# Putting in blank spaces and lining up columns
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-in-blank-spaces-and-lining-up-columns/38354
**Category:** About This Message Board
**Created:** [October 26, 2000, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-in-blank-spaces-and-lining-up-columns/38354 "2000-10-26T02:25:56Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)
#### Post date: [October 26, 2000, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-in-blank-spaces-and-lining-up-columns/38354/1 "2000-10-26T02:25:56Z")
What’s the best way on this board to insert blank spaces? I’ve used the “& + nbsp” to enter some blank spaces, but it always seems a little weird when I try to preview it. Sometimes the code shows up, then I go back, hit the space bar and the next preview doesn’t have the code.
Is it possible to enter material in using an HTML table?
---
### Author:  [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)
#### Post date: [October 26, 2000, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-in-blank-spaces-and-lining-up-columns/38354/2 "2000-10-26T02:37:17Z")
The problem AFAIK with lining things up with spaces is that not everyones monitor is set up the same. You’d be better off using the [[sub][/sub]code] tag.
```auto
a b c d e
f g h i j
k l m n o
p q r s t
```
HTML is turn off so I don’t think you can use it at all.
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### Author:  [@annalamerino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/annalamerino)
#### Post date: [October 26, 2000, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-in-blank-spaces-and-lining-up-columns/38354/3 "2000-10-26T17:21:10Z")
The one I’ve read is **ALTdown0160ALTup.**
Another favorite is the Character Map accessory in Windows.
See a great example on this thread (of an armadillo)
\*\* [Show me your fancy sig -](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=42206)\*\*
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### Author:  [@annalamerino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/annalamerino)
#### Post date: [October 26, 2000, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-in-blank-spaces-and-lining-up-columns/38354/4 "2000-10-26T17:33:28Z")
Almost missed this note, which for some reason scrolled off the side of the screen when CODE was used.
> [@](#):
>
> But watch out-
> The hard blanks cannot be copied out of the post window
> without converting to “soft blanks” that are stripped out.
> To get a row of hard blanks, store them in Notepad and copy
> from there. Not elegant, but it works.
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### Author:  [@Montfort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Montfort)
#### Post date: [October 26, 2000, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-in-blank-spaces-and-lining-up-columns/38354/5 "2000-10-26T22:32:17Z")
I had a bitch of a time coming up with a valid space character to use in the subject field when creating [this (closed) thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=37440). Just about every ASCII character I tried didn’t work.
And, of course, I can’t remember which one it was that did. I’d try recreating that thread, but if you see UncleBeer’s warning at the end of the thread, I’d rather not.
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### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [October 27, 2000, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-in-blank-spaces-and-lining-up-columns/38354/6 "2000-10-27T07:08:31Z")
The pseudospace character is ASCII 160. It’s not a problem in general, for making columns line up and such; just don’t use it in a subject line.