I'll be all ears.

There is no workaround to the post character limit, unfortunately, doc. Nor is there one for thread limits.

I am able to split threads. I don't think I can split posts, but i can edit. If you need me to dig in with you and do some reorganization or manipulation of what you have, I'm willing.

OG, nice work; thanks for taking the time to suss it out! I was about to go there and you saved me the trouble (and perhaps without figuring the reason), so well done.

In my naive way, I think the only near-term problem I will have in creating a three-part index as described above is that my Aliante Station post will then be after the posts by duckmankilla and TIMSPEED, both of which refer to things in that Aliante Station post. It will look a little strange -- like a bit of a time warp -- but I can make an introductory comment to explain. When we did this sort of thing in December 2013, TIMSPEED's initial post in the thread got deleted. My reply to TIMSPEED became the very end of the Aliante Station post, and I just noted that his post had been deleted.

Guess it's nerdy to be concerned about such things.

Doc I guess it's a good problem to have. Your thread is so successful that this keeps being a problem.

I think I have the three-part index working now, with an introductory comment on the Aliante Station post, and with the link to that post corrected in the index. There are no formatting code errors showing up now on any of the parts of the index.

As of today, the Parts 1, 2, and 3 of the index have 33,958; 35,658; and 36,705 characters respectively (according to a Microsoft Word version of those pages), which seems like about as balanced as I can make it with the splits coming between states rather than in the middle of a table. It appears that the limit is something like 60,000 characters per post, so I'll have to see how the thread goes over the next few years. Maybe this 3-part index will last longer than the geezer who started the whole shebang.

Maybe you should create a new thread, just for the index.

Seriously.

If possible, make it a locked thread that only you can edit. Zuga might have to create special admin parameters for you, but it may be possible.

Then have just a few posts. I.E.: Eastern US, Western US, Nevada and California get their own, then grouped by continent, etc...


Yeah, I know it sounds goofy, but if you think about it, it would work.