# How does this work?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-this-work/29822>\
**Category:** About This Message Board\
**Created:** [August 18, 2000, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-this-work/29822 "2000-08-18T04:03:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\
**Post date:** [August 18, 2000, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-this-work/29822/1 "2000-08-18T04:03:25Z")

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How easy is it to add a vB code? Is it just making an alias to the appropriate HTML code (like {i} is \<i\>, {b} is \<b\>, etc.) or is it more complex. My reason for asking: I’ve noticed a rather close isometry between vB code and HTML except in the {quote} (which is doubtless an alias to a string of HTML code, if that’s how it works) and the smilies (which look like they might be an alias to HTML codes for image inserts). Am I right, or am I wrong? How does the .sig work?

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**Author:** ![Louie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c68b51/32.png) [@Louie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Louie)\
**Post date:** [August 18, 2000, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-this-work/29822/2 "2000-08-18T05:45:11Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> My reason for asking: I’ve noticed a rather close isometry between vB code and HTML except in the {quote} (which is doubtless an alias to a string of HTML code, if that’s how it works)

The “quote” function is equivalent to the HTML command BLOCKQUOTE

Also the codes {SUB} and {SUP} are supported on this board.

If there’s a HTML code that you _really, **really** _ need to use on this board, contact TubaDiva.

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**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:** [August 18, 2000, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-does-this-work/29822/3 "2000-08-18T15:57:09Z")

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Just a bit of wild ass guessing on my part, but it seems to me there’s not a lot of different ways to do this sort of task . . . coding is coding, whatever you come up with is bound to be similar to someone else’s solution. To emulate something else just makes sense too; why reinvent the wheel?

I also note that in some vB installations you can use hmtl along with the vB coding, we have chosen not to use that option.

your humble TubaDiva  
Administrator