Tutorial : text-features

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Controlling text features

In addition to writing simple block paragraphs of text, you can control certain text feature using a special characters.

Boldface and italics

You can use curly braces { and } to show italics and square brackets [ and ] to show boldface. You can even use both if you really need to.

This is {italics} and this is [boldface] and this is {[both]}

What if you actually want to show a curly brace or square bracket character? Then put a “backtick” (reverse singe quote) ` in front of it, like this:

I can write [boldface] and brackets `[ `]. I can write {italics} and curly braces `{ `}.

and that will display like this: “I can write boldface and brackets [ ]. I can write italics and curly braces { }.”

Underlining

Underlining should be used very sparingly because it can so easily be confused with hyperlinks. But it still has its uses, for example in acronym expansions or technical bibliographies.

Underlining is turned on by a first _ character and turned off again by a second _ character. For example,

Every _other_ word _in_ this _sentence_ is _underlined_.

becomes “Every other word in this sentence is underlined.” and

Every other _word pair_ in this _silly sentence_ is underlined.

becomes “Every other word pair in this silly sentence is underlined.”

The best use for underlining is single-characters or very short runs of characters, for example in acronym expansions:

NELUG is the _N_ew _E_ngland _L_EGO _U_sers _G_roup

becomes “NELUG is the New England LEGO Users Group.”

To write an actual underscore character (if you ever need to), simply prefix it with the ` character, for example

I can write an actual `_ underscore if I really need to for some reason.

becomes “I can write an actual _ underscore if I really need to for some reason.”

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