# Typing in superscript/subscript.. **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [March 30, 2002, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/typing-in-superscript-subscript/100879 "2002-03-30T05:19:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MarkyDeSade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/35a633/32.png) [@MarkyDeSade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MarkyDeSade)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2002, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/typing-in-superscript-subscript/100879/1 "2002-03-30T05:19:16Z")
How do I do it? I’ve read the FAQ, and the VBhelp, but don’t know how to do it… Could somebody point me in the right direction (or just tell me)? All I want to do is write E=mc^2!! oh, and know how to do it in the future… ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2002, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/typing-in-superscript-subscript/100879/2 "2002-03-30T06:05:50Z")
We need to add that to the FAQ. In the meantime, user the sup and sub tags that we added to the default vBulletin tags. e.g. E = mc{sup}2{/sup} or H{sub}2{/sub}O changing the { and } to square brackets. Better yet, hit the quote button for this post to see how I did this: E = mc[sup]2[/sup] or H[sub]2[/sub]O ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2002, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/typing-in-superscript-subscript/100879/3 "2002-03-30T08:15:40Z")
Just so you know, it isn’t that hard to use real vB code in a post. For example, I could discuss [**b]bolding[**/b], [**i]italicizing[**/i], [[sup][/sup]sup]superscripting[[sup][/sup]/sup], or [[sub][/sub]sub]subscripting[[sub][/sub]/sub] without having to resort to curly braces by inserting extra empty tags into the middle of the tags I want to display. Thus, to get [\*\*\*\*sup] to display as shown, I type [[**b][**/b]sup]. Etc. (intended as more of a lesson to anyone reading than a snotty response to **Arnold** , which I realize it might sound like) ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2002, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/typing-in-superscript-subscript/100879/4 "2002-03-30T13:01:12Z")
That’s so cool **waterj**. I would have never thought of doing that. Which is why I like to come in here to the ATMB. You can learn all kinds of new tricks without ever having to fire up a brain cell. P.S. They gave you a promotion and then put you straight to work, huh **Arnold**? You’ve been spot-on all the time, everytime but you must be exhausted. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2002, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/typing-in-superscript-subscript/100879/5 "2002-03-30T17:15:12Z")
That’s a good trick waterj2. It makes explaining it the codes a lot easier. I like that method, but I also like the “quote my post to see how I did it”. I’m still not sure which way is the best. If someone quotes your post they might get confused. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2002, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/typing-in-superscript-subscript/100879/6 "2002-03-30T17:54:29Z")
Biggirl - All part of the staff job. And I handle some support issues at work for the product our company makes so I’m used to answering questions anyway. ---
**Author:** ![barstow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/90db22/32.png) [@barstow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barstow)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2002, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/typing-in-superscript-subscript/100879/7 "2002-03-31T07:48:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Arnold Winkelried \* > \*\*That’s a good trick waterj2. It makes explaining it the codes a lot easier. \*\* That trick has been around a lot, but it keeps getting lost. Here’s one of the earlier cites I could find, from 10-18-2000 ( **Uart** ’s post ) [About This Message Board \> Help The Newbie!](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?&threadid=42757) We really need a place to put all this posting lore. ---
**Author:** ![MarkyDeSade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/35a633/32.png) [@MarkyDeSade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MarkyDeSade)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2002, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/typing-in-superscript-subscript/100879/8 "2002-04-01T19:18:34Z")
[sub]Thanks[/sub] for [sup]all[/sup] the [sub]help[/sub][sup]!![/sup]