UESPWiki:Archive/CP Syntax tweak for preformatted text

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Syntax tweak for preformatted text.

I'd like to propose to the MediaWiki syntax, if easily implemented. Basically it comes down to the removal of the parsing rule that converts a leading space to preformatted text. If I would type the following text with a leading space you would get:

preformatted text.

Now regular editors have no problem avoiding this, as they are aware a leading space results to this. A new user is not aware of this, as many will have seen, and may be confused what part of his/her text is causing the preformatted text to appear. A leading space is not so obvious as, for exampe, four dashes ('-') resulting in a horizontal line.

Preformatted text can still be created with the <pre> and </pre> tags, and since likely all instances of this are coded this way I don't think there is going to be any additional editing necessary. All it would do is making editing easier for new users. Thoughts? --Timenn-<talk> 12:57, 11 September 2009 (UTC)

My concern with this is that those who are already familiar with Wiki syntax could have difficulty figuring out that we allow <pre>, but not a leading space. I know I figured out the leading space style long before I discovered a pre tag, and I wouldn't be surprised if others were in the same position. It might be especially confusing if we only change the parser, since people might look at the existing code and see that it was done using leading spaces and then wonder why theirs isn't working. Or on the flip side, if we eliminate the syntax altogether, then we have to change every last instance of it on the site. —Robin Hood (Talk • E-mail • Contribs) 21:58, 11 September 2009 (UTC)