Can't insert em-dashes

[esperantisto]

Hey, moderators!

Why can't I insert em-dashes here? Instead, I get some weird code: — This seems to happen only here, at other forums I succeed with mere Alt+0151. Look, using hyphens instead of dashes is totally wrong and ugly, but no choice is left here!

[RolandDeschain]

Good question

BTW, there really needs to be en easier shortcut to insert an em-dash.

In the meantime, when an em dash is not available is is acceptable to use two hyphens (--) or so I have read. I've also read that that is NOT acceptable. Does anyone have a definitive answer on this?

[esperantisto]

No, double hyphens are not acceptable. You see, use of hyphens and dashes can be different between languages, but anyway hyphens are used to separate parts of compund words like in «Anglo-Saxon» or, particularly for English, sometimes in words like «re-strain» (not to mix with «restrain»). And dashes (en and em) are used to separate words.

I've heard, on Macintosh em-dash can be entered directly from keyboard, but this is not relevatn to me

[ftack]

You could easily put them in an autotext, even an autotext called "-". then, typing -<F3> (the hyphen followed by a press on the F3 key) would insert your em-dash. Alternatively, record a macro inserting the em-dash and assign that macro to a key. Finally, using auto-replace shoudl also work: have an autoreplace entry that replaces -- with an em-dash.

[esperantisto]

ftack, the question was not about OOo (there, it's OK), but about this forum

[r_vinoya]

A work-around is to open a notepad... type ALT-0151... then copy and paste it here:
— (em-dash)
_________________
# : - )

[esperantisto]

Too complicated for such a small thing and such a lazy man Well, why can't it be done in the text field when posting?

[r_vinoya]

[r_vinoya]

Further Testing:

Alt+0151: —
Alt+196: &#9472;


Edited:
Alt+196 should look like a dash... But it changed to weird code. However Alt+0151 remained the same unlike what you said before. Mmmm...Strange? !
_________________
# : - )

[esperantisto]

OK, now I give another try: &#8212;

[esperantisto]

Really strange (I made Alt+0151)

[esperantisto]

And Alt+196: &#9472;

[r_vinoya]

—

I try again (step by step)
1) click post reply
2) Key in ALT+0151
3) Press Enter twice
4) Typed this note
5) Pressed submit button (Actually I will just press the submit button after I close this parethesis. I'm using IE6 in windows)
_________________
# : - )

[r_vinoya]