Edit Wording and Phrases: HTML Basics
As a ConfTool administrator, you can change all wordings of the system via the web-based configuration. For many text parameters you can also enter HTML code if you need text formatting or links to resources outside of ConfTool.
The two languages used to format text and create web content in ConfTool are HTML and CSS. There are many excellent manuals on both on the web; as these are usually very extensive, we summarize the most important basics for use in ConfTool below.
Opening and closing tags: Most HTML elements come in pairs – an opening tag (e.g. <b>) and a closing tag (e.g. </b>), the latter marked by a leading slash. The text you want to format goes between the two tags.
Formatting text
| Format | HTML code | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Bold | <b>…</b> or <strong>…</strong> | bold text |
| Italic | <i>…</i> or <em>…</em> | italic text |
| Underline | <u>…</u> | underlined text |
Underlined text is usually not recommended, as it can cause readability problems (the line may interfere with the descenders of lowercase letters such as g, j, p, q and y) and is easily mistaken for a link.
Headlines
You can create headlines in four different sizes:
<h1>Headline 1</h1>
<h2>Headline 2</h2>
<h3>Headline 3</h3>
<h4>Headline 4</h4>
Coloured text (CSS)
For coloured text you need a CSS command. Use the <span> element together with the style attribute; the style definition contains the CSS code:
<span style="color: red;">text in red</span>
Result: text in red
CSS can do much more than colours, but its syntax is more complex than plain HTML tags.
Links to external resources
To link to documents outside of ConfTool (for instance to your template for paper submissions), use the <a> element:
<a target="_blank" href="https://example.com/file.pdf">this is the link text</a>
The target="_blank" attribute is strongly recommended in ConfTool for external links, so that the link target opens in a new window or tab.
Tables
There may be cases where you need a table, e.g. to show information side by side in two or more columns. For this purpose we recommend an HTML table converter such as TableConvert, which generates the required code for you.
Helpful tools
If you need further assistance with HTML coding, an online HTML editor is useful. Reliable tools that convert formatted text into HTML code are, for example, the HTML-Online Editor or the HTML5-Editor. Use the visual editor on one side to generate the corresponding HTML code on the other.
Important: Your HTML code must be correct and syntactically valid. Invalid code can break parts of the user interface or even make them invisible. If you do not feel confident with HTML, it is better not to use it. In any case, please test your changes, check how the updated pages appear to normal users, and make sure the changes do not corrupt the meaning of individual features.
Feedback is welcome!