creating/preserving space in pages

  • Sorry if this is mega-simple; I’m new. I’m busy creating pages, but find that when I want to separate paragraphs by more than one return, this space is only sometimes preserved when I save and look at the site. There must be a way to do this — maybe through the ‘code’ function, like when I make a link? Despite lots of typing in what looks like it *should* be the code for ‘hard return’, I’m not getting anywhere. Any ideas? Many thanks.

  • thistimethisspace · Member ·

    I have more success with formatting when I shut off the visual rich text editor and work in the standard editor. Maybe this will work for you too.
    -> Dashboard -> Users -> Your Profile
    uncheck the spot for ___ Use the visual rich editor when writing and click “Udate Profile” to save.

    I also use <br /> or &nbsp; to create the space you refer to. However, I have noticed that on some themes my spacing is stripped out regardless.

  • hello pdom :D

    maybe you could try doing it like this – works for me!! :D

    <p>&nbsp;</p>

    there are situations when it doesn’t quite work, due to browser issues. read about it here:
    https://en.forums.wordpress.com/topic.php?id=17495&page&replies=9

  • Thanks for this folks — I can’t try these out until tomorrow, alas! Looks hopeful, however…will certainly let you know… Hurray for forums! Could be browser I guess or theme-linked: fingers crossed.

  • No, it’s basically just that WP.com isn’t terribly flexible when it comes to formatting. If you want to control the graphic display of your blog more than just real fundamentals, you’re probably going to need to think about alternatives like saving files as images and uploading those, or something like that. WP wants to keep things very, very basic.

  • Indeed raincoaster has nit the nail on the head. That being said though, when it comes to posting poetry, I found this article to be useful using the break element properly

  • Example:

    <p>I think that I shall never see<br />
       A poem lovely as a tree.</p>
    <p>A tree whose hungry mouth is prest<br />
       Against the sweet earth’s flowing breast;</p>
  • That’s the correct use of the <br /> within a paragraph (verse) and `<p>&nbsp</p>’
    will usually produce the space between paragraphs in most themes. But in some themes this appears to be over-ridden. Consequently, in my sappy poetry blog I do what raincoaster suggests. I write my poems and save them as images and then upload them.

  • Yes, all makes sense. I’ll see what I can do. Haven’t even started on trying to format my poetry: this is just prose! Baited breath. Many thanks.

  • Hello all. Well, I’ve managed it pretty well, but by doing a version of what timethief suggests: using only <p></p> it somehow works (although the code actually disappears from the text, even when in ‘code’ mode). When I used the full version, &nbsp showed up in the text. Kind of strange? The prose was indeed a direct copy of part of word document, and was just awkward to handle. I think saving whatever I need to do where formatting matters in an image file will work with much less fiddle. Off to try that with the next one now! Shall also look at the suggested article. Many thanks.

  • When I used the full version, &nbsp showed up in the text.

    Yes I’ve noticed that too.

    Oh dear! We forgot to ask you id your were copying and pasting from Microsoft about Word. http://faq.wordpress.com/2006/11/09/why-not-to-use-word/
    See icon 16F http://faq.wordpress.com/2006/05/15/what-do-all-the-icons-mean/

  • It needs to be &nbsp; [with semi colon]

  • @atthe404
    Argggghhhh! of course it does – sheesh – how embarassing :(
    Thanks for the correction.

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