# Formatting tricks for increased readability **URL:** https://community.mrtrix.org/t/formatting-tricks-for-increased-readability/34 **Category:** General information **Created:** [January 29, 2016, 4:52am UTC](https://community.mrtrix.org/t/formatting-tricks-for-increased-readability/34 "2016-01-29T04:52:45Z") **Posts on this page:** 1 **Showing post:** 2
### Author: ![ThijsDhollander](https://community.mrtrix.org/user_avatar/community.mrtrix.org/thijsdhollander/32/1617_2.png) [@ThijsDhollander](https://community.mrtrix.org/u/ThijsDhollander) #### Post date: [January 29, 2016, 4:56am UTC](https://community.mrtrix.org/t/formatting-tricks-for-increased-readability/34/2 "2016-01-29T04:56:44Z")
When you have to post big amounts of text for some reason, and you don’t want to have these cluttering up the rest of your post, you can use the following construction: ```auto [details=Here goes something I wanted to share] Here goes my lengthy text. [/details] ``` The actual lengthy text will be hidden (collapsed) by default, and anyone reading your post can click on the description line to unfold it in place. This is how such a construction might appear, with an actual lengthier text: * * * > **Click here to reveal a poem I wanted to share with the community** > > **Falling Stars** > > I am a falling star, burning up in the ionosphere, > all of my many lives > flashing through my mind at once - > not experienced in a linear sequence, > but opening up in an all-encompassing bloom. > Time blossoms. > > -Time- > > A million years ago, > I shared the apple, > hypnotized by the seeds > connecting into a pentacle; > a star shining in the fruit’s pulpy flesh. > > I am a falling star, burning up in the stratosphere, > on a collision course > defined by fate or destiny. > Please make a wish upon me, > so that my life wasn’t lived in vain - > the fear of an insignificant life, > without a solid meaning to its end. > > With juice sluicing down my chin, > I knew the consequences > of nearly all my actions. > Naivety turned into shame, > pushed me up, high into the sky, > a trade-off for my stubborn rebellions - > I was able to touch the heavens, > only to brace myself > against the steep ride back down. > > I am a shooting star, disintegrating in the atmosphere. > Please make a wish upon me, > before I become too small to see. > Please make a wish upon me, > and benefit from my final breath, > so that I do not completely disappear > with this all-consuming fear, > of an end, lacking solid meaning. > > Starlight/ Shooting star so bright, > falling star, you see burning up in fright, > I wish you may, I wish you might, > have the wish, you wish for, tonight. > > Copyright 2016, Chris D. Aechtner * * * **While this might appear handy to post scripts, logs or debug output from commands, there’s an _even better_ way of doing that.** In-line “code” style text can be surrounded by single backticks, while whole blocks can be surrounded by triple ticks, like this: ```` I just ran `mrview` with the `-version` option, and the first two lines of output were: ``` == mrview new_syntax-1325-gb16aa1c1 == 64 bit release version, built Jan 25 2016, using Eigen 3.2.0 ``` ```` …which will result in: * * * I just ran `mrview` with the `-version` option, and the first two lines of output were: ```auto == mrview new_syntax-1325-gb16aa1c1 == 64 bit release version, built Jan 25 2016, using Eigen 3.2.0 ``` * * * Note this could also have been achieved by indenting the code section with 4 spaces (this is actually what the `` button on the editing toolbar does for you): ``` I just ran `mrview` with the `-version` option, and the first two lines of output were: == mrview new_syntax-1325-gb16aa1c1 == 64 bit release version, built Jan 25 2016, using Eigen 3.2.0 ``` Notice how I actually used these techniques throughout my posts to show you how to achieve all this formatting. The advantage of the code tags is that any text in between them will **not** (accidentally) be interpreted as markdown code. The text just stays **unaffected**! Also, don’t be afraid to post **long** logs or anything like that: beyond a certain length, it will automatically appear in a box with a scrollbar. No risk of cluttering. 🙂 In a final reply below, I will briefly explain how you can quote other peoples’ writings. --- _[View the full topic](https://community.mrtrix.org/t/formatting-tricks-for-increased-readability/34)._