Is there a better way to create BLOCKQUOTEs?

[PaigeMiller]

See this post

https://communities.sas.com/t5/Base-SAS-Programming/Dummy-variables-for-years/m-p/239235#M43980

I had to create the various different blockquotes using HTML (and getting it wrong a few times). Is there a better way?

[RW9]

Hi,

Is that the right link, couldn't see anything about quotes in it?  Maybe an example would help.

[PaigeMiller]

Yes, the link is correct, this is a screen capture of one of the three blockquotes in that message.

I have a total of three blockquotes in that link. It is a real pain in the neck to create, compared to other forums. As I said, I had to use HTML to create the three blockquotes.

This is an actual example of a blockquote from RW9's comment earlier in this thread. It's easy if you want to quote the entire comment, which was a relatively short one by RW9. If he had a very long comment and I want to quote different parts, it becomes a pain in the neck.

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@RW9 wrote:

Hi,

Is that the right link, couldn't see anything about quotes in it?  Maybe an example would help.

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Most forums have this feature built into the menu bar at the top of the dialog box where you type your reply. And so most forums (in fact, every other forum I use) make creating mulitple block quotes in a message relatively easy to do.

Here is another screen capture from a different forum, railroad.net, illustrating blockquotes.

There are significant missing features from the new SAS forums, compared to what I see in EVERY OTHER forum that I participate in. The end result is that communication is less efficient here in the SAS Forums than in other places.

Just so I feel like I am providing complete information, here are the list of features that this forum does not have that EVERY OTHER forum I participate in does have (at least, all I can think of right now)

1. Sorting by date of most recent comment in a thread
2. Automatic threading
3. Blockquoting via the menu bar instead of HTML

[RW9]

Oh, I see.  Sorry, my mind went off down the track of quotes (' or ") within HTML.  Doh!  As for the forum, yes, it could be quite helpful to have that.  On another forum I use you can add the tags, simple [quote_n] [/quote] syntax, could have buttons for that.

[LainieH]

Hi PaigeMiller and and RW9, I'm looking into this now to give you the best answer.

[LainieH]

@PaigeMiller wrote:

See this post

https://communities.sas.com/t5/Base-SAS-Programming/Dummy-variables-for-years/m-p/239235#M43980

I had to create the various different blockquotes using HTML (and getting it wrong a few times). Is there a better way?

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 @PaigeMiller and @RW9, there is a blue Quote option at the top of all Reply fields. It is not in the menu bar but directly above it. Does that help?  For example I can click that now and get the quote above without HTML. 

You could also use the insert code feature {i} to block someone too, only if needed. 
It would look like this.

 Paige, I hear you regarding these items:

• Sorting by date of most recent comment in a thread
• Automatic threading. 

I haven't forgotten about those. I will let the team know. 

Lainie

[PaigeMiller]

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@LainieH wrote:

 @PaigeMiller and @RW9, there is a blue Quote option at the top of all Reply fields. It is not in the menu bar but directly above it. Does that help?

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No, that does NOT help. If I only want a single block quote, yes it works. In the case I am complaining about, I clearly stated that in order to create three blockquotes out of the original post, I had to use the HTML editor to insert the proper tags to get my blockquotes, and that took a long time because I got it wrong a few times. I don't see another way, and certainly not the easy way I can create blockquotes on other forums. I am trying to communicate clearly by using multiple blockquotes, so the reader can see exactly what I am replying to; but I am not going to bother until this is fixed.

These things that I can do easily in every other forum are not advanced options, they are not new options, they are default options and they have been that way for years/decades.

[LainieH]

@PaigeMiller,  thank you. Now I understand about inserting more than one quote.  I agree that you should not need to use HTML for the block quotes.  

The only other way (which I agree is not ideal) is to open the full thread in a separate window using the View Discussion in a Popout link below the reply area, inserting a quote and then clearing our the text  and pasting different text. 

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These things that I can do easily in every other forum are not advanced options

(looking for workarounds... I will see if there are others)..

So that you know, I looked on the vendor Website and noticed that this is an idea that someone suggested a while back. I voted for it on behalf of you and me: 

http://community.lithium.com/t5/Product-Ideas/Multi-quote/idi-p/1447/page/2#comments  

The comment from a community member in that idea was "Allowing a user to multi quote a number of posts helps them (and moderators) to answer a number of questions at the same time. The only way to do this currently is to quote a post, copy + paste and then go back and do that for all the questions that we may need to address."

It appears many others like yourself are asking for this feature! So, thanks for bringing it up. The last status on that idea was in June 2015  " It's still in our active backlog, but has not recently made it "above the line" for investment. We'll update the idea if this status changes."  Other people responded after that and "bumped" the idea up for visibility and I am doing the same. 

I sure appreciate you bringing this matter up. I see how multi-quotes can make it much more clear when giving answers. Thanks for being part of the community and helping to make it better. 

Lainie