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INDENTing a paragraph or more? NOT Center, Right or Justify
 
#1
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Often enough, when composing, I want to paste in a longer text, and to signify that it's a quote I want to INDENT it. Pretend it's just a paragraph. I paste it in, mouse-swipe-sel ect it and then look (in vain) for a formatting control to indent it. I only see left-align, center, right-align and justify. Left is the default, I don't want the text centered or right-aligned or justified (which seems to to nothing). I just want the block of text in effect tabbed in fr om the left margin. I read this thread but it didn't help: http://www.ritlabs.com/de/forum.backUP/read.php?FID=4&TID=5907

Here's a snap fr om the old Eudora that shows what I mean. On its toolbar it has Indent and Outdent (which you can click multiple times). I left the black block highlighting just for clarity.
example at Imgur
 
 
 
#2
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Modern Gmail has Indent/Outdent too, not just Grand Dame Eudora. http://imgur.com/AaWgpD6
 
 
 
#3
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No answer after 2 weeks implies that either no one is interested or that TB doesn't have an Indent function.
 
 
 
#4
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Rob, this is a user to user forum not official tech support. People reply if they have an answer

I know of no way to have it indent other than using the bullets or number lists in html emails. If you do it in a word processor it will not respect it if you paste it into the bat

All of this has the ending "that I have found" as I don't really use that sort of formatting for what I do. If you need to create an occasional effect, tables will work, just reduce the borders to zero if you don't want people to see the table

But as far as I know it does not do word processing tricks. The HTML editor could use improvement but I seriously doubt that they will get that involved with developing in that direction. Someday I would like to be able to paste in HTML and have it be rendered which would solve a lot of thing including this issue
 
 
 
#5
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Indentation in the standard TB message editor has an automation preference setting. Once on, indentation is automatic. Tab or space the first line of the indented paragraph to the desired position and subsequent lines will be indented to the same offset.

To indent an already entered paragraph, mark the paragraph and indent one column at a time with the shortcut key combo <Ctrl+k><i>. To unindent use <Ctrl+k><u>

If you are pasting a long line into the message editor, paste it at the required offset (or indent it manually after pasting) then use the <Alt+l> shortcut key to reform the lines - auto wrap at the configured line lengths. The paragraph will preserve the indentation of the top line.

I don't know anything about indentation in the HTML editor, which uses continual text paragraph and real-time word wrap.
iviarck
 
 
 
#6
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There IS a better answer. If Marck gives you an answer, you can take it to the bank.
Thanks Marck
 
 
 
#7
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Thanks guys.

Rick, I came to TB fr om Eudora, wh ere even in totally plaintext mode this sort of indenting was always available with one click, whether it be newly typed text or pasted (then sel ected) text. To exit one had to click Outdent. So I never thought of it as a word processing trick.

Marck, I tried these moves you suggested, both in mixed HTML/plain and in strictly plain. Also, with Auto Indent ON and with if off. The first TAB move had zero effect on the second line, which required a new tab. Hmm. Then, with an already entered paragraph, highlighting the paragraph and then <Ctrl+k><i> just italicized everything, no indent. Hmm. I haven't gotten to the third move, "If you are pasting...".  I figure you know what you're talking about here so I must be doing something wrong.

For both of you, I was entirely happy and quite adept with Eudora in plaintext mode and even composing HTML, and only came to TB looking for better reading of incoming HTML email. That it does, superbly. But if I'd have to be switching over to strictly plain in TB to get a working indent function it would take away some of the charm of TB.

p.s. why does simple text typing here on the forum result in broken strings? Just in my first few words I see fr_om and wh_ere when I didn't type fr om and where that way. I've seen this before here.
 
 
 
#8
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This indentation would be a wonderful editor enhancement. (As would quote boxes.)

For now, I simply go line by line, with spaces, and it seems to work fine.

(Or use another program, Eudora, Gmail,  however I have gotten used to TheBat! editor.)

However, I can accept that the editor simply is not on the enhancement band-wagon.
Maybe Ritlabs could do one attempt at improvements in the next year or so.

Steven
 
 
 
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