Using [gotopost] to link to other posts in the forum

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asavage
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Using [gotopost] to link to other posts in the forum

#1

Post by asavage »

A nice add-on feature of this forum software is the ability to link to another post in the forum (without using the [url] bbCode). While the URL bbCode will work, it takes longer to process, and if I ever change the domain name of the board, none of the links would work (though I'd probably script the SQL to change links -- but that's another topic).

The bbCode to refer to a specific post is [gotopost]. The format is:

[gotopost=postnum]link text goes here[/gotopost]

Example:
"Please see the FAQ for the MY changes."

The hard part of using the [gotopost] bbCode is that you have to find postnum, the number that is assigned to the post when it is submitted. To do that, you have to be looking at the target post, and I don't know about you but when I want to link to another post, I'm usually in the middle of composing a post already.

In Mozilla/Firefox, one can open another "tab", in IE and Netscape open another browser window, and navigate (in that browser) to the target post. Hover your mouse pointer over the "Quote" button at the top of the post. Look at the browser's Status bar at the bottom of the screen -- it should be showing the URL that the browser would display if you clicked on "Quote". In that URL is a section that starts with "&p=xxx. . . ".

For example, if I hover the mouse pointer over the "Quote" button of post number 23, I see this in the Status bar at the bottom of the browser:
http://nissandiesel.dyndns.org/posting.php?mode=quote&p=23&sid=68363308012dc32c39755dbd43eaeced
On your system, you may or may not see the long "sid=xxxxxx..." string, depending upon whether you have "autologon" enabled.

The postnum of that post is indicated in the part of that URL that reads, "p=23". Now you know the postnum of the target post for your link:23 (not p=23, just 23). Write it down, or mumble it to yourself while switching back to your original browser window, and now you can complete the [gotopost=] bbCode!

=======================

The [gotopost] bbCode actually works with anchor tags within posts too. For instance, that's how I'm able to link to specific portions of the FAQ. But I haven't found an easy way to determine what the anchor tagnames are -- and they have to be named, just like in HTML. I have a hard way, but not an easy way. If anyone wants to know how to embed anchors within a post, and how to refer to them, let me know.
Regards,
Al S.

1982 Maxima diesel wagon, 2nd & 4th owner, 165k miles, rusty & burgundy/grey. Purchased 1996, SOLD 16Feb10
1983 Maxima diesel wagon, 199k miles, rusty, light yellow/light brown. SOLD 14Jul07
1981 720 SD22 (scrapped 04Sep07)
1983 Sentra CD17, 255k, bought 06Jul08, gave it away 22Jun10.
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philip
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Re: Using [gotopost] to link to other posts in the forum

#2

Post by philip »

Thanks Al. I'll go clip some bamboo shoots and shove them under a fingernail or two.
-Philip
Passed 08May2008
My friend, you are missed . . .

1982 Datsun 720KC SD-22

"Im slow and I'm ahead of you"
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asavage
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#3

Post by asavage »

It's not as bad as all that. You need to know the "post number" to make a link to that post. To get that "post number", hover the cursor over the "quote" button of that post, read the status line at the bottom of the browser, write down, copy, or memorize the number. For example, if the number is "12345" . . . then craft a tag in your post using and that number:

Code: Select all

[gotopost=12345]Click here to go to new post[/gotopost]
Regards,
Al S.

1982 Maxima diesel wagon, 2nd & 4th owner, 165k miles, rusty & burgundy/grey. Purchased 1996, SOLD 16Feb10
1983 Maxima diesel wagon, 199k miles, rusty, light yellow/light brown. SOLD 14Jul07
1981 720 SD22 (scrapped 04Sep07)
1983 Sentra CD17, 255k, bought 06Jul08, gave it away 22Jun10.
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philip
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Posts: 1494
Joined: 18 years ago
Location: Southern California, USA

#4

Post by philip »

asavage wrote:It's not as bad as all that. You need to know the "post number" to make a link to that post. To get that "post number", hover the cursor over the "quote" button of that post, read the status line at the bottom of the browser, write down, copy, or memorize the number. For example, if the number is "12345" . . . then craft a tag in your post using and that number:

Code: Select all

[gotopost=12345]Click here to go to new post[/gotopost]
yeah verily you pointed me in the right direction. I have practiced and succeeded with a post or two today. Remember, I'm using IE, not FF.

Hovering over the PN does not reveal its number using IE. I have to click on QUOTES first, then on the new screen, position the cursor anywhere on the grey header area and then right click, choosing PROPERTIES to get the PN and/or the URL. With the PN, I can do all the stuff you said. True, it is not so difficult.
-Philip
Passed 08May2008
My friend, you are missed . . .

1982 Datsun 720KC SD-22

"Im slow and I'm ahead of you"
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asavage
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Posts: 5431
Joined: 18 years ago
Location: Oak Harbor, Wash.
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#5

Post by asavage »

philip wrote:Hovering over the PN does not reveal its number using IE.
While I haven't tried it at home with IE 5.5, here at work with IE 6, hovering the cursor over the "Quote" button does reveal the link in the bottom status bar. Screenshot:
Image

See the "1044" at the bottom? Perhaps you have the status bar disabled?
Regards,
Al S.

1982 Maxima diesel wagon, 2nd & 4th owner, 165k miles, rusty & burgundy/grey. Purchased 1996, SOLD 16Feb10
1983 Maxima diesel wagon, 199k miles, rusty, light yellow/light brown. SOLD 14Jul07
1981 720 SD22 (scrapped 04Sep07)
1983 Sentra CD17, 255k, bought 06Jul08, gave it away 22Jun10.
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philip
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Posts: 1494
Joined: 18 years ago
Location: Southern California, USA

#6

Post by philip »

asavage wrote: SNIP
See the "1044" at the bottom? Perhaps you have the status bar disabled?
AhSo wise one. My IE 6.0 "Help" fails to list "status..." so I went exploring on my own. I found VIEW/Status Bar in the "unchecked" condition so ... I checked it! Now I have the feature you mention above. Glory Be.
-Philip
Passed 08May2008
My friend, you are missed . . .

1982 Datsun 720KC SD-22

"Im slow and I'm ahead of you"
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kassim503
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Joined: 18 years ago
Location: Stony Brook, NY

#7

Post by kassim503 »

'83 maxima sedan, l24e, a/t, black

227K SOLD 6/7/2012
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asavage
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#8

Post by asavage »

http://nissandiesel.dyndns.org/viewtopi ... 143_middle

See how that doesn't work? In post No. 1143, there is no anchor defined as "middle". Someone would have had to have put this line in that post for your reference to work:

Code: Select all

[anchor]middle[/anchor]
and then your link would have been:

Code: Select all

[gotopost=1143,middle]dasf[/gotopost]
If you are creating an anchor in a post, you can make up an anchorname, it seems that it can be anything you want.

But if you didn't create the post, you can't just make up an anchorname and expect that it will work.

In my SD fuel filters post, I made up anchornames of

Code: Select all

[anchor]primaryfilter[/anchor]
[anchor]tale_of_woe[/anchor]
[anchor]secondaryfilter[/anchor]
So, you can refer to any of those in a [gotopost] tag, ie:

Code: Select all

[gotopost=197,secondaryfilter]Jump to SD22 Secondary Filters section[/gotopost]
If you think that a post might have an anchor in it, you can pretend to reply to it and use the Quote button, which will show you the bbCode in the post, and search (<Ctrl+F>) for "anchor".
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kassim503
Posts: 1027
Joined: 18 years ago
Location: Stony Brook, NY

#9

Post by kassim503 »

'83 maxima sedan, l24e, a/t, black

227K SOLD 6/7/2012
User avatar
kassim503
Posts: 1027
Joined: 18 years ago
Location: Stony Brook, NY

#10

Post by kassim503 »

kassim503 wrote:its about time i got it
'83 maxima sedan, l24e, a/t, black

227K SOLD 6/7/2012
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