The Reply to Thread and Reply options

[Bert Coules]

I have the Enhanced Interface editor option selected in my Profile for posting and replying, but when I click on Reply to Thread or Reply I'm still taken to the small and restricted Quick Reply text box. To get to the full editor and a decent-sized text-entry space I have to then click on Go Advanced.

Is there any way of getting straight to the Advanced reply facility?

Thanks,

Bert

[french frank]

I've no idea what the Enhanced Interface editor is, but this question was asked on the vBulletin forum. Quick Reply can only be switched off at the ACP, meaning all users are affected. As far as I can see, it can't be switched off for individuals. The answer on the vBulletin forum assumes that you are a forum Adminstrator, btw. Is this an issue for people?

[Bert Coules]

I've no idea what the Enhanced Interface editor is...

It's one of the three choices under Settings/General Settings/Miscellaneous Options:

Enhanced Interface
Basic Editor
Standard Editor

Is this an issue for people?

It's not exactly an issue for me: I just idly wondered if it was possible to go straight to a larger reply box. If, as it seems, it's not, it's no great hassle to have to take one more step to get there.

Thanks for the reply.

[french frank]

I'm still not sure of the exact effect - I left my setting on 'Basic'. On another query here, though, I was interested to read: "Depending upon the capabilities of your web browser, you may not be able to use all of these options. If you experience problems when posting messages, try switching to a different interface type." Not your problem here, but it illustrates that certain browsers don't cope in the standard way with particular features.

[Bert Coules]

I just switched my option to Basic. It seems to have had absolutely no effect whatsoever: clicking on Reply to Thread in order to post this took me to the same small text box as before, and moving from there to Go Advanced brought up the self-same bigger-box-with-formatting-choices that I saw when my setting was Enhanced Interface.

I don't know if it makes any odds, but I'm using Firefox.

Edited to add:

Sorry, I was mistaken. With Enhanced Interface selected, if I click on Edit Post then I'm presented with my message in a text box with formatting options; with Basic as the choice the formatting comands aren't there.

Thanks for the reply.

[french frank]

That's what I meant by saying I didn't understand what Enhanced Interface meant here. As far as I can see, if you go to Preview you get a WYSIWYG view anyway and the Go Advanced simply has more formatting options and Preview. (I'm also using Firefox) I suppose I could try switching off Quick Reply and see whether it works ... I'll do so at 15.45 if you confirm you're around to test it straightaway.

[Bert Coules]

Yes, I'll be here. But I don't like the thought of you changing something so fundamental merely because I raised a really quite unimportant point!

[french frank]

In the pursuit of knowledge ...

[french frank]

No, it's just the same! More research needed!

[Bert Coules]

Fair point.

Ah. I just clicked on Reply to Thread and was taken straight to the larger text book with the formatting commands. I have to say, I think that's a better option.

That's with Enhanced selected. I'll try going back to Basic and see what happens...

[Don Petter]

I get the same results as Bert, using IE, not that it really worries me.

My setting is 'Standard Editor - Extra formatting controls' (which I assume is the default - I don't remember changing it).

Interestingly, according to the legend, my choice, being the third click button, is 'a fully-fledged WYSIWYG editor, which allows you to format your text as you want it and see the results immediately' though this would seem more likely to apply to the first button of the three. All very confusing really.

[french frank]

Back to the drawing board!

[Bert Coules]

OK. With Basic as the choice, you're right: nothing is different: Reply to Thread brings up the small reply box.

Which seems to suggest that turning off Quick Reply switches on the Settings choice. A good argument, I think, for leaving Quick Reply switched off, so people can choose for themselves.

[Bert Coules]

Oh, it's stopped working. Have you switched Quick Reply back on again?

[french frank]

Er, yes.

I'm going to see if I can find out more. It made no difference to me (Firefox for Mac, btw).[Edit: I was also on Standard editor, not Basic - my mistake ] I've been having to go to bed early on a/c of flu, but when I can see not many people are about, I'll try and fiddle again.

The advantage of QR is that it doesn't reload the reply page, so you can still refer to previous replies easily. It's less easy to read earlier replies on the Go Advanced view.

But more follows ...