Missing Formatting Toolbar

[Wizcrafts]

As I type this from my Samsung Galaxy S3,using Firefox for mobile, I have no text formatting toolbar present. There isn't any show/hide button for it. Plain text is my only posting or replying option.

[Wizcrafts]

As I type this from my Samsung Galaxy S3,using Firefox for mobile, I have no text formatting toolbar present. There isn't any show/hide button for it. Plain text is my only posting or replying option.

This reply is typed in Google Chrome, on the same smart phone. There is still no text formatting toolbar option. I am forced to type in plain text. This also means no hyperlinks.

[Wizcrafts]

I am now replying on my Windows 7 PC, using Firefox. As soon as I clicked inside the text area, the formatting toolbar appeared. I can type rich text, add links and emoticons , change font faces and sizes, etc.

I see two interesting button options on the toolbar. One is on top, on the far left. Clicking this button toggles between rich (formatted) text and plain text. Apparently, this option is always selected for smart phone users, no matter what our wishes. However, when using my PC, I can toggle between plain and rich text. When toggled into plain text, all formatting options are grayed out.

The second interesting button is on the far right, just above this text field. Clicking the little arrow hides the formatting toolbar completely.

Without rich text formatting, one cannot embed links, or emoticons, apply underlines, italics, strike-throughs, lists, or change text alignment.

What gives? Why are smart phone browsers, which do have Javascript enabled, not presented with the text formatting toolbar when posting and replying?

[electrathon]

There is a small "n" in the top left corner, click on it. Not sure what or why, but there is flaw in the forum software that stops a lot of things from working properly (I have tried on multiple computers from old to brand new, same issues) If yopu click on the "n" icon sometimes it will let you do things that otherwise will not work (like quotes and hyperlinks, cut and paste).

[Northmount]

For me, Firefox works as Wiz says on a PC.

On an iPad, if I want to copy some text, I hold my finger on the text (touch and hold) until the IOS selects some text, then adjust the limits of the text selected, touch select, copy, switch to the location I want to copy to, touch and hold the spot until the paste instruction appears, then touch paste.

To copy a URL, touch and hold on the URL, when prompted, select all, copy, then go paste.

I can't speak to Android yet, but that may not be far off. The last IOS upgrade is trash, and I can't go back. Speed for almost anything, and especially for switching tasks, has hit rock bottom. The screen appearance is awfull, not what I would call an upgrade. The safari browser crashes frequently. Especially if you touch an embedded youtube while scrolling, but many other random times too. Their music player crashes on certain songs as it plays an album, yet will play the same song when picked by name. These problems and Apple's idea of how it organizes photos, mp3 files, etc., not allowing me to organize folders ... has irked me since I got the xxx thing. So after fighting it for 3 years and the added problems, I'm looking for change. Just about bought a BB Playbook, but with BB's problems and no stock, that's out.

Tom

[Wizcrafts]

There is a small "n" in the top left corner, click on it. Not sure what or why, but there is flaw in the forum software that stops a lot of things from working properly (I have tried on multiple computers from old to brand new, same issues) If yopu click on the "n" icon sometimes it will let you do things that otherwise will not work (like quotes and hyperlinks, cut and paste).

I don't see any letter "N" to click on, using my Galaxy S3 phone. Plain text is all that is available to me and other smart phone users.

Something is wrong with the device detection coding on the LWN forums.

[electrathon]

I now have an iPad and things look way different. So far most things seem to be working. It is windows on my PC that has the issues.

[Wizcrafts]

I now have an iPad and things look way different. So far most things seem to be working. It is windows on my PC that has the issues.

Do you get the text formatting toolbar now on your iPad? I still have none using my Galaxy phone.

The letter N you mentioned is part of the toolbar. If one's device doesn't display the formatting toolbar, the N is not there either.

This was typed from my Windows 7 PC.

Note: there is a tiny arrow on the right edge of the formatting toolbar. Clicking on it shows or hides the toolbar. That arrow is missing on most Android device mobile browsers.

[electrathon]

No toolbar at all on my iPad.

[Wizcrafts]

I now have an iPad and things look way different. So far most things seem to be working. It is windows on my PC that has the issues.

I am replying to you from my W7 PC, with JavaScript disabled. There is no formatting toolbar available, as it is created, shown and hidden via JavaScript functions. Are you perchance blocking JavaScript in the browsers on the PCs you referred to?

[electrathon]

On the PCs the tool bar is displayed, just many things do not work properly. From my older one to the brand new one, same problem on all three of them. Other petiole also post that they have the same issue too, so it is not isolated.

I am not that knowledgable on computer issues, so I do not know much more than the surface answers.