# I had a cool idea! (program that creats sdmb code much like MS word) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 30, 2003, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-had-a-cool-idea-program-that-creats-sdmb-code-much-like-ms-word/178473 "2003-05-30T09:30:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-had-a-cool-idea-program-that-creats-sdmb-code-much-like-ms-word/178473/1 "2003-05-30T09:30:53Z")
What I mean by that is - In word, if you want bold, you type ctrl-b, if you want to turn the bold off you type ctrl b again. I am working on an app that, when you type ctrl-b (or press the bold button) the sdmb bold start code is inserted at the cursor, and if you type ctrl-b again the bold end code is inserted at the cursor. Same for italic, underline, quote, spoiler etc… So typing an sdmb post would be identical to typing in word. I have already got it working, it was ridiculously easy (with Borland C++ Builder’s excelent rapid app development abilities) If I can be arsed I will even implement a dynamic preview window which shows your post **while you type** as it will appear in the thread. When it is finished it is free for anyone who wants it. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 9:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-had-a-cool-idea-program-that-creats-sdmb-code-much-like-ms-word/178473/2 "2003-05-30T09:38:53Z")
Actually, considering the talent here on the SDMB, what I just did was a bit like a guy bursting into the dressing room of a premier league football (soccer) team and saying “I just had a great idea! - why don’t we pass the ball using the _side_ of our foot?! That way we will be more accurate!” But I am still going to do this for my own benefit. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-had-a-cool-idea-program-that-creats-sdmb-code-much-like-ms-word/178473/3 "2003-05-30T10:11:34Z")
I have a preliminary version ready. It does bold, italic, and quote. e-mail me if you’d like me to send it to you. It’s 82kb ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-had-a-cool-idea-program-that-creats-sdmb-code-much-like-ms-word/178473/4 "2003-05-30T10:13:07Z")
or rather post if you’d like me to send it to you :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Kal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de053/32.png) [@Kal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kal)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-had-a-cool-idea-program-that-creats-sdmb-code-much-like-ms-word/178473/5 "2003-05-30T10:28:24Z")
Sounds good **Lobsang** , I’d be interested in playing around with it. **Mangetout** released a similar program a while back (bbBuddy or something?), don’t know if he’s still working on it though. ---
**Author:** ![Kal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de053/32.png) [@Kal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kal)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-had-a-cool-idea-program-that-creats-sdmb-code-much-like-ms-word/178473/6 "2003-05-30T10:31:50Z")
Here’s the [thread.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=156572&highlight=%2Abudd%2A) ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-had-a-cool-idea-program-that-creats-sdmb-code-much-like-ms-word/178473/7 "2003-05-30T10:32:10Z")
I’ll send it to you **Kal** I have not yet found out if it will work on computers without Builder Installed. I compiled in such a way that it should work on any windows machine, but I only have BCB’s word that it will work. ---
**Author:** ![Kal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de053/32.png) [@Kal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kal)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-had-a-cool-idea-program-that-creats-sdmb-code-much-like-ms-word/178473/8 "2003-05-30T11:00:59Z")
Thanks for sending it, it runs fine on my computer. ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-had-a-cool-idea-program-that-creats-sdmb-code-much-like-ms-word/178473/9 "2003-05-30T11:05:04Z")
Can you make it automatically generate self-absorbed and whiny posts, **Lobsang**? That could save even more time. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![NoGoodNamesLeft](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8797f3/32.png) [@NoGoodNamesLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoGoodNamesLeft)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-had-a-cool-idea-program-that-creats-sdmb-code-much-like-ms-word/178473/10 "2003-05-30T11:31:50Z")
Hey, send it along…I LOVE playing with this kind of stuff… Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-had-a-cool-idea-program-that-creats-sdmb-code-much-like-ms-word/178473/11 "2003-05-30T11:41:55Z")
OOh, can you send it to me please? If you like, I can put it on a site for people to download. ---
**Author:** ![ReuvenB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9fc348/32.png) [@ReuvenB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ReuvenB)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-had-a-cool-idea-program-that-creats-sdmb-code-much-like-ms-word/178473/12 "2003-05-30T12:02:45Z")
Send it over here. I hate coding. ---
**Author:** ![RickQ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@RickQ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickQ)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-had-a-cool-idea-program-that-creats-sdmb-code-much-like-ms-word/178473/13 "2003-05-30T12:07:39Z")
Hey, send it to me, too. ---
**Author:** ![kabbes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e99b99/32.png) [@kabbes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kabbes)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-had-a-cool-idea-program-that-creats-sdmb-code-much-like-ms-word/178473/14 "2003-05-30T12:14:47Z")
I find that I have the opposite problem. As an example: frequently when trying to bold something in Word I absentmindedly type “[b]” instead of pressing ctrl-b! pan ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-had-a-cool-idea-program-that-creats-sdmb-code-much-like-ms-word/178473/15 "2003-05-30T12:18:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by kabbes \* > \*\*I find that I have the opposite problem. As an example: frequently when trying to bold something in Word I absentmindedly type “[b]” instead of pressing ctrl-b! > > pan \*\* It’s even worse when you code HTML all the time. I go \*\* instead of \ and [URL=] instead of \. All the time. Nightmare. ---
**Author:** ![green\_bladder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@green\_bladder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/green_bladder)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-had-a-cool-idea-program-that-creats-sdmb-code-much-like-ms-word/178473/16 "2003-05-30T12:22:28Z")
_whistles_ Over here please! Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![mooka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@mooka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mooka)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-had-a-cool-idea-program-that-creats-sdmb-code-much-like-ms-word/178473/17 "2003-05-30T12:44:31Z")
Sounds interesting - send me a copy if you could… ---
**Author:** ![VenusProbe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/e495f1/32.png) [@VenusProbe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VenusProbe)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-had-a-cool-idea-program-that-creats-sdmb-code-much-like-ms-word/178473/18 "2003-05-30T14:21:14Z")
Cool! send me a copy too! Please. Oh, and can you add a spelling/grammar/punctuation check and and auto smily insertion? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-had-a-cool-idea-program-that-creats-sdmb-code-much-like-ms-word/178473/19 "2003-05-30T14:48:15Z")
Oy Lobbers, send! Send! I will post a link so you don’t have to be bothered about it. [Feature request: tag customiser - the user should be able to add their own tags and keyboard short-cuts - this will allow for vBulletin upgrades, and/or fancier tags.] ---
**Author:** ![lilbtagna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4491bb/32.png) [@lilbtagna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lilbtagna)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2003, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-had-a-cool-idea-program-that-creats-sdmb-code-much-like-ms-word/178473/20 "2003-05-30T15:05:57Z")
Neato! Could you send me one too please? Thank you very much 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-had-a-cool-idea-program-that-creats-sdmb-code-much-like-ms-word/178473.md?page=2)