# Another List Assist Please **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [January 7, 2001, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-list-assist-please/48897 "2001-01-07T21:10:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2001, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-list-assist-please/48897/1 "2001-01-07T21:10:45Z")
For some reason my list functions will not turn off. I seem to recall that you are supposed to use this code: **[**/list\*\*]\*\* (please disregard bolding) Yet is does not seem to work. I will demonstrate. [list=A] [li]aaa[/li][li]bbb[/li][li]ccc[/li][li]ddd[/li][/list] [ol] [li]aaa[/li][li]bbb[/li][li]ccc[/li][li]ddd[/li][/ol] [list=a] [li]aaa[/li][li]bbb[/li][li]ccc[/li][li]ddd[/li][/list] With the list function turned off this paragraph should not be indented and yet it is. What gives? (please use the quote function to review my coding.) ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2001, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-list-assist-please/48897/2 "2001-01-07T21:20:51Z")
As you specify a TYPE of list in your coding, you turn it on, you turn it off. As so: {list=A} to turn it on. {/list=A}to turn it off. (Straight instead of curly brackets, of course.) Simply going {/list} won’t cancel the previous command. your humble TubaDiva ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2001, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-list-assist-please/48897/3 "2001-01-07T22:08:28Z")
Many thanks you wondeful woman you! ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2001, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-list-assist-please/48897/4 "2001-01-07T22:14:18Z")
[list=a][li]A Midsummer-Night’s Dream[/li][li]Hamlet, Prince of Denmark[/li][li]King Lear[/li][/list=a] [list=a][li]A Midsummer-Night’s Dream[/li][li]Hamlet, Prince of Denmark[/li][li]King Lear[/li][/list] [list][li]A Midsummer-Night’s Dream[/li][li]Hamlet, Prince of Denmark[/li][li]King Lear[/li][/list=a] ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecccb3/32.png) [@Lord\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Jim)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2001, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-list-assist-please/48897/5 "2001-01-08T00:13:01Z")
This is another difference between Netscape and Internet Explorer. Your code looked fine in Netscape 4.74. However, IE5.0 requires the [**/list=a] or [**/list=1] syntax, but it doesn’t care which you use. You can start a list with [**list=a] and close it with [**/list=1]. In IE5.0, [**/list=a] or [**/list=1] will close either ordered list ( [\*\*list=a] or [\*\*list=1] ), but won’t close an unordered list ( [\*\*list] ) and vice versa. I know this is probably too much information, but the way IE closes lists leads to some kinda unusual things. Like, if you start a list with [\*\*list=a] followed by a 2nd list started with [**list], as such: [list=a][list=a][li]A stuff[/li][li]B stuff[/li][ul][list][li]stuff[/li][li]stuff[/ul][/list=a]you can close both at the same time with [/list=a] or you can close them one at a time by using [/list] followed by [**/list=a]. This may seem logical.[/li] However, if the 2nd list is started with [\*\*list=1], as such: [list=a][\*\*list=a][li]A stuff[/li][li]B stuff[/li][list=1][**list=1][li]1 stuff[/li][li]2 stuff[/list=1][/list=a]you can’t close both lists by using [**/list=a]. It only closes the 2nd list.[/li] Hope this didn’t totally confuse you. If you do as **TubaDiva** said, both Netscape and IE will cooperate. Jim ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2001, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-list-assist-please/48897/6 "2001-01-08T01:33:06Z")
Thanks, Jim, I didn’t know that. Learn something new every day if you’re not careful! 🙂 I just find it easier to be consistent, so turn 'em on and off the same way. No muss, no fuss. your humble TubaDiva Administrator Member of the belt-and-suspenders-club